COURSE SYLLABUS - AP CAPSTONE SEMINAR 2017 - 2018Mr. Harmon - scottha@spokaneschools.org

Room B102

Are you ready for your Q.U.E.S.T.?Overview Congratulations! You have become a member of the Shadle Park AP Capstone™ program. This unique program is a two-year program that will challenge and change your thinking. Students in the AP Capstone™ program, specifically the AP Seminar course, will consider, investigate, inquire, and evaluate multiple perspectives to develop their own stance on complex and debatable topics. The AP Seminar program provides students with a framework that allows them to develop, practice, and hone their critical thinking skills while making connections between various issues and their own lives. By using these critical thinking skills, students will also produce and perform highly intellectual tasks which demonstrate their research, analysis, and synthesis around major global issues facing their community and world today.

Seminar GoalsThe goals of the AP Seminar class include:

Engage students with rigorous college-level curricula focused on the core academic skills necessary for successful; college completion.

Extend students’ abilities to synthesize information from multiple perspectives and apply skills in cross-curricular contexts and in new situations.

Empower student to collect and analyze information with accuracy and precision. Cultivate students’’ abilities to craft, communicate, and defend evidence-based arguments. Provide opportunities for students to practice disciplined and scholarly research skills applied to

relevant topics of their interest and curiosity.

Course ContentThis course is organized around topics, themes, or issues chosen on the local, national, or international level. As we focus on developing core skills for academic success, the majority of the content which drives the course will be selected by the students. Critical inquiry focuses on the creation of research questions, new ideas, perspectives, and arguments. Students will use relevant information found in text based articles, books, and other sources which develops each informed perspective. A list of potential, certainly not all, topics is listed below:

Belief, Culture, Democracy, Environment, Government, Innovation, Justice, Opportunity, Rights, Social Media, Transportation, Wealth, War, Protest, Public Policy

Core Skills

The focus of AP Seminar is on skill development: students practice, refine and master the skills critical for academic success. Although the class is broken down by the 5 Big Ideas, students will focus on the following Core Skills:

1. Critical Thinking and Reasoning a. Comparing and/or contrastingb. identifying patterns and trends c. explaining relationships (comparative, casual, correlational)

2. Critical Readinga. Contextualizingb. Questioning assumptionsc. Identifying bias and implicationsd. Making inferencese. Making connections

3. Inquiry and Researcha. Identifying a problem or issueb. Determining the best strategy to address the problem/issuec. Gathering evidenced. Drawing and supporting a conclusion

4. Argumentationa. Thesis developmentb. Developing a line of reasoningc. Making claimsd. Selective evidencee. Providing commentaryf. Considering other perspectivesg. Attention to grammar, usage, attributing use, and mechanics

5. Communicating Publiclya. Eye contactb. Vocal variety (tempo, inflection)c. Emphatic gesturesd. Movemente. Appropriate visuals

6. Collaborationa. Individual role and contributionb. Consensus buildingc. Conflict resolution

Plagiarism

The AP Seminar class will teach the core academic skills needed for success. As part of this class, students will be charged with using their research skills to develop arguments based on research questions of their choice. By supporting their arguments with evidence, students will need to properly format and acknowledge the ideas and works of others. Correct formatting of sources and references will be an important element of their final essays, and students will need to adhere to the ethical use and attribution of credit to the proper source. Any student who fails to acknowledge the source of the author of any and all information or evidence taken from the work of someone else will receive a score of zero on that particular component of the AP Research Performance Assessment. The following provides additional, specific information regarding our plagiarism policy.

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 coursework. 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 Assessment Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that fails to properly acknowledge sources or authors on the Written Team Report 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 Assessment Task. In AP Seminar, a team of students that incorporates falsified or fabricated information in the Written Team Report will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.

AP Performance Assessments

Based on the QUEST framework and the previously identified learning targets, the College Board has created three Performance Tasks to assess the students in the AP Seminar course.

Performance Task 1 – Team Project and Presentation – Submission date of Feb. 17, 2018

Performance Task 1: You will receive at least 30 days to complete this performance task.

This project will comprise 20% of the total AP Seminar score. The elements of this assessment include: Individual Research& Reflection (IRR) essay that is NO MORE than 1,200 words. Team Multimedia presentation (TPP) and defense. Length is 8-10 minutes, plus defense

questions. Scoring:

o IRR – externally validated by college board o TPP – internally scored, possibly reviewed externally by college board

Students will work collaboratively in teams to write the synthesis paper and to create the multimedia presentation. Each individual student will conduct their own research that will create input to the team goals. Your research should address a number of perspectives and lenses and also should be culled from peer reviewed sources and databases. Team coordination will be needed to clarify questions, goals, and to upload and draft documents. One team member will be responsible for submitting the final version of the written team report and the multimedia presentation to me for grading. Be sure it is truly DONE before submitting. You will also receive back your paper for final reflection which will need to be submitted to me as well.

Performance Task 2 – Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation – Submitted by March 31, 2018

“Source Materials” - I will receive information from the College Board sometime in January. When I’m prepared to release the material, you will receive at least 30 days to complete the necessary work for this performance task. I do not wish to overlap the two projects. So, we will most likely begin the work for performance task 2 in mid/late February. This performance assessment will comprise 35% of your total AP Seminar score. The elements of this task include:

Individual Research-Based Essay that is approximately 2,000 words long (no more). o Your essay should be based on…

A research question that you identify and develop Thorough research that can be argued Select quality forms of evidence that support the argument Be able to present the information to me (see presentation)

Each student will also need to prepare an Individual Multimedia Presentation that is 6-8 minutes in length.

Finally, each student will need to address and answer 2 defense questions at the conclusion of their presentation. This will be

Scoring: Research-based essay – externally validated…Individual Multimedia presentation – internally scored, Oral Defense – internally scored

Performance Task 3 – The Final ExamThe end of course (EOC) exam comprises the final 45% of your AP seminar grade. This exam should take place in early May. I believe it is scheduled for the first week in May. The exam includes three parts:

Section 1 – Three Short-Answer Questions. You will receive 30 minutes to complete this part. During this part of the exam, you will analyze an argument from a source provided. After your analysis you will…

o Identify the main idea of the authors’ argumento Identify the claims the author makes and explain how he/she uses them to establish a line

of reasoningo Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support their claim

Section 2 – Essay Question. You will receive 90 minutes to complete the tasks. You will be asked to

o Evaluate the effectiveness of TWO arguments on a similar question, problem or issueo Sources provided will be divergento Write an essay that evaluates the effectiveness of the two arguments focusing on the

relevance and credibility of the evidence and the validity of the line of reasoningo Build your own argument using at least TWO of the four provided sourceso A common theme will be presented using a variety of perspectiveso After reading carefully, you will write a logically organized and well-reasoned argument

that presents your own perspective on the theme you identifiedo Be sure to include the two sources you choose and you may also bring in your own

evidence from your own knowledge, background and experienceo When writing, you will be able to refer to sources as Source A, Source B, or by the

authors’ names

Scoring of the AP Exams will be completed by the College Board. This will conclude the AP Seminar Course. Any revisions to papers after the final exam will be used EXCLUSIVELY for your transcript grade in the course and will not affect your College Board scores. We will also conclude with a review of U.S. Civics.

“Big Idea” Framework – Q.U.E.S.T.The course is organized around five “big ideas”. These ideas provide a framework termed “Q.U.E.S.T.”. By utilizing this framework, students will be able to organize, analyze and structure their thinking around topics discussed in class.

Q – Question and explore:

Questioning begins with an exploration of a complex topic. Perspectives and questions emerge that spark curiosity and challenge the student to think deeper and extend their depth of understanding around a subject.

U – Understand and analyze arguments:

Understanding various perspectives requires contextualizing arguments and evaluating the authors’ claims and lines or reasoning.

E – Evaluate multiple perspectives

Evaluating a complex issues involves considering and evaluating multiple perspectives. We will refer to these perspectives as “lenses”. These lenses will be evaluated individually as well as in comparison to one another to see a fuller picture.

S – Synthesize

Synthesizing others’ ideas with one’s own may lead to new understanding and is the foundation of a well-reasoned argument that convey one’s perspective.

T – Team, Transform and Transmit

Teaming combines personal strengths and talents with those of others to reach a common goal. Students will transform their thinking through rigorous personal reflection and teams will be challenged to transmit and share their thinking in front of an audience.

Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives and Essential Knowledge

Wrapped inside, under, and around each of the five big ideas are enduring understandings. These understandings are general statements that specify what students will come to understand about the concepts presented in the course. Linked to each understanding is a learning objective. These objectives articulate what students need to be able to do in order to develop the enduring understandings. These can be thought of as target assessments for the course. Finally, for each learning objective, essential knowledge statements are provided to describe the facts and basic concepts that a student should know and be able to recall in order to demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives.

Big Idea 1 – Question and Explore:Inquiry and investigation begin when students encounter information about complex issues and problems that stimulates intellectual curiosity.

Examples (not all) of Big Idea 1 Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives, & Essential Knowledge

Essential Questions How does the context of a problem or issue affect how it is interpreted or present? How might others see the problem or issue differently? What questions have others previously asked or failed to ask? What voices or perspectives are missing from my research? What do I want to know, learn, or understand? How does my research questions shape how I go about trying to answer it?

Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…)EU 1.1 - Personal interest and intellectual curiosity lead to investigation of topics or issues that may or may not be clearly defined. A good question explores the complexity of any issue or topic. Further inquiry can lead to an interesting conclusion, resolution, or solution. Sometimes this inquiry leads to research and unexpected paths. EU 1.2 – New knowledge builds on prior knowledge. Strengthening understanding of a concept requires questioning existing knowledge, using what is known to discover what is not known, and connecting new knowledge to prior knowledge. Learning Objectives (Students will be skilled at…)LO 1.1A – Identifying and contextualizing a problem or issueLO 1.1B – Posing complex questions and seeking out answers that reflect multiple, divergent, or contradictory perspectives.LO 1.2A – Retrieving, questions, organizing, and using prior knowledge about a topic.Essential Knowledge (Students will know that…)EK 1.1A1 – Examining the perspective and ideas of others often leads to questions for further investigation. Inquiry begins with narrowing scope of interest, identifying a problem or issue and its origins within that scope, and situation the problem or issues in a larger context.EK 1.1.B1 – Strong research questions are open-ended and lead to an examination taking into account the complexity of a problem or issue. EK 1.2A1 – Understanding comes not only through collection of information but also from a variety of other factors (e.g., experience, external sources, culture, assumptions)

Big Idea 2 – Understand and Analyze Arguments:Developing understanding starts with comprehension of the concepts and perspectives in questions. Being able to summarize by identifying and explaining the salient ides in a text is foundational.

Examples (not all) of Big Idea 2 Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives, & Essential Knowledge

Essential Questions What strategies will help me comprehend a text? What is the argument’s main idea and what reasoning does that author use to develop it? Why might the author view the issue the same as me or differently than me? What biases may the author have that influences his or her perspective? Does this argument acknowledge other perspectives? How do I know whether something is true? What are the implication of these arguments?

Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…)EU 2.1 – Authors express their perspectives and arguments through their works. The first step in evaluation an author’s perspective or argument is to comprehend it. Such comprehension requires reading and thinking critically. EU 2.3 – Arguments have implications.

Learning Objectives (Students will be skilled at…)LO 2.1A – Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. LO 2.1B – Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line or reasoning, and identifying the supporting details of an argument, while avowing generalizations and oversimplification. LO 2.3A – Connecting an argument to broader issues by examining the implications of the author’s claim. Essential Knowledge (Students will know that…)EK 2.1A1 – Reading critically means reading closely to identify the main idea, tone, assumptions, context, perspective, line of reasoning, and evidence used. EK 2.1.A2 – Strategies active readers use to preview and prioritize a written text include skimming, scanning, rereading, and questioning. EK 2.1A3 – Strategies active readers use to make meaning from texts include annotating, note-taking, highlighting, and reading aloud. EK 2.1B1 – The main idea of an argument is often stated in the thesis statement, claim, or conclusion, or implied throughout the work. EK 2.1B3 – A lack of understanding of the complexities of an argument (tone, implications, limitations, nuance, context) can lead to oversimplification and/or generalization. EK 2.3A1 – The implications and consequences of arguments may be intended or unintended. EK 2.3B1 – Arguments are significant and have real-world impact because they can influence behavior (e.g., call one to action, suggest logical next steps)

Big Idea 3 – Evaluate Multiple Perspectives:Evaluating arguments on a complex issue requires students to compare and contrast differing perspectives. These multiple perspectives, which may support, refute, compete with, or otherwise vary from one another, come together to create the conversation on the issue.

Examples (not all) of Big Idea 3 Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives, & Essential Knowledge

Essential Questions What patterns or tends can be identified among the arguments about the issue? What are the implications and/or consequences of accepting or rejecting a particular argument? How can I connect these perspective? What other issues, questions, or topics do they relate to? How can I explain contradictions within or between arguments? From whose perspective is this information begin presented, and how does that affect my

evaluation?Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…)EU 3.1 – Different perspectives often lead to competing and alternate arguments. The complexity of an issue emerges when people bring these differing, multiple perspectives to the conversation about it.EU 3.2 – Not all arguments are equal; some arguments are more credible/valid that others. Through evaluating others’ arguments, personal arguments can be strengthened within the conversation about it. Learning Objectives (Students will be skilled at…)LO 3.1A – Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. LO 3.2A – Evaluating objections, implication, and limitations of alternate, opposing, or competing perspectives or arguments. Essential Knowledge (Students will know that…)EK 3.1A1 – An individual’s perspective is influenced by his or her background (e.g., experiences, culture, education, etc.) assumptions, and world view, as well as by external sources.

EK 3.1A2 – perspectives are not always oppositional; they may be concurring, alternating, or competing. EK 3.2A1 – Critical thinkers are aware that some arguments may appeal to emotions, core values, personal biases and assumptions, and logic for the purpose of manipulation. EK 3.2A2 – When evaluating multiple perspectives or arguments, consideration must be given to how personal biases and assumptions influence a reader’s judgment.

Big Idea 4 – Synthesize Ideas:Once enough information is gathered and evaluated, students synthesize their accumulated knowledge and emerging ideas, perspectives, and conclusions into an argument of their own. The goal is for students to think critically about the information and then add to, not simply repeat, the ideas of others.

Examples (not all) of Big Idea 4 Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives, & Essential Knowledge

Essential Questions How do I connect and analyze the evidence in order to develop an argument and support a

conclusion? What line or reasoning and evidence would best support my argument? Is my reasoning logical? Are there other conclusions I should consider? What am I taking for granted? How do I acknowledge and account for my own biases and

assumptions? What is the best way to acknowledge and attribute the work of others that was used to support my

argument? What are the consequences of plagiarism?

Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…)EU 4.1 – People express their ideas, points, of view, perspectives, and conclusions through arguments. Crafting an argument requires a clear line of reasoning, considering audience, purpose, and context.EU 4.3 – Achievement of new understandings involves the careful consideration of existing knowledge, imagination, innovation, and risk taking and incorporates personally generated evidence. EU 4.4 – Arguments and solutions have intended and unintended consequences and implications. Learning Objectives (Students will be skilled at…)LO 4.1A – Formulating a complex and well-reasoned argument. LO 4.3A – Extending an idea, questions, process, or product to innovate or create new understandings. LO 4.4A – Offering resolutions, conclusions, and/or solutions based on evidence while considering consequences and implications. Essential Knowledge (Students will know that…)EK 4.1A1 – Arguments use reason and evidence to convey a perspective, point of view, or some version of the truth that is stated or implied in the thesis and/or conclusion. EK 4.1A2 – Arguments are supported and unified by carefully chosen and connected claims, reasons, and evidence. EK 4.3A1 – Innovative solutions and arguments identify and challenge assumptions, acknowledge the importance of content, imagine and explore alternatives, and engage in reflective skepticism. EK 4.4A1 – when proposing a solution, the advantages and disadvantages of the options and alternatives should be weighed against the goal within its context.

Big Idea 5 – Team, Transform, and Transmit:Collaboration, communication, and reflection are fundamental 21st century skills that provide opportunities for students to use their learning. Whether working alone or individually, students reflect on their work and learning processes, which can lead to personal growth as well as even more effective inquiry, understanding, and collaboration.

Examples (not all) of Big Idea 5 Essential Questions, Enduring Understandings, Learning Objectives, & Essential Knowledge

Essential Questions How can I best appeal to and engage my audience? What is the best medium or genre through which to reach my audience? What common misconceptions might my audience have? How do I adapt my argument for different audiences and situation? How do my communication choices affect my credibility with my audience? What contributions can I offer to a team? What is the benefit of revision? How can I benefit from reflecting on my own work?

Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…)EU 5.1 – How an argument is presented affects how people interpret or react to it. EU 5.2 – Teams are most effective when they draw on the diverse perspectives, skills and backgrounds of team members to address complex, open-ended problems.Achievement of new understandings involves the careful consideration of existing knowledge, imagination, innovation, and risk taking and incorporates personally generated evidence. EU 5.3 – Refection increase learning, self-awareness, and personal growth through the slowing down of thinking processes to identify and evaluate personal conclusion and their implications. Learning Objectives (Students will be skilled at…)LO 5.1A – Working both as an individual and with a team to pan, produce, and present a cohesive argument, considering audience, context, and purpose and using appropriate media, (e.g., essay, poster, presentation, documentary, research report, etc.).LO 5.2A – Providing individual contributions to overall collaborative effort.LO 5.3A – Reflecting on and revising their own writing, thinking, and/or processes.LO 5.3B – Reflecting on personal contributions to overall collaborative effort. Essential Knowledge (Students will know that…)EK 5.1A1 – An argument may include the following elements: 1) introduction: engage the audience by providing background and/or context 2) claim: convey the main idea of an argument 3) reasons, evidence, and commentary: acknowledge and/or respond to opposing arguments 4) concession, refutation, and rebuttal: acknowledge and/or respond to opposing arguments 5) conclusion: reinforce points, offer additional analysis, possible implication s for the future, tie back to the introduction 6) referencesEK 5.2A1 – Knowing and communication one’s strengths and challenges to a group allows one’s contributions to be more effective.EK 5.3B1 – Learning requires practice through an iterative process of rethinking, revision, and rewriting.

Scope and Sequence for courseMini-Unit 1 (Sept. 1– Sept. 17, 2017) – Introduction to AP Seminar/QUEST –

“Collusion or Corruption: Which one was it?”

Mini-Unit 2 (Sept. 19-Oct. 7, 2016) - Introduction to AP Seminar/QUEST –“Education: Are the “core 4” classes more important than electives?”

This will be an abbreviated “modeled” unit which will introduce critical reading skills, the QUEST & PAARC frameworks, collaboration and communication skills, and the importance of perspective.

Students will be introduced to topics through a variety of mediums relating to the topic Students will practice “close reading” strategies with differing forms of text. They will begin

practicing Questioning and Exploring on the topic itself as well as the provided reading materials. Evaluating the credibility of each source will serve as an introduction to furthering understanding,

as will analysis of what research would be required to appropriately address the topic. Following their reading and research, students will practice their reflection skills as they

reconsider their initial position on the topic.

Learning Objectives Addressed:o LO1.1A, LO1.2A, LO2.1A, LO2.1B, LO2.2A, LO3.1A, LO4.1A

QUEST framework skills addressed:Questioning/Exploration

Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose (LO 1.1A, 1.2A, 2.1) – ACTIVITY: Students will receive copies of essays from previous AP Seminar students. Students will be asked to use highlighting and annotation skills while reading.

Structure, claim, reason, and support (LO 2.1B, 2.2A, 2.2B) – We will be using the terms “CLAIM, LINE OF REASONING, AND EVIDENCE” – ACTIVITY – Students will use the previous year’s essays and will use different color highlighters to identify the claim, line of reasoning, and evidence provided by the authors.

Critically compare different positions (LO 1.3A, 2.1B, 2.2A, 3.1A) - ACTIVITY – Students will use the previous year’s essays and will use different color highlighters to identify the varying positions/perspectives that were used by the authors.

Consider additional support necessary to add credibility to claims or positions (LO 3.1A) - ACTIVITY – Students will use the PAARC test to determine the credibility of sources used.

Understanding & Analyze Arguments, Evaluate Perspectives, Synthesis ideas Analysis of variety of positions and the credibility of these positions; is the support reasonable

and credible?ACTIVITY – Students will engage in a class conversation. Students wcill be asked, “What is your favorite subject in school?” Based on that question, students will need to lay out their claim (position), their line of reasoning and evidence to support their subject choice. After determining their favorite subjects, students will be asked to “argue” or discuss with their partners about their choices.

Team, Transform, Transmit Evaluate personal position in relation to alternative positions on the topic

ACTIVITY – Students will listen to one another and determine how they would recognize an opposing position to better lay out their claim.

Reflect on participation as collaborator on a team (LO 5.3A) – ACTIVITY – Students will reflect with themselves and with me about their positions.

Work cohesively and appropriately with other in a team dynamic (LO 5.1A)

Resources to be used – ACADEMIC ARTICLES o Anthony P. Carnevale, Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, “College Is Still Worth

It”. o Richard Vedder, “For Many, College Isn’t Worth It”, Director of the Center for College Affordability

and Productivity in Washington D.C., from INSIDE HIGHER ED, January 20, 2011. o Clive Crook, “A Matter of degrees: Why College Is Not An Economic Cure-all.” Copyright 2006,

The Atlantic Media Co. as published in THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY. o Other articles as found by students

Mini_Unit 2 (Oct. 10-31, 2017) –QUEST, research questions, and building an argument –“Government: What is the proper balance between privacy and security?”

This will be an abbreviated unit which will model the First Performance Task. Students will use critical reading skills, the QUEST & RAVEN frameworks, identifying & creating arguments, collaboration and communication skills, and the opportunity to write and build a presentation.

Students will be introduced to topics through a variety of articles relating to the topic Students will practice “close reading” strategies with differing forms of text. They will begin

practicing Questioning and Exploring on the topic itself as well as the provided reading materials. Evaluating the credibility of each source will serve as an introduction to furthering understanding,

as will analysis of what research would be required to appropriately address the topic. Following their reading and research, students will practice their reflection skills as they

reconsider their initial position on the topic. Students will perform an abbreviated version of the first Seminar Assessment.

o Individual Research and Reflection (single document, ~ 1,000 words: 800 research, 200 reflection)

o Written Team Report ~ 1500 words (new question, new direction, new perspectives)o Team Multimedia Presentation and Defense (8-10 minutes + defense questions)

Learning Objectives Addressed:o LO1.1B, LO1.3C, LO2.1B, LO2.2B, LO4.2A, LO4.2C, LO5.1B

QUEST framework skills addressed:Questioning/Exploration

Posing complex questions and seeking out answers that reflect multiple, divergent, or contradictory perspectives. (1.1B)ACTIVITY – Students will use the “examining your question” protocol to analyze their questions. Also, students will attempt to generate key word searches by following our in-class protocol for the inquiry process.

Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. (1.3C) - ACTIVITY – Students will be introduced to multiple databases and will begin to explore and analyze the credibility of sources they find.

Understanding & Analyze Arguments, Evaluate Perspectives, Synthesis ideasACTIVITY – Students will create “elevator speeches” to discuss what they are going to

argue and what sources they have found/chosen. Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line of reasoning, and identifying the

supporting details of an argument, while avoiding generalizations and oversimplification. (2.1B)

Describing and analyzing the relevance and credibility of evidence used to support an argument, taking context into consideration. (2.2B)

Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various perspectives and sources to develop and support an argument. (4.2A)

Team, Transform, TransmitACTIVITY – Students will continue working and revising their ‘elevator speeches’ and practice their presentations.

Communicating an argument in an evidence-based written essay adhering to established conventions of grammar, usage, style, and mechanics. (5.1B)

Resources to be used – ACADEMIC ARTICLESo Jonathan Locker, “On Star: Big Brother’s eye in the sky”.o Adam Cohen, “A Casualty of the Technology Revolution: ‘Locational Privacy’”, from THE NEW

YORK TIMES, September 1, 2009. o Steven C. Bennett, “Privacy Implications of Biometrics”, THE PRACTICAL LAWYER, June 2007. o Paul Saffo, “A Trail of DNA and Data,” WASHINGTON POST, April 3, 2005.o Other sources as researched by the students – TED talks, art, videos, and poetry that could be linked

to information

Mini_Unit 3 (Nov. 2-Dec. 9, 2017) – Individual Research-based essay and presentation - Research questions, creating an argument, defending an argument in an essay as well as presentation. Topics must be chosen under the idea of “Civic Engagement”.

This will be an abbreviated unit which simulate the Second Performance Task. Students will use critical reading skills, the QUEST & RAVEN frameworks, identify & create arguments, research independently and synthesize their arguments and evidence in a 1200-1500 word essay and multi-media presentation.

Students will be introduced to topics through a variety of articles relating to the topic Students will practice “close reading” strategies with differing forms of text. They will begin

practicing Questioning and Exploring on the topic itself as well as the provided reading materials. Evaluating the credibility of each source will serve as an introduction to furthering

Understanding, as will analysis of what research 2would be required to appropriately address the topic.

Following their reading and research, students will practice their reflection skills as they reconsider their initial position on the topic.

Students will perform an abbreviated version of the Second Performance Task:o Individual Written Argument o Individual Multimedia Presentationo Oral Defense

Learning Objectives Addressed:o LO1.1A, LO1.3C, LO2.2B, LO2.3B, LO3.1A, LO3.2A

QUEST framework skills addressed:Questioning/Exploration

Identifying and contextualizing a problem or issue. (1.1A) Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. (1.3C)

Understanding & Analyze Arguments, Evaluate Perspectives, Synthesis ideas

Describing and analyzing the relevance and credibility of evidence used to support an argument, taking context into consideration. (2.2B)

Evaluating potential resolutions Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various

perspectives and sources to develop and support an argument. (4.2A)

Team, Transform, Transmit Communicating an argument in an evidence-based written essay adhering to established

conventions of grammar, usage, style, and mechanics. (5.1B)

Resources to be addressed w/Timeline

Part of the AP Seminar class will be the analysis and evaluation of a wide variety of information. This information may come in a variety of formats including data bases, articles, texts, art (multiple mediums) and speeches (most likely TED talks). Here is general overview of what is expected:

September – As mentioned earlier, students will be reading previous essays from last year’s class as well as released material from the College Board. Research in this class will be based on the use of academic research data bases and academic journal articles. Students will engage in learning research techniques using specific data bases such as ProQuest, Opposing Viewpoint, Pro/Con.org, Science in Context, and ACLU.org. Students will engage in key word searches and learn to how to complete advanced searches to narrow their field of study. Students will use September as a chance to learn how to examine and “close” read scholarly articles.

October-November – Research methods will continue, but will focus on addressing a variety of sources and how differing sources can also create a variety of perspectives. Students will be encouraged to use the public library (located across the park at our school site) as well as a local bookstore to access philosophical and content-rich books associated with their research topics. Also, students will view TED talks in class to deepen their understanding of specific topics and to note public speaking skills and techniques. Finally, students will attempt to find and analyze pieces of art, including poetry, music, drawings, paintings, editorial cartoons, or propaganda that support or refute their topics.

December – students will be viewing their own performance speeches in class to improve their presentation skills.

January – April – Students will be using their reading, analysis and observation skills from the previous months to construct and finish Performance Task 1 & 2.

All students will be encouraged to take notes and reflect on the pieces they analyze and keep in the notebooks. In addition, class discussions (like a Socratic Seminar) will take place to help students deepen their understanding of subjects as well as how to find, analyze, determine, and use quality sources.

Culmination of Class

AP Seminar is a challenging course which asks students to complete two Performance Tasks as well as the AP exam in May. The class will culminate in mid-April with uploading of their Individual Written Arguments and a review of skills needed for their AP Exams. After the AP Exam is completed in early May, students will work on a Civics unit designed by Mr. Harmon.