Course Information
AP Seminar Overview
AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.
AP Seminar Performance Assessments
Students are assessed with two through-course performance tasks and one end-of-course exam. All three assessments are summative and will be used to calculate a final AP score (using the 1ā5 scale) for AP Seminar.
Performance Task 1: Team Project and Presentation (20%)
- Individual Research Report (IRR)
1,200 words
50% of 20% (College Board scored - individual score)
- Team Multimedia Presentation and Defense (TMP)
8ā10 minutes for presentation
Followed by one oral defense question per team member (untimed)
50% of 20% (Teacher scored - group score)Ā
Recommended Completion Date: February 28Ā
Submission Deadline: April 30, 8:59 PM PT
Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation (35%)
- Individual Written Argument (IWA)
2,000 words
70% of 35% (College Board scored)
- Individual Multimedia Presentation (IMP)
6-8 minutes for presentation
20% of 35% (Teacher scored)
- Oral Defense (OD)
Two questions from the teacher (untimed)
10% of 35% (Teacher scored)
Recommended Completion Date: April 15Ā
Submission Deadline: April 30, 8:59 PM PT
End-of-Course Exam (45%)
Written Two-Part Exam
2 hours
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 12:00 PM PT
Course Goals
Students explore the complexities of one or more themes by making connections within, between, and/or among multiple cross-curricular areas and by exploring multiple perspectives and lenses (e.g., cultural and social, artistic and philosophical, political and historical, environmental, economic, scientific, futuristic, ethical) related to those themes.
Students develop and apply discrete skills identified in the learning objectives of the enduring understandings within the following five big ideas:Ā
Question and Explore
Understand and Analyze
Ā Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
Synthesize IdeasĀ
Team, Transform, and Transmit.
Students gain a rich appreciation and understanding of issues through the following activities:Ā
reading articles and research studies;Ā
reading foundational, literary, and philosophical texts;Ā
viewing and listening to speeches, broadcasts, and/or personal accounts;Ā
and experiencing artistic works and performances.
Students develop an understanding of ethical research practices and the AP Capstoneā¢ Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information.
Students work collaboratively with a team to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate a real-world or academic problem or issue; consider and evaluate alternatives or options; propose one or more solutions or resolutions; and present and defend the argument for their solutions through a multimedia presentation.
Students work independently to identify a research question based on provided stimulus material; research the issue; analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop an argument; present and defend a conclusion; and produce a multimedia presentation to be delivered to their peers.
AP Capstoneā¢ Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information
A student who fails to acknowledge the source or author of any and all information or evidence taken from the work of someone else through citation, attribution or reference in the body of the work, or through a bibliographic entry, will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that fails to properly acknowledge sources or authors on the Team Multimedia Presentation will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.Ā
A student who incorporates falsified or fabricated information (e.g. evidence, data, sources, and/ or authors) will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that incorporates falsified or fabricated information in the Team Multimedia Presentation will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.
Textbooks and Materials
Students will check out one textbook from the school bookstore that they can leave at home for their reference:
Austin, M. (2016). Reading the world: ideas that matter, with 2016 MLA update (3rd ed.). WW Norton.
Gerald Graff, Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. (2015). They say / I say: the moves that matter in academic writing, with readings (3rd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Students will also check out a Chrome Book from the school that they are expected to bring to class fully charged each day.Ā