Overview:
The AP Seminar course, the first course of AP Capstone program, encourages independent inquiry and
research of contemporary issues while investigating and analyzing multiple, divergent perspectives. The
course topics and themes are chosen to engage students in cross-curricular conversations, as well as
informing students on real world, complex and controversial issues. Using the AP Capstone inquiry
learning framework, QUEST (question, understand, evaluation, synthesize, and transmit), students will
examine topics and practice these skills with various articles, texts, films, and artistic representations.
Goals: The goals of an AP Capstone Seminar Course include:
● Formal writing, including expository and argumentative with MLA formatting
● Reading, analyzing, and annotating informational and literary texts
● Evidence-based discussions and formal writing that synthesize sources of information for validity
and authenticity.
● A variety of assessments, both formative and summative, for student development and
understanding, including but not limited to Socratic Seminars, formal writing, objective tests,
content-based assessments, skill-driven assessments, and multi-media presentations, encompassing
some project based learning.
● Performance tasks 1 and 2, along with the final exam created by AP College Board
● Engaging students with rigorous college-level curricula focused on the skills necessary for
successful college completion
● Extending students’ abilities to synthesize information from multiple perspectives and apply skills in
new situations and cross-curricular contexts;
● Enabling students to collect and analyze information with accuracy and precision
● Cultivating their abilities to craft, communicate, and defend evidence-based arguments
● Providing opportunities for students to practice disciplined and scholarly research skills while
exploring relevant topics that appeal to their interests and curiosity