Course Syllabus

COURSE DESCRIPTION

AP Seminar is a foundational course that introduces students to the skills they will need to be successful AP students. Students engage in analysis and conversations of academic and real-world topics that interest them. Using an inquiry framework, students practice analyzing articles, research studies, and philosophical texts, viewing speeches and experiencing artistic 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. Students who take and pass the AP exam for AP Seminar will be eligible to take AP Research the following year. Students who pass the assessments for AP Seminar, AP Research and four additional AP courses will earn an AP Capstone Diploma from the College Board.

REAL TALK

I’ll be honest from the get-go; this course is entirely unlike anything else you have experienced at Score. Our time together is not defined by a set of content or curriculum such as Chemistry or U.S. History, but rather a common goal to develop a set of skills that will serve you far into your future.

In order to more appropriately dive into the discussion, allow me to dispel a common myth: In the American high school system, we focus (in my humble opinion) than we should on content and recall. Think back to your Algebra I class where you were taught to solve a system of linear equations. The teacher most likely explained at a board of some kind how to solve using one of three standard methods, worked through a few examples, and gave you a homework assignment to practice. A few weeks later, you likely saw a very similar problem on an assessment of some sort.

This class is the antithesis of that model of instruction. It involves critical thinking, public speaking, argumentation, debate, synthesis, analyzation, interpretation, close reading, collaboration, and inference skills. In AP Seminar, my job is to teach you how to think, present your thinking, and argue against others thoughts. We’ll look at issues that are affecting our society in real time and approach them from a scholarly point of view. This course, along with AP Research, comprise one of the most realistic previews of college that exists.

SO WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING HERE?

In AP Seminar, we are on a Q.U.E.S.T. to become true academic scholars. That means you'll be learning how to:

Question and Explore

We begin this process by challenging and expanding the boundaries of your current knowledge. You'll find in this class we'll ask "why" and "so what" until you're tired of hearing me say those words.

So why do we care about expanding knowledge?

Knowledge, according to the dictionary, is "awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation". That's all well and good, but in my mind knowledge is something far greater than that. It's the fundamental building blocks that influence the way we experience and interact with the world around us. Our ability to understand, comprehend, and utilize the knowledge we obtain is fundamental to the human condition.

Besides the philosophical points, most of you will be off to the land of higher education. College and university life is very different than your high school experience thus far. You'll have the opportunity, should you choose to accept it, to explore deeply your area of interest. You may not know what that is yet, and that's okay! (I changed my major six times before finally landing on Computational Mathematics.) I guarantee you'll have a wide exposure to various fields in this class that may help you determine what your future may hold.

Perhaps even more important than that, expanding your base of knowledge will make you a more interesting person. You'll converse at a higher level, drawing connections and comparisons you haven't made before.

Understand and Analyze

Once you figure out what question you're really trying to ask, you'll contextualize and comprehend authors' claims. We'll look at strategies to understand and comprehend difficult texts ranging the spectrum from Twitter posts to TED talks and of course, a healthy dose of scholarly research. We'll discuss the concept of bias (which we all have) and understand how it influences the global conversation on major issues. Perhaps most importantly, we'll tie it back to how the argument impacts your community and life.

This may seem intense, but you deal with arguments every single day. Everyone you meet has a diverse set of experiences and perspectives that shape their way of seeing the world. Learning to recognize the lenses through which each argument is made makes you a more informed "consumer" in the marketplace of ideals and opinions that permeate our existence.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

So now that you have the hang of figuring out where people come from, it's time to find the people who look at the same thing differently. You'll learn how to find common threads among the arguments surrounding global issues, the implications of accepting/rejecting particular arguments, and how to put all of these voices in conversation with one another.

Think for a second about the current state of affairs and what we're dealing with as a nation: civil unrest, a notably controversial election, a global pandemic. These three topics have become the focus of both news and social media. If you turn your TV on and watch CNN, you'll hear one particular set of stances. If you flip the channel and take a look at Fox News, you'll hear a very different dialogue. What's really occurring is that you're hearing the same buzz words: COVID-19, Harris, Biden, Trump, Vaccine, BLM, George Floyd through a different persons mind. Both in college and beyond, you'll need to be able to recognize that there are different points of view to an issue and understand (at least on a surface level) what all sides of an issue believe.

Synthesize Ideas

At this point in the process, we now have most of our puzzle pieces that will form the basis of our discovery. The next, and often most difficult step, is putting the puzzle together. We'll work through ways to cut through the dialogue and find your voice in the argument / research.

This step, more than many others, is highly personal. We'll attack these individually through after school Zoom meetings as well as through group activities.

Team, Transform, and Transmit

Now that you have an argument, you need to be able to get it out somehow. In AP Capstone, we take a three pronged approach to this.

Team: You'll combine your personal strengths and talents with those of others to form a team. Given that our AP Capstone program is so small, your team will most likely be your section.

Transform: Through thoughtful reflection, you'll transform your ideas into a coherent message.

Transmit: Finally, you'll adapt your message based on your audience and context.

Seems simple enough, right? Think again. Giving a good presentation is more difficult than you might expect (just ask any one of your teachers). However, don't worry. We'll practice a lot before you give your presentation for the College Board.

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT SUCCESS IN SEMINAR

Attend class

Successful AP Seminar students make every effort to attend class. This course is predominantly group based, and usually fun! However, if you can not make class, be sure to contact me as soon as you can. This class moves very quickly and you'll likely need to schedule a make up session with me on Zoom.

Come to class prepared

This course thrives on discussion, which we can't have without prior preparation. I won't lie - this class has a significant homework load. However, the majority of the work I assign for class should be interesting, fun, and a break from the traditional academic assignments. You'll be watching YouTube videos, reading news articles, preparing for debates, and so much more. The more you invest in the class, the more you will get out of the class.

Work in class

This course has a lot of work associated with it. I also know that you want and deserve to have lives outside of Seminar. Therefore, I'll make every effort to give you class time to work on your individual assignments. Use this time productively so that you don't have to do it all at home!

Stay organized

In AP Seminar, there is no textbook with all the information in it. Throughout the year, I'll provide lots of resources that will serve as the foundation of our course. You'll want these when you start your Performance Tasks.

Get help outside of class

I'm willing to make a bet with each and every one of you ... you will need help in this class. Never fear, we're all here to support you.

If you're working on an assignment and need help, contact me immediately. Do not wait until the next class period. I am happy to meet with you at any time, including nights and weekends.

Additionally, there are many Score Academy teachers who are deeply invested in your success in the Capstone program. We'll talk about how to utilize them, and I encourage you to do so!

Reflect

Learning is a journey that often takes a long and winding road. Be sure to reflect on your personal progress, develop plans for improvement, and celebrate areas of progress and success.

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