AP Capstone Seminar Course Syllabus Goals of the AP Seminar Course Engaging and challenging students through a sophisticated, rigorous cross-curriculum study of real-world issues that sparks student curiosity Empowering students to pose alternative, original, and innovative solutions to real-world problems Cultivating higher-level thinking skills by making connections between and among a variety of types of sources. Honing the writing craft through the art of selecting, synthesizing, and embedding researched information with academic integrity Inculcating the collegiate-level skills of academia for a successful college and career future Instilling a renewed love for learning Textbook Resources Austin, Michael. Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2007. Print. Chaffee, John, and Christine McMahon. Critical Thinking, Thoughtful Writing: A Rhetoric with Readings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. Print. Cohen, Samuel S. 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. Print. Faigley, Lester, and Jack Selzer. Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments: High School edition. [5th ed. Boston: Pearson/Longman, 2012. Print. Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. Print. Jacobus, Lee A.. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. Print. Palmquist, Mike. The Bedford Researcher: An Integrated Text, CD-ROM, and Web site. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003. Print. Turabian, Kate L., and Gregory G. Colomb. Student's Guide to Writing College Papers. 4th ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2010. Print. Student Expectations The Capstone Seminar course is designed for the motivated student who possesses a natural curiosity about the host of real-world problems that beg solutions. This course offers students the opportunity, individually and in collaborative teams, to explore an array of issues, the many facets of each discovered through an examination of specific lenses (economic, philosophical, futuristic, historical, environmental, political, cultural, social, artistic, scientific, ethical, etc.) that reveal how specific stakeholders offer differing perspectives. Through a series of scaffolding units centered around specific themes, students will analyze the credibility of arguments and critique the specific lines of reasoning. From a variety of types of sources about the same issue, students will hone the art of divining and developing questions that lead to student-developed original, innovative solutions to specific problems that they propose in well-crafted, appropriately researched written arguments presented, in part, in multi-media format and defended in both collaborative and individual products. The successful Capstone student fully engages in all phases of product development, individually and in team collaboration, and adheres to all deadlines. AP Capstone Plagiarism Policy (as per the College Board) “A student or team of students who fails to acknowledge (i.e. through citation, through attribution, by reference, and/or through acknowledgement in a bibliographic entry) the source or author of any and all information or evidence taken from the work of someone else will receive a zero on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Assessment.” This policy is central to the AP Seminar course. AP Capstone students conduct research with academic integrity. ON-GOING CONCEPTS/SKILLS _________________________________________________ BIG IDEAS Question and Explore Understand and Analyze Arguments Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Synthesize Ideas Team, Transform, and Transmit EVALUATING CREDIBILITY OF SOURCES Reputation Ability to Observe Vested Interest Expertise Neutrality ______________________________________________________________________________ Semester 1 Weeks 1-6 Unit 1 Focus: Introduction to QUEST and Entering the Conversation Unit 1 Theme: Food ______________________________________________________________________________ Lenses: economic, philosophical, futuristic, historical, environmental, political, cultural, social, artistic, scientific, ethical, etc Essential Questions: What prior knowledge do you bring to this issue? What new insights do I expect to gain through the examination of this issue? What close reading strategies will result in an accurate analysis of the author’s premise and his/her line of reasoning? Does the author’s premise reveal any bias in his perspective? Is the author a stakeholder in this issue? What is the author’s vested interest? Does the author possess the credibility to write about this issue? In what way(s)? Does the author build credibility in the source? If so, how? Are the author’s credentials credibility enough? Peering through which lenses will best reveal alternative views/differing perspectives, or which lenses reveal similar perspectives? In what context is a source written? What patterns do the variety of sources reveal? What connections between and among texts do the sources reveal? What are the components of a good research question? What is plagiarism? What is it not? Essential Knowledge: 1.1A1, 1.1B2, 1.2A2, 1.3C1, 1.3C3,1.4A1, 2.1A1, 2.1A2, 2.1A3. 2.1B1, 2.2A2, 2.2B1, 2.3A1, 2.2A3, 2.3B1, 3.1A1, 3.1A2, 4.1A5, 4.1A7, 4.1A8, 4.1A9, 4.2C1, 4.2C3, 5.1A1, 5.2A1, 5.2B1, 5.2B2, 5.2B3, 5.2B4, 5.3A1 _____________________________________________________________ _ Sequence of Practices and Assessments: Plagiarism Students read Alter’s New York Times article for its premise and prediction of what future problems associated with plagiarism. Source: Alter, Alexandra. “Reagan Book Sets Off Debate: Rick Perlstein’s “The Invisible Bridge’ Draws Criticism. New York Times. August 4, 2014. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/business/media/rick-perlsteins-the-invisible-bridgedraws-criticism.html?referrer=&_r=0 L.O.1.1A Identifying and contextualizing a problem or issue. Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Quote Activity: Students respond to the following quote: “The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective. You don't have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” (-Chris Pine (brainyquote.com) L.O. 1.4.A Identifying alternatives for approaching a problem. Question and Explore/Team, Transform, Transmit Team Building Activity: Banyai, Istvan. Zoom. New York: Viking, 1995. Print. L.O. 5.2B1: Fostering constructive team climate, resolving conflicts, and facilitating the contributions of all team members to address complex, open-ended problems. Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Introducing Theme and Lenses: Students participate in gallery walk, viewing multiple images/political cartoons and naming the possible lenses they convey. What are the different ways I can view a single topic? o “Which Side Does Your Food Lean” (political image) http://desigrub.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/08/food-political-leaning.jpg o “Community Food Bank”(political cartoon) https://encryptedtbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUnnfpGCxfAKnAR0vr8w22Qu6SJnSv iWoIEp8hCLQ0lX2W7U40WQ o “Let go of my fuel”(political cartoon) https://encryptedtbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJhCAMP_UwMQMjOTB-BJAHxjpzbQY-DwbqdQsVb6VjohrNGTo 1940’s food ration add; Da Vinci's The Last Supper Example Text: Students read “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan and participate in small groups identifying the lens this personal account represents. Students write a short personal connection to some type of food experience that is part of their family culture. L.O. 1.1A Identifying and contextualizing a problem or issue. Question and Explore/Team, Transform, Transmit In teams, students create a bubble map of several issues related to food. Then in a second double bubble map, select two related issues associated with food, and then dissect each issue into several facets that reflect different perspectives. Through which lenses are the perspectives revealed? L.O.1.1A Identifying and contextualizing a problem or issue. Understand and Analyze Arguments Summer Reading Follow-up Discussion (essay from current AP Language summer reading assignment) o For a biographical sketch about Lars Eighner, author of “On Dumpster Diving,” go to the following website: http://bedfordjfhs.sharpschool.net/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=12041 589 o In what ways does Eighner possess the credibility to write about this unusual topic? From your summer reading response, share your analysis of Eighner’s essay. What genre is his essay? How do you know? What is his premise? How does he organize his essay? What are his lines of reasoning? L.O. 1.3C: Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. 3.1A: Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on arguments about an issue. 2.1B: Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line of reasoning, and identifying the supporting details of an argument, while avoiding generalizations and oversimplification. 4.1A: Formulating a complex and well-reasoned argument. Socratic Seminar: (Expands on our district’s previous Pre-AP Summer Reading Assignment and serves as an introduction to argument) What is Michael Pollan’s argument in Omnivore’s Dilemma? What is Pollan’s research question for each video? Pollan reveals which other perspectives that may have differing vested interests? Through which lenses does Pollan examine his issue? What are his lines of reasoning? What is Pollan’s vested interest? Jigsaw Activity: Each group re-reads an assigned excerpt from Omnivore’s Dilemma or The Botany of Desire and creates a graphic organizer of Pollan’s lenses and lines of reasoning. Be prepared to share your graphic and defend its organization. Sources: o Pollan, Michael. Food Rules according to Michael Pollan. YouTube o Pollan, Michael. “Food Rules.” YouTube o Excerpts from Previous Summer Reading Assignment Choices: Chevat, Richie, and Michael Pollan. Young Readers Edition:The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat. New York: Dial Books, 2009. Print. Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World. New York: Random House, 2001. Print. L.O. 5.2B1: Fostering constructive team climate, resolving conflicts, and facilitating the contributions of all team members to address complex, open-ended problems. 2.1A: Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. 2.1B Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line of reasoning, and identifying the supporting details of an argument, while avoiding generalizations and oversimplification. Synthesize Ideas/Understand and Analyze Arguments (limited to single sentences extracted from the same article) Quotation Mingle: Gleaning the Main Idea: Students are each given a card with a different sentence excerpt from an article. Students mingle with other students and make an inference about what they think the title of the article is. Re-constructing Liptak’s Argument: Discerning Liptak’s lines of reasoning, students sequence the sentence strips according to how they think he organized his argument. Source: o Liptak, Adam. “Supreme Court Supports Monsanto in Seed-Replication Case” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/business/monsanto-victorious-in-geneticseed-case.html?_r=0. May 13, 2013. L.O. 2.1B Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line of reasoning, and identifying the supporting details of an argument, while avoiding generalizations and oversimplification. 2.2A Identifying, explaining, and analyzing the logic and line of reasoning of an argument. Question and Explore RAVEN: Evaluating Credibility: Research Adam Liptak and evaluate his credibility and the credibility of his article. L.O. 1.3C Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Letters to the Editor: Teacher summarizes article “Beating Obesity” from The Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/05/beating-obesity/308017/ Students work in small groups reading different letters to the editor from the next edition. Groups explain the perspective of the letter writer. Source: Letters to the Editor “Beating Obesity” “http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/letters-to-theeditor/308128/ o o o o o o o L.O. 3.1A: Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. Understand and Analyze Argument/Synthesizing Ideas/Team, Transport, Transmit (limited to a one-paragraph team response) For Fun: Read the poem called “Locavores,” written by the AP Synthesis Graders in Louisville. First Team Writing: o Students are given a packet of sources. The teacher reads one text along with the students and models RAVEN and argument analysis. Next the class is assigned a second text to read and answer in detail: What is this writer’s point of view? (What’s his vested interest?) See Argument Analysis Template, p.223. Using Google Docs, students work in small groups to synthesize their answers into one well-written paragraph, color-coded by student. Each group shares its response with the teacher for grading content and individual and group participation. Sources: Locavore readings from 2011 AP Language and Composition Synthesis Essay Question: Maiser, Jennifer. “10 Reasons to Eat Local Food.” Eat Local Challenge. Eat Local Challenge, 8 Apr. 2006. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. Smith, Alisa, and J. B. MacKinnon. Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally. New York: Harmony, 2007. Print. McWilliams, James E. “On My Mind: The Locavore Myth.” Forbes.com. Forbes, 15 Jul. 2009. Web.16 Dec. 2009. Loder, Natasha, Elizabeth Finkel, Craig Meisner, and Pamela Ronald. “The Problem of What to Eat.”Conservation Magazine. The Society for Conservation Biology, July-Sept. 2008. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. Gogoi, Pallavi. “The Rise of the ‘Locavore’: How the Strengthening Local Food Movement in Towns Across the U.S. Is Reshaping Farms and Food Retailing.” Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg, 20 May 2008. Web. 17 Dec. 2009. Question Roberts, Paul. The End of Food. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. Print. Hallatt, Alex. “Arctic Circle.” Comic strip. King Features Syndicate, Inc. 1 Sept. 2008. Web. 12 July 2009. Question and Explore/Understand and Analyze Arguments Teacher-created Guiding Research Question: o What are the implications for a community experiencing a locavore movement? o Evaluate teacher’s research question, according to question template, p. 220. Finding Connections to Enter the Conversation: o After students read and analyze the other sources according to RAVEN and the argument template, students create a heptagonal to discern the connections between and among the seven different sources. (i.e. Sources A and B are similar in that ____; Sources A and B are dissimilar in that ____, Sources A and C are similar in that ____; Sources A and C are dissimilar in that ____, etc….) BC-BD, B-E, B-F, B-G, etc. Consider which sources offer similar arguments, and which sources can be used to acknowledge a counter argument that requires refutation. Students share their connections with their teams. Individual Writing Practice (Addresses Section I, Part B of EOC Exam) o Students select two of the written text sources and write a response according to the directions on Section 1, Part B of the EOC exam: “[W]rite an essay that evaluates and compares the effectiveness of the two arguments. Focus your essay on the relevance and credibility of the evidence each presents and the validity of their lines of reasoning.” L.O. 2.2B1: Describing and analyzing the effectiveness and credibility of evidence used to support an argument, taking context into consideration. 2.2C: Evaluating the validity of an argument. Peer Feedback: Bless, Address, or Press o Students put a sticky note on their own writing asking for another writer to bless (tell what works in the writing/ what is done well); address (give feedback on a specific area of concern the writer has ); or press (challenge their thinking or ideas/ push them to deeper analysis or consider other lines of thought). L.O 5.2B: Fostering constructive team climate, resolving conflicts, and facilitating the contributions of all team members to address complex, open-ended problems. 5.3A: Reflecting on and revising their own writing, thinking, and/or processes. 5.3B: Reflecting on personal contributions to overall collaborative effort. Evaluate Multiple Perspectives/Synthesize Ideas Entering the Conversation o Individual Writing Practice (Addresses Task 1) After the team of students identifies the various implications for a community experiencing a locavore movement, each student selects a different implication that reflects a specific perspective. Referencing example templates from They Say, I Say, students engage the sources in a conversation, “analyz[ing] the lines of reasoning and evidence of the information,” appropriately “cit[ing] and attribut[ing] information included.” See p. 2 of Performance Task 1). o Transitions in Writing: Students work in small groups to complete a transitions vocabulary pyramid. o Team Writing Practice (Addresses Task 1) After completing the Individual Writing Practice, students collaborate “for the purpose of proposing or creating a solution, conclusion, or recommendation,”deduced from the sources. Students then collaborate to synthesize the sources into one team-written product, according to the guidelines on p. 3 of Performance Assessment Task 1. L.O. 4.2C: Attributing knowledge and ideas accurately and ethically, using an appropriate citation style. Question and Explore/Evaluating Multiple Perspectives/Team, Transport, Transmit Assigned Roles Research: o Provide a scenario: Due to the government shutdown, Alaskan King Crab fisherman were not able to start fishing at the beginning of their very short season. What are the implications of this delay? Teacher assigns student roles such as deckhand on a fishing vessel, boat owner, the fishery, seafood restaurant owner, Alaskan economist, etc. Students must research and find one quality source that represents that point of view and participate in a forum (class discussion) of the issue taking on that role. o Students complete RAVEN on the sources they found, looking for bias, credibility, etc. (Resources: p.47 & p.52 in binder) Individual Writing Practice, (Addresses Task 1) Write a report about your findings and include an analysis of your source, its relevance, effectiveness, and credibility. Team Writing Practice (Addresses Task 1) From your team’s array of sources, what patterns or trends reveal themselves through which lenses. Develop a thesis sentence based on that narrowed scope. Then write a multi-paragraph team report Writing a Reflection: o Students write a reflection over the idea of researching with a point of view in mind, credibility, bias, and other new ideas they have encountered. L.O. 3.1A: Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. 3.2A: Evaluating objections, implications,and limitations of alternate, opposing, or competing perspectives or arguments. Team, Transport, Transmit Introduction to Effective Presentations Evaluating a Presentation o View Al Gore’s Presentation, “Averting the Climate Crisis” on TED Talks. Without taking a position on the issue, critique the former Vice-President’s delivery and Power Point presentation. What in the presentation is effective? What is ineffective? What questions about his presentation delivery would you ask him? o View two students’ presentation on TED Talks, “Two Young Scientists Break Down Plastics With Bacteria.” What problem are the students solving? How would you describe their approach to solving this problem? What makes their presentation particularly effective? What would you do differently? o Read “Presentation Tips and Strategies for Students,” “Tips for Effective Multimedia Presentations,” and “Presentation Planning Template” L.O. 2.3.A: Connecting an argument to broader issues by examining the implications of the author’s claim. 5.1A: Working both as an individual and with a team to plan, produce, and present a cohesive argument, considering audience, context, and purpose, and using appropriate media (e.g., essay, poster, presentation, documentary, research, research report/thesis). ______________________________________________________________________________ Semester 1 Weeks 7-11 Unit 2 Focus: Argument Analysis, Creating Research Questions, Understanding Perspectives, and Team Performance Unit 2 Theme: Representation ______________________________________________________________________________ Broad Lenses for the Theme: International, National, State, County, City Lenses: economic, philosophical, futuristic, historical, environmental, political, cultural, social, artistic, scientific, ethical, etc. Essential Questions: What is a democracy? What is it not? Oligarchy? Plutocracy? Theocracy? Totalitarianism? Authoritarianism? Dictatorship? Communism? Socialism? Who should be able to vote in the United States? What are the largest voting blocks of people in the United States? What are the least represented voting blocks in the United States? Does the United States encourage/discourage electorate participation in the voting process? How can I trust the sources that report on issues concerning voting and representation? What is the vested interest of each source? Why is/is not the electoral college method of electing our President still viable? How does gerrymandering affect the nation, the state, and the county? Who has more control over the political process, moneyed interests or the people? What concerns cause people to desire representation in their respective governments? How can I more fully engage in the civic process? Through what specific lenses can you view a specific issue regarding representation in the United States? What questions can you glean from the provided research to narrow my own research on my selected issue regarding representation in the United States? What is my research question? Is it debatable? Is it simple and focused? Is it researchable? Will it serve to identify multiple perspectives? Does it require judgment? Will my research question reveal a problem that you can solve with an original, innovative, possibly alternative approach? Essential Knowledge: 1.1B1, 1.2A1, 1.2A3, 1.3A1, 1.3B1, 1.3C1, 1.3C2, 1.3C3, 2.1A4, 2.1B1, 2.1B2, 2.1B3, 2.2A1, 2.2A3, 2.2B2, 2.2B3, 2.2B4, 2.2B5, 2.2C1, 3.2A1, 3.2A2, 4.1A1, 4.1A2,4.1A5, 4.1A6, 4.1A7. 4.2A1, 4.2A2, 4.2A3,4.2C2, 4.2C3, 4.2C4, 5.3B1 ______________________________________________________________________________ ___ Sequence of Practices and Assessments: International Lens Question and Explore/Evaluating Multiple Perspectives Edmodo Discussion Questions: What is a democracy? What is it Not? Students begin this discussion by conducting preliminary research regarding the first democracy to ascertain how the ancient Greeks defined “democracy.” Who did Pericles believe should be included in the democratic process? Who did he think should be excluded? Who would you prefer to vote in the elections of the United States; a well-informed electorate, an uninformed electorate, or an ill-informed electorate? Students then consider the components of democracy in the United States and what a democracy is not? Also, consider what debatable issues present themselves...through which lenses, perspectives? L.O. 1.2A Retrieving, questioning, organizing, and using prior knowledge about a topic. Viewing a Painting as an Argument o Re-visiting the background knowledge you gained from learning about the French Revolution in Pre-AP History and from reading Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities in Pre-AP English, examine Eugene Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People through the YouTube video and read the analysis of the painting provided by the Louvre Museum. What lenses reveal themselves? What different perspectives does Delacroix encapsulate in his painting? Narrowing Lenses o In what ways can you connect this international lens with a national lens? o Delacroix, Eugene. Liberty Leading the People, 1830 YouTube images and video. “ Liberty Leading the People,” article. Louvre Museum. http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/july-28-liberty-leading-people o o L.O. 1.2A Retrieving, questioning, organizing, and using prior knowledge about a topic. 4.1A Formulating a complex and well-reasoned argument. 4.2A Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various perspectives and sources (e.g., primary, secondary, print, nonprint) to develop and support an argument. Question and Explore/Evaluating Multiple Perspectives/Team, Transport, Transmit Introduction to Writing Research Questions Creating a Mini-Lenses/Questions Graphic Organizer o Students write questions they have as they listen to an NPR audio and read along with the accompanying script. Students then view the Question Template, p.220, to discern which of their questions adhere to the template criteria for writing good research questions. In teams, students create a Mini-Lenses/Questions Graphic Organizer. o Source: “The Arab Spring: A Year Of Revolution.” On radio show, All Things Considered. http://www.npr.org/2011/12/17/143897126/the-arab-spring-a-yearof-revolution. December 17, 2011 6:02 PM ET. L.O. 1.3A Accessing information using effective strategies. 2.1A Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. National Lens Question and Explore Identifying Lenses o Read the poem, “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel” by Native American Poet Sherman Alexie. Through a satirical lens, Alexie reveals what stereotypes of Native Americans? How does stereotyping people affect the concept of representation in America? Source: Alexie, Sherman. “How to Write the Great American Indian Novel.” http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237270 L.O. 1.1B Posing complex questions and seeking out answers that reflect multiple, divergent, or contradictory perspectives. 1.2A Retrieving, questioning, organizing, and using prior knowledge about a topic. 2.1A Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. 2.2A Identifying, explaining, and analyzing the logic and line of reasoning of an argument. Creating a Timeline: Waves of Immigration to the United States In teams, students research the waves of immigration to the United States and place their findings on a timeline. Include in your graphic organizer those people who came here unwillingly or those who were already here and were included unwillingly. Consult, for example, the 1948 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Also, consider any groups legally excluded from immigrating to the United States and any groups granted amnesty after living here illegally for a long time. L.O. 1.1B Posing complex questions and seeking out answers that reflect multiple, divergent, or contradictory perspectives. 1.3A Accessing information using effective strategies. 1.3B Using technology to access and manage information. 3.1A Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. 4.2A Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various perspectives and sources (e.g., primary, secondary, print, nonprint) to develop and support an argument. 4.2C Attributing knowledge and ideas accurately and ethically, using an appropriate citation style. Question and Explore/Evaluating Multiple Perspectives/Understand and Analyze Argument Ethos in Letters o Students read the letters and identify the perspectives and ethos of the writers. Source: Letters to the Editor “The Child Migrants at the Border” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/opinion/The-Child-Migrants-at-the-Border.html Analyzing an Argument/Writing Research Questions Students read the article “Immigrant Surge Rooted in Law to Curb Child Trafficking,” annotating the article for lenses and perspectives and writing possible research questions. Examining Primary Source Documents Students read the text of the actual law to curb child trafficking former President George Bush signed into law in 2008. Source: “Text of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.” Source: Hulse, Carl. “Immigrant Surge Rooted in Law to Curb Child Trafficking.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/08/us/immigrant-surge-rooted-in-law-to-curb-childtraffickng.html?_r=0. July, 2014. Analyzing and Comparing Arguments/Writing Research Questions Students read the article “Hillary Clinton Now Says The Law Shouldn’t Be Changed To Quickly Deport Children At Border,” annotating the article for lenses and perspectives and writing possible research questions. Then compare this article with “Immigrant Surge Rooted in Law to Curb Child Trafficking.” Consider source credibility of each and any similar and dissimilar lenses and perspectives. What inference regarding patterns can you glean from the information? From this inference, write a possible research question that would extend your knowledge of the issue and present a problem for which you could offer an alternative solution. Source: Carrasquillo, Adrian. “Hillary Clinton Now Says The Law Shouldn’t Be Changed To Quickly Deport Children At Border” http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/hillary-clinton-now-says-the-law-shouldntbe-cha L.O.1.2A : Retrieving, questioning, organizing, and using prior knowledge about a topic. 1.3C Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. 2.1A Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. 2.2A Identifying, explaining, and analyzing the logic and line of reasoning of an argument. 3.1A Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. 3.2A Evaluating objections, implications, and limitations of alternate, opposing, or competing perspectives or arguments. 4.1A Formulating a complex and well-reasoned argument. Practice Section 1, Part B of EOC (to prepare for semester exam and EOC) In an essay, compare Hulce’s article and Carrasquillo’s article. Follow the directions on the EOC exam. Local Lens Evaluating Multiple Perspectives Examining a Local Issue Related to Representation Students view/discuss two local news stories and make connections between national and local lenses concerning the immigrant children crossing the Texas border. (This facility is in our school district; these children will attend our schools.) Sources: “Manvel Facility Could House Undocumented Children.” http://www.click2houston.com/news/manvel-facility-could-house-undocumentedchildren/27138258. July 24, 2014. “Brazoria County Angry over Washington’s Silence about Undocumented Children.” http://www.khou.com/story/local/2014/08/01/12676816/. July 24, 2014. National Lens Evaluating Multiple Perspectives The Voice of the People? Students read an article interpret several graphs, discerning the two opposing perspectives that affect representation. Sources Blow, Charles M. “Occupy Wall Street Legacy.” New York Times. Sept. 13, 2013. “How Citizens United Changes Politics, in 7 Charts.” Washington Post. Jan. 1, 2014. L.O. 1.3A Accessing information using effective strategies. 2.1A Employing appropriate reading strategies and reading critically for a specific purpose. 2.1B Summarizing and explaining the main idea and the line of reasoning, and identifying the supporting details of an argument, while avoiding generalizations and oversimplification. 3.1A Identifying and interpreting multiple perspectives on or arguments about an issue. 3.2A Evaluating objections, implications, and limitations of alternate, opposing, or competing perspectives or arguments. 4.2A Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various perspectives and sources (e.g., primary, secondary, print, nonprint) to develop and support an argument. Evaluating Multiple Perspectives Culminating Assessment for Unit 2 (Addresses Performance Assessment Task 1) Individual Written Research Practice (600 words of the 1200-word requirement for the actual assessment) o Considering the array of sources and the differing lenses and perspectives revealed through the scaffolding study of the theme of representation, students individually select a specific topic to research further or select a specific topic related to the study. Students then conduct their own research and write an Individual Research Report that meets the criteria for the report as specified in the rubric on p.4 of Task 1 packet. o Students practice peer revision, peer-editing, and self-editing. Written Team Report (1500 words of the actual 3000-word requirement) Annotated Works Cited TEAM Presentation Practice ( 4-5 minute minimum to prepare for the 8-10 minutes required of the actual Team Assessment of Task 1; scope will differ from the actual assessment) o Students convey the results of their research in a presentation. The focus of this presentation is on delivery and is scored on those aspects of the rubric of Performance Task 1. Students practice storyboarding their presentations to organize effectively. o L.O. All Previous Learning Objectives from this unit ______________________________________________________________________________ ___ Semester 1 Weeks 12-15 Unit 3 Focus: Analyzing Arguments, Discerning Multiple Perspectives, Synthesizing Ideas, Proposing an Original Solution to a Problem, Individual Performance, and Defense of Research Unit 3 Theme: Population Control Lenses: Student-selected Possible Perspectives: Student-selected Essential Questions: What prior knowledge do you bring to the topic of population control? What do you expect to learn about population control? Through what specific lenses can you view a specific issue regarding population control? What questions can you glean from the provided research to narrow your own research on your selected issue regarding population control? What is your research question? Is it debatable? Is it simple and focused? Is it researchable? Will it serve to identify multiple perspectives? Does it require judgment? Will your research question reveal a problem that you can solve with an original, innovative, possibly alternative approach? Does your research reflect an array of credible sources? Does the research embedded in your writing strictly follow the plagiarism policy for researching with integrity? Essential Knowledge: 1.3B1, 1.3B2, 1.3C4, 2.2B1, 2.2B2, 2.2B3, 2.2B5, 4.1A3, 4.1A4, 4.2A4, 4.2B1, 4.2C3, 4.2C4, 4.3A1, 4.4A1, 5.1A2, 5.1A3, 5.1A4, 5.1B1, 5.1B2, 5.1B3, 5.1B4, 5.1C1, 5.3A1, 5.3B2 ______________________________________________________________________________ ___ Sequence of Practices and Assessments: At this point in the curricula, students will have been exposed to an array of scaffolded activities that reflect AP Seminar student expectations. For this unit, after analyzing the following sources for credibility, lenses, and multiple perspectives, students will write a specific, focused, guiding research question. Students will then conduct further research and write an individual argument and an annotated works cited; they will then present their information in an individual multimedia presentation and prepare an oral defense of their research-based presentation. Sources: Robert Kunzig. “Population 7 Billion.” National Geographic. January 2011. with photograph by Randy Olson. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/seven-billion/kunzigtext Black, Edwin. “The Horrifying American Roots of Nazi Eugenics.” in "IBM and the Holocaust" and “War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race,"(from which the article is drawn.) http://hnn.us/article/1796#sthash.jfH4q2Mk.dpuf. September, 2003. Stobbe, Mike. “AP IMPACT: Past Medical Testing on Humans Revealed.” The Washington Post Feb. 27, 2011. Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2011/02/27/AR2011022700988.html “Why We Need a Global Arms Trade Treaty.” Oxfam International. http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/conflict/controlarms/why-we-need-global-arms-tradetreaty Navarro, Mireya. “Breaking a Long Silence on Population Control.” New York Times. Oct. 31, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/science/earth/bringing-up-the-issue-of-population-growth. ml?pagewanted=all U.S. Department of State. http://www.state.gov/j/prm/population “Jury Find Merck Liable in Landmark Vioxx Case” (trial held in Angleton, Texas, Brazoria County Courthouse). NBC News. updated 8/19/2005 8:30:32 PM ET http://www.nbcnews.com/id/9006921/ns/health-arthritis/t/jury-finds-merck-liable-landmarkvioxx-case/#.U-ED8uNdVIE National Drug Threat Assessment 2006 (Maps). National Drug Intelligence Center. January 2006. http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs11/18862/appenda.htm “Texas Woman Sentenced for Sending Ricin Letters.” Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dallas Office. U.S. Attorney’s Office. July 16, 2014. Eastern District of Texas. http://www.fbi.gov/dallas/press-releases/2014/texas-woman-sentenced-for-sending-ricinletters Maris, David. “A Drug Recall That Should Frighten Us All About The FDA.” Forbes. Oct. 10, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-toserious-problems-at-the-fda/2/ Other Related Topics for Possible Future Research: Opium Wars (Purposeful Introduction of Drugs to Specific Populations), Climate Change, Dead Zones, Weapons Manufacturers’ Customers, War Triggered by the Oppressed Performance Assessment Task 2 Practice Students will have three weeks to complete this individual practice assessment. Students will also prepare an individual practice presentation and defense, scheduled for the following week. Students will follow the expectations for this assessment outlined on page 2 of the “AP Seminar Performance Assessment Task 2 Packet” with some modifications. Individual Written Argument (1,000 words of the 2,000-word Requirement) Individual Multimedia Presentation (3-4 minutes of the 6-8 minute Requirement) o Students will practice peer response revision groups, peer editing, and selfediting. Oral Defense of Presentation L.O. 1.3B Using technology to access and manage information. 1.3C Evaluating the relevance and credibility of information from sources and data. 2.2b Describing and analyzing the relevance and credibility of evidence used to support an argument, taking context into consideration. 4.1A Formulating a complex and well-reasoned argument. 4.2A Interpreting, using, and synthesizing qualitative and/or quantitative data/information from various perspectives and sources (e.g., primary, secondary, print, nonprint) to develop and support an argument. 4.2B: Providing insightful and cogent commentary that links evidence with claims. 4.2C: Attributing knowledge and ideas accurately and ethically, using an appropriate citation style. 4.3A : Extending an idea, question, process, or product to innovate or create new understandings. 4.4A: Offering resolutions, conclusions, and/or solutions based on evidence while considering consequences and implications. 5.1A Working both as an individual and with a team to plan, produce, and present a cohesive argument, considering audience, context, and purpose, and using appropriate media (e.g., essay, poster, presentation, documentary, research report/thesis). LO 5.1B: Communicating an argument in an evidence-based written essay adhering to established conventions of grammar usage, style, and mechanics. 5.1C Speakers vary elements of delivery to emphasize information, convey tone, and engage their audience. 5.3A Reflecting on and revising their own writing, thinking, and/or processes. 5.3B: Reflecting on personal contributions to overall collaborative effort. ______________________________________________________________________________ ___ Semester 2 Seminar Assessments AP Seminar Performance Task Assessment 1 Students work in teams of 3-5 to decide on a theme of study and conduct preliminary research to reveal the possible lenses and perspectives through which students conduct more narrowed researched that focuses on a specific debatable issue to expose a real-world problem that begs innovative solution. Individual Research Report (1,200 words) Each team member researches and writes an individual report about a different perspective of the same problem and an annotated works cited that specifies how the student used each source. Team Report (3,000 words) The teams then actively collaborate to incorporate their findings into a team report that offers an innovative solution that students design. Team Multimedia Presentation (8-10 minutes) Teams collaborate to design and present a research-based multimedia presentation of their argument and innovative solution. Individual Reflection (800 words) Teams use their Personal Reflective Journal that they have written on an on-going basis throughout this study and their Annotated Works Cited to write an Individual Reflection of their research journey, independently and collaboratively. All of the above products for Performance Task Assessment 1 will be completed by January 30th. AP Seminar Performance Task Assessment 2 Students will have 30 days to fully complete all components of this assessment. Students will keep a Reflective Journal throughout the 30-day preparation. Individual Written Argument (2,000 words) Students will read and analyze the sources in the packet provided by the College Board. Students will then write a question prompted from the sources to guide their independent research. With academic integrity, students will collect, analyze, and carefully select evidence to support their own perspective on the issue. Students will write a well-reasoned argument that addresses the research question and presents their perspective. Students will include a properly formatted annotated works cited that specifies how the student used each source. Individual Multimedia Presentation (6-8 minutes) Students will design and present a multimedia presentation that summarizes their evidence and conveys their argument. Oral Defense of Presentation Students will answer 3 teacher-designed questions that probe how students both selected and used their sources and explore their personal reflection regarding their research, their findings, or their solution and its possible implications. April 30th ALL ASSESSMENTS COMPLETED/GRADED/UPLOADED TO COLLEGE BOARD ______________________________________________________________________________ __ After assessment deadline and EOC AP Exam, students will participate in assignments that bridge the Seminar course to the Research course.