AP CAPSTONE

WHO IS AP CAPSTONE FOR?

• Students who like to choose topics that interest them to explore
• Students who want to learn how to make a difference
• Students who like to argue/debate their point of view

HOW AP CAPSTONE WORKS:

AP Capstone is built on the foundation of two courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — and is designed to complement and enhance the in-depth study provided through other AP courses.

• Students take AP Seminar (sophomore or junior years) followed by AP Research (senior year).
• Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research AND on four (4) additional AP Exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma™ .
• OR students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not the four (4) additional AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™

AP CAPSTONE COURSES

AP SEMINAR

• Engages students in cross-curricular conversations exploring the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing different perspectives.
• AP Seminar offers students the opportunity to explore subjects and interests they may not be able to
• explore in other high school courses while learning college level research skills. The skills mastered in this course will be used across all disciplines in college and career research and development.
• At Gainesville High School, AP Seminar is a year-long course that is paired with AP Language/Composition. The AP Seminar/AP Language Combo year-long course is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In addition to the two AP credits and two core English credits, you may also receive credit for American Literature for this combo course.
• AP Seminar is paired with AP Language/Composition because:
• 90% of standards and skills are the same for both courses.
• Taking AP Seminar prepares you for most of the AP Language/Composition exam so students deserve the opportunity to have both AP credits rather than an elective credit.
• Students who have not taken American Literature before taking AP Seminar will receive credit for American Literature and will NOT have to take the American Literature EOC state test.

AP RESEARCH

• Allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest
• Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question they have generated, developed and revised. Students have the opportunity to submit their research for publication at the end of the year.
• At Gainesville High School, AP Research is a year-long course that is paired with an Honors Directed Study credit. AP Research is only open to seniors who have completed the AP Seminar course.

GHS STUDENTS EXPLORE WAYS TO HELP THEIR COMMUNITY, STATE, AND THE WORLD

PREVIOUS AP SEMINAR TOPICS PREVIOUS AP RESEARCH TOPICS

• Alternative energy sources to address environmental issues in North America
• Genetically modified/ engineered human embryos
• Universal Basic Income
• Technology to aid or replace the work of medical doctors
• Gene therapy used to treat cases of Parkinson's Disease
• Conservation of the marine environment
• Bitcoin as a viable economic system
• Germline engineering regulation in the United States
• Disney princess movies providing false romantic relationship ideas to child viewers in the United States
• Prosthetics more widely available for trauma victims ages 18-40
• Children aged 5-10 required to take the flu vaccination while attending public elementary schools in the United States
• Beauty pageants in the US and the influence of the pageant industry’s standard of perfection on children age 3-13
• Georgia Florida water wars in the United States
• Widespread use of self-driving vehicles in
• American transportation
• Endangered animals placed in wildlife conservation facilities
• America's New Frontier in the Face of the Opioid Epidemic: Northeast Georgia
• Spotify’s Role in the Diversity in Creativity in Popular Songs in America
• Selecting the Best Procedure for Active Shooter Drills in Elementary Schools in the United States
• Increasing Youth Voting: an Educational Approach
• Local nonprofits, public high schools, community colleges and the local housing authority working together to decrease generational poverty in a County in Northeast Georgia
• Intellectual Property Rights for Fashion Designers or Brands
• Economic impact of Hispanic Entrepreneurs in a city in Northeast Georgia.
• Optimizing YouTube Advertising and User Privacy
• Impact of Superheroes in Character Education
• Nationalism as a cause of the Revolutions of 1989
• Memes and emojis and high school students expression of their emotions
• Artificial intelligence a viable way to create popular music
• Creating a Security System with a Raspberry Pi