AP Seminar

Teacher:

Mrs. L. Jones

Extra Help:

Extra help is on Fridays from 7:00 – 7:40 am in room 243. If a student is unable to attend an extra help session, he/she can communicate to schedule a more convenient time. If an email is sent after 2:30 pm, a response may not be received until the following day.

Course Description:

AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts, including 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 research-based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and collaboratively. The course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments.

Course Framework:

The AP Seminar course is organized around five big ideas that form the QUEST framework; students will use this framework as they explore universal themes throughout the course. Activities and homework assignments will focus on developing skills and meeting the end-of-course objectives that are tied to each of the following elements of the QUEST framework below:

Q – Question and Explore                           `

U – Understand and Analyze

E – Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

S – Synthesize Ideas

T – Team, Transform, and Transmit

Course Texts:

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

Calling Bullshit by Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West (This is the actual title of the text and is recommended by the College Board)

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

iGen by Jean M. Twenge

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Think Like a Freak by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

In addition, the following materials will be used:

Databases: EBSCO, Destiny, Jstor, etc.

Podcasts and Broadcasts: TED Talks

Websites: New York Times, Washington Post, Google Scholar, videos, magazines, and newspapers as needed

AP Seminar: AP College Board materials, samples, rubrics, etc.

*Please note that all texts will be used either in their entirety or in part. All texts are subject to change throughout the year.

Student Materials:

Each day students must come to class with their device charged and ready for use. The majority of assignments will be disseminated via TEAMS, in conjunction with our class notebook in OneNote. Parent Square and email are also acceptable forms of communication. Familiarity with these platforms is integral to success. If a class session is missed, students must take the time to review the materials, assignments, etc. to ensure readiness for the next class. Students will need regular access to the internet beyond the school day for research, collaboration, and submission of assignments. By its nature, research, argument, and inquiry will expose the students to a wide range of primary and secondary sources and viewpoints.

Course Context:

Through the QUEST framework, students will research topics by viewing them through various lenses. Students will then use these lenses to prepare several debates, projects, and presentations throughout the year. Please be aware that not presenting is not an option; rather, it is a requirement of the AP College Board’s assessment.

Course Outline:

The following skills-based units will be taught throughout the course and will follow three major themes. All are subject to change as seen fit by the teacher:

Unit 1- Power: Introduction to Performance Task 1 through QUEST Implementation (Literary works included: Macbeth and Lord of the Flies)

Unit 2-Social Class: Introduction to Performance Task 2 through QUEST Implementation (Literary works included: Pride and Prejudice and A Streetcar Named Desire)

       Unit 3: Performance Assessment Task 1

       Unit 4: Performance Assessment Task 2

       Unit 5: End-of-Course Exam Review: Part A and Part B

       Unit 6- Identity: AP Seminar Final Project (Literary works included: Julius Caesar and           Jane Eyre)

Homework/Classwork and Assignments:

Participation is an essential component of evaluation for this course. Students will be introduced to Socratic discussion style and will be expected to contribute with questions, comments, and connections as well as notetaking. It is expected that students will eventually begin leading or facilitating class and/or small group discussions. Critical thinking and attentive listening are demonstrated both in written reflections and verbal responses.

Daily work includes reading and annotating literature, non-fiction texts, and other topical works, completion of other formative assignments and other activities to assess progress on skills. Electronically prepared work must be submitted on the day it is due. Handwritten assignments will be collected and reviewed periodically. Students are expected to have all course materials with them during each class period.

Assessments:

Assessments will be given, and projects will be assigned throughout each quarter in order to assess the extent to which students have mastered the skills being developed during the course. It is expected that each student reviews each rubric and asks any clarifying questions before each assessment is given.

Academic Honesty Policy Written Directly by AP College Board:

AP Capstone Policy on Plagiarism and Falsification or Fabrication of Information:

Participating teachers shall inform students of the consequences of plagiarism and instruct students to ethically use and acknowledge the ideas and work of others throughout their course work. The student’s individual voice should be clearly evident, and the ideas of others must be acknowledged, attributed, and/or cited.

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.

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.

AP Capstone Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Generative AI tools must be used ethically, responsibly, and intentionally to support student learning, not to bypass it. Accordingly, all performance tasks submitted in AP Seminar and AP Research must be the student’s own work. While students are permitted to use generative AI tools consistent with this policy, their use is optional and not mandatory. 

Students can use generative AI tools as optional aids for exploration of potential topics of inquiry, initial searches for sources of information, confirming their understanding of a complex text, or checking their writing for grammar and tone. However, students must read primary and secondary sources directly, perform their own analysis and synthesis of evidence, and make their own choices on how to communicate effectively both in their writing and presentations. It remains the student’s responsibility to engage deeply with credible, valid sources and integrate diverse perspectives when working on the performance tasks. Students must complete interim “checkpoints” with their teacher to demonstrate genuine engagement with the tasks.

Required Checkpoints and Attestations:

To ensure students are not using generative AI to bypass work, students must complete interim checkpoints with their teacher to demonstrate genuine engagement with the tasks. AP Seminar and AP Research students will need to complete the relevant checkpoints successfully to receive a score for their performance tasks. Teachers must attest, to the best of their knowledge, that students completed the checkpoints authentically. Failure to complete the checkpoints will result in a score of 0 on the associated task.

• In AP Seminar, teachers assess the authenticity of student work based on checkpoints that take the form of short conversations with students during which students make their thinking and decision-making visible (similar to an oral defense). These checkpoints should occur during the sources and research phase (IRR and IWA), and argument outline phase (IWA only). A final validation checkpoint (IRR and IWA) requires teachers to confirm the student’s final submission is, to the best of their knowledge, authentic student work. 
• In AP Research, students must complete checkpoints in the form of in-progress meetings and work in the Process and Reflection Portfolio (PREP). No further checkpoints will be required. 

The College Board reserves the right to investigate submissions where there is evidence of the inappropriate use of generative AI as an academic integrity violation and request from students copies of their interim work for review.

AP Program Use of Turnitin:

The College Board uses Turnitin to evaluate all final submissions in the digital portfolio. This measure is taken to identify instances of plagiarism and the improper use of generative AI. In cases where evidence of plagiarism and/or inappropriate generative AI usage is found, the College Board reserves the right to conduct further investigations. Students may be asked to provide copies of their interim work for comprehensive review as part of the academic integrity verification process. 

In keeping with the AP Capstone policies on plagiarism and generative AI usage, AP Capstone teachers and students will use Turnitin to evaluate the originality of student work and ensure that appropriate citations are included. Access to Turnitin is provided to participating AP Capstone schools (for their AP Seminar and/or AP Research classes only). Turnitin is a valuable tool for teaching students about citation, but it is not a plagiarism detector. Feedback from Turnitin should be considered in context and not simply taken at face value.  Visit Turn It In for more information on accessing and interpreting originality reports.

~continue~

Requirements to Obtain AP Seminar Exam Credit:

Class Grading Policy to Complete District ELA Credit:

Grades will be based on tests, quizzes, homework, projects, writing assignments, annotations, and participation. The value of each of these components are as follows:

40% Major Assessments

30% Participation and Classwork

20% Minor Assessments

10% Work Habits

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students will receive both course and AP grades for both the TMP and the IMP. These grades will be based on different rubrics, and the course grade is not intended to reflect the predicted AP score. AP scores will not be disclosed until after the end-of-course exam.

Essentials for Success in AP Seminar:

1. Responsibilities: You are responsible for the materials needed for this course. You will also be responsible for all work missed due to excused absences. Your missed assignments must be completed within 48 hours of your absence if any credit is to be earned. Late work will be penalized.

2. Organization: You will be responsible for collecting handouts, taking notes, and keeping all these materials organized. In addition, you are responsible for keeping your online accounts, assignments, and materials easily accessible and manageable.

3. Participation: You are expected to participate in discussions and group work, answer when called upon and to be attentive to material being presented. Learning from others and sharing your learning is essential.

4. Respect: Respect the opinions and input of your classmates, their goals, and the goals of the teacher. Respect yourself by taking ownership of the things you produce, the knowledge you acquire, and the skills you learn.

5. Commitment: It is recommended that all students make a two-year commitment to this course and continue on to the AP Research course as it is the path that leads to the possibility of receiving AP Capstone recognition.

6. Writing Format: All typed assignments must follow the proper format pertaining to

topic/discipline. See TEAMS and OneNote for handouts and web addresses to assist with this. Failure to do so will be detrimental to grades. You must be consistent with your appropriate format: MLA, APA, or Chicago.

7. Digital Portfolio: To assist students with proper citations and documentation of sources, turnitin.com will be used for ALL class papers (IRR and IWA). All work submitted via the digital portfolio must be turned in on time. You will learn how to convert Microsoft documents to PDFs since this is the preferred format for College Board submissions.

8. Cell Phone Policy: Please note that cell phones should not be out or in use during class time. All research will be conducted using school-provided computers.