Assignment Objective Students will write a thoughtful and analytic paper detailing significant developmental topics about your experience of raising a “virtual child.” This should be done by associating and incorporating material from our class discussions, lectures and issues discussed in your textbook, as well as any additional resources which you may discover on your own.

(assignment instructions are continued on next page) 6 MyVirtualChild Paper (continued): Paper Format  APA Style (American Psychological Association)  Length: 3-4 full pages, plus a cover page and reference page.  Sources: Textbook, MyPsychLab, Class Notes Instructions and Suggestions 1. Predictions: BEFORE YOU BEGIN, briefly write about any expected results, and hopes that you have for your child’s development. By the time your child is 18 years old, how will you know that you have been successful as a parent? 2. Answer journal questions in eCampus. These questions will relate specifically to your experiences as you raise your virtual child (not your own personal experiences!). These journal entries will become an essential foundation for writing your paper. (50pts) 3. Be sure to include the following in your paper:  Introduction: Briefly describe your child: Name, Sex, Race/Ethnicity and any other sociocultural influences and any predictions (from above).  Describe your virtual child’s experience in each developmental stage. Include physical, cognitive, social and personality milestones your child experienced. What was your child’s temperament? Were there any life events that influenced your parenting experience? What parenting style did you mostly use? What were your proud moments? What did you struggle with?  Pregnancy/Prenatal Growth (conception to birth)  Labor & Delivery  Infancy (birth to 18 months)  Toddlerhood (18 months to 3 years)  Early Childhood / Preschool (3 to 6 years)  Middle Childhood (6 to 12 years)  Adolescence (12 to 18 years)  Summary: Reflect on your child’s life in relation to your predictions. How were things similar or different from what you expected? Grading Criteria  80 pts. – Fulfillment of the assignment objective described above.  20 pts. – Clearly written APA Style paper, including an introduction, an organized flow of ideas, a conclusion, appropriate grammar, and spelling. Please remember that we have a Writing Center to assist with all of this.