Course title

AP Seminar

Pre-requisite

N/A

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 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.

Course Goals: Students will

• ∑ Engage in rigorous college-level curricula focused on the reading; writing; and speaking skills necessary for successful college completion;
• ∑ Extend their abilities to synthesize information from multiple perspectives and apply skills in new situations and contexts;
• ∑ Collect and analyze information with accuracy and precision;
• ∑ Cultivate their abilities to craft; communicate; and defend evidence-based arguments; and
• ∑ Practice disciplined and scholarly research skills while exploring relevant topics that appeal to their interests and curiosity.

Students will demonstrate mastery of the course goals through two research projects and an end-of-course exam.

Research Project 1: 20% of the grade

As a culmination of their first research project; students write a 1;200 word research report; deliver an 8-10 minute team presentation which examines an issue through multiple lenses; and orally defend their team?s solution/resolution.

Research Project 2: 35% of the grade

As a culmination of their second research project; students write a 2;000 word research argument and deliver a 6-8 minute presentation which presents the main claim and relevant evidence in support of the argument. Students will orally defend their research process and conclusions.

End-of-Course Exam: 45% of the grade

Students will read an argumentative text and create a written analysis of the argument?s claims and reasoning as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of the argument?s evidence. Students will then read four sources; identify a theme or issue that connects the sources; and write an argument that presents their own perspective on the theme or issue; synthesizing at least two of the sources in support of their argument.

What follows is an alignment of AP Seminar curriculum with Arizona 9-10 ELA standards.

Semester 1 Reading Standards

Sample Texts and Lessons

Semester 2 Reading Standards

Sample Texts and Lessons

Reading Literature:

9-10 RL.2- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and † analyze its development over the course of the text (selections focus on identity † as a theme)

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9-10 RL.3- Analyze how complex characters develop over the † course of a text

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Reading Informational:

9-10 RI.2- Determine a central Idea of a text and analyze its † development

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9-10 RI.3- Analyze how the author constructs an analysis or † series of ideas or events

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9-10 RI.9- Analyze seminal/primary documents of historical and † literary significance; including how they address related themes and concepts

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Possible reading selections:

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi † (selected chapters)

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Excerpt from Oedipus Rex

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Reading selections from Unit 2 of myPerspectives- † Outsiders and Outcasts

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?Two Worlds? by Pat Mora

?Digging? by Seamus Heaney

?We Wear the Mask? by Paul Laurence Dunbar

?Theme for English B? by Langston Hughes

TP-CASTT analysis

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Possible reading selections:

The Declaration of Independence

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Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

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Kennedy?s televised address to the nation on civil rights; June 11; † 1963

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From the AP Seminar 2019 Stimulus Materials: ?Letter from Birmingham † Jail? by Rev. Martin Luther King; Jr.

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?We Need to Talk about an Injustice? by Bryan Stevenson (TEDtalk)

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?Relations? by Eula Biss

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Reading Literature:

9-10.R.L.5- Analyze author?s choices concerning structure to † create mystery; tension; or surprise

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9-10.R.L.6- Point of View/Cultural Experiences are reflected † in works of literature

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9-10 R.L.9- Analyze how an author draws on source material in † a specific work

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Reading Informational:

9-10 R.I.5- Analyze how an author?s ideas or claims are † developed and refined by parts of the text

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9-10 R.I.6- Determine an author?s point of view or purpose in † a text

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9-10 R.I.8- Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific † claims in a text; assess reasoning?s validity; identify fallacious reasoning

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9-10 R.I.9- Analyze seminal/primary documents of historical † and literary significance; including how they address related themes and † concepts

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Possible reading selections:

?The Story of an Hour? by Kate Chopin

?A Jury of Her Peers? by Susan Glaspell

?Sweat? by Zora Neale Hurston

?Still I Rise? by Maya Angelou

?Good Girl? by Molly Peacock

The myth of Icarus

Landscape with the Fall of Icarus by Brueghel (painting)

?Musee Des Beaux Arts? by Auden

?Landscape with the Fall of Icarus? by William Carlos Williams

Possible reading selections: EOCA practice exams- argument † analysis

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From the AP Seminar 2017-18 Stimulus Materials: ?The Historian as † Participant? by Arthur M. Schlesinger

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?A Vindication of the Rights of Woman? by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley † (excerpt)

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?Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions? by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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?We Should All Be Feminists? by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (excerpt)

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?Equal Pay for Equal Play: The Case for the Women?s Soccer Team? by † Louisa Thomas

Quarter 1 Writing

Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

Quarter 3 Writing Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

9-10 W.2- Writing Informative/Explanatory Texts

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9-10 W.3- Writing Narratives

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AP Seminar Mock PT1: Individual Research Report & Team Multimedia † Presentation

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Personal narrative assignment (identity theme)

9-10 W.1- Writing Arguments

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9-10 W.6- Use technology to produce; publish; etc?

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9-10 W.8- Gather relevant information from multiple † authoritative print and digital sources

Individual Written Argument (PT2)

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AP Seminar EOCB practice

AP Digital Portfolio; EBSCOhost; turnitin.com; Chandler Public † Library research databases; Google Scholar

Quarter 2 Writing Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

Quarter 4 Writing Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

9-10 W.1- Writing Arguments

9-10 W.6- Use technology to produce; publish etc?

9-10 W.8- Gather relevant information from multiple † authoritative print and digital sources

9-10 W.9- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts † to support analysis; reflection; and research

AP Seminar Mock PT2: Individual Written Argument & Individual † Multimedia Presentation (all standards incorporated)

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AP Digital Portfolio; EBSCOhost; turnitin.com; Chandler Public † Library research databases; Google Scholar

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AP Seminar EOCB practice (standards 1; 8; and 9)

9-10 W.5- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by † planning; revising; editing; rewriting; or trying a new approach

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9-10 W.6- Use technology to produce; publish etc?

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Outline; peer review; reverse outline; self-evaluation; and revision † for final AP portfolio submissions

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AP Digital Portfolio; EBSCOhost; turnitin.com; Chandler Public † Library research databases; Google Scholar

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Semester 1 Speaking and † Listening Standards

Sample Assignments

Semester 2 Speaking and † Listening Standards

Sample Assignments

9-10. SL. 2- Integrate multiple sources of information † presented in diverse media and formats; evaluating credibility and accuracy † of each source

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9-10. SL. 4- Present information; findings; and supporting † evidence in appropriate style for audience

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9-10. SL. 5- Strategic use of digital media to enhance † presentations

Mock presentations for performance task 1 (teams) and performance † task 2 (individual) (all standards incorporated)

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Slide design unit and visual analysis through OPTIC strategy

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Evaluating model speeches and presentations to enhance our own

-TED Talk ?The Danger of a Single Story? by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche

-TED Talk ?How do you Define Yourself?? by Lizzie Velasquez

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SPARK presentations

9-10. SL. 2- Integrate Multiple sources of information † presented in diverse media and formats; evaluating credibility and accuracy † of each source

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9-10. SL. 3- Evaluate a speaker?s point of view; reasoning; † use of evidence; and use of rhetoric; identify fallacious reasoning; etc..

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9-10. SL. 4- Present information; findings; and supporting † evidence in appropriate style for audience

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9-10. SL. 5- Strategic use of digital media to enhance † presentations

Team Multimedia Presentation & Individual Multimedia Presentation † (all SL standards incorporated)

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Peer feedback and evaluation of practice presentations for † performance tasks 1 & 2

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Semester 1 Language Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

Semester 2 Language Standards

Sample Assignments and Lessons

9-10.L.2- Demonstrate command of conventions (capitalization; punctuation; † and spelling)

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9-10.L.3- Apply knowledge of language for audience; style and † formatting

Mock IRR & IWA assignments with AP Seminar rubric incorporating † conventions (all standards incorporated)

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Mini lessons on uncommon punctuation

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Lessons on avoiding plagiarism by proper citation; using MLA or APA † style guides

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9-10 L.1- Demonstrate a command of conventions- parallel † structure; phrases and clauses (sentence variety)

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9-10.L.2- Demonstrate command of conventions- capitalization;† punctuation; and spelling

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9-10 L.3- Apply knowledge of language for audience; style and † formatting

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9-10 L.5- Demonstrate an understanding of figurative language † and nuances in word meanings

IRR & IWA assignments with AP Seminar rubric incorporating † conventions (all standards incorporated) They Say I Say templates and † practice for source integration techniques; line of reasoning

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Mini lessons on uncommon punctuation

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Lessons on avoiding plagiarism by proper citation; using MLA or APA † style guides

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Connotation assignments; poetry tone words; TP-CASTT analysis

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Recurring support standards † (Anchor Standards 9-10): All units of study will include instruction and † recurring practice of the following standards as they apply to the particular † grade level.

Reading for Literature and Informational † Text

Writing

Speaking and Listening

Language

RL1; RI1

RL4; RI4

RL7; RI7

RL10; RI10

†W4

W5

W7

W9

W10

SL1

SL6

L4

L6

School country

United States

School state

Arizona

School city

Chandler

School / district Address

1525 W Frye Rd

School zip code

85224

Requested competency code

English

Date submitted

02/11/2020

Approved

Yes

Approved competency code

• ENGL
• 4 years of English

Approved date

02/7/2024

Denied date

02/12/2020

Denied reason

Per standard course approvals; AP Seminar is not approved for core competencies.

Online / Virtual

No