AP Seminar-Period 7 Assignments

Choose ONE of the following options and respond with a free write of at least 150 words. Everyone will be asked to share today 😃

: Write a story which starts with someone eating a pickle and potato sandwich.

: Write a short script where the plot has to do with evil dolls trying to take over something.

: Write about writers' block.

: List five election issues that would be ridiculous to includes as part of your election platform (e.g. outlawing mechanical pencils and clicky pens, mandating every person over the age of 30 must own an emergency last rites kit). Choose one of the ridiculous issues and write a speech in favor of it.

: List five careers. Write about someone with one of those careers who wants to quit it.


: Write a romance story in which the hero must have a last name corresponding with a physical characteristic (e.g. Jacques Hairyback or Flora Dimple).


: Write about a character named X "The [article of clothing]" Y (e.g. Julie "The Yellow Darted Skirt" Whyte) or simply referred to by their clothing (e.g. "the man in the brown suit" or "the woman in black").


: Write down a paragraph each describing two wildly different settings. Write a story involving both settings.

: Think of a fictional holiday based around some natural event (e.g. the Earth being at its farthest point from the sun, in memory of a volcanic eruption, that time a cloud looked like a rabbit riding a bicycle). Write about how this holiday is celebrated.

Greetings! After sharing your IRR and IWA with your two teammates, please do the following-

1. Ensure that yours and your teammates' two papers each follow the MLA rules for formatting, in-text citations, and the works cited page.

2. Point out chances where your teammates can "zoom in" on moments in their papers that are unclear or hard to see, and/or "stretch out" moments that are exciting or convincing. Please make specific recommendations.

You may want to schedule a Zoom, phone, or in-person meeting over the break with your teammates. When we get back, I will have additional tips and guidance for you in the week before we submit :)

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this form to outline and create slides for your six to eight minute individual multimedia presentation (IMP), which you will deliver live on Monday, April 11 or Tuesday, April 12. Students will receive extra points for volunteering to go earlier on, but the slides and outline must be turned in by the due date (Sunday @ midnight). You may be asked to present on Monday if nobody volunteers.

For each section (one section for the topic/issue and one for the solution or position), respond to the prompts before including specific claims and supporting evidence in the appropriate spaces. Finally, include a link to your slides for that portion of the presentation!

For a very helpful look into the IMP rubric and some samples by Mr. Gonzalez, please see this 25-minute video on youtube! I highly suggest that you watch it before starting to plan your own IMP. Remember that you should always favor LESS words on your slides than more. You don’t want your audience reading from the slides- you want them listening to you. Use the slides to provide graphs, short quotes, and images that help to enhance, not take over, your presentation.

Due Date (includes slides): Sunday, April 10 @ midnight
Completed on time: 10/10. 
Each day late: -10%.

Good morning Everyone, and happy Saturday :)

Between now and Wednesday at midnight, you are being asked to write the first draft of your two thousand word argument essay, using your outline and sources from the previous checkpoint.

Below is a link to a College Board video in which a representative goes in on a sample IWA and how to earn a high score. Please watch this video over the weekend :)

Also, on Monday, we are going to spend a few minutes talking about the high scoring sample linked below (the one about Chinese farming). Some of the things we will speak about are-
1. The way they embed quotes and paraphrase, instead of quoting big chunks of text
2. The way they constantly link information back to their thesis about Chinese farming
3. The way they they clearly and convincingly address counterarguments about the inaccuracy of data


Finally, don't forget to use MLA format as your write. Attaching the checklist below. Happy writing! I mean it when I say that after this checkpoint, the rest of this exam will be relatively easy. We will turn these essays into 6-8 minute presentations (no additional research), and then gently prepare for the 90-minute essay that you will write in May.

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this form to collect your final sources and outline your individual written argument, the 2,000 word essay you will be writing next week. In this essay, you will argue for a position or a solution related to at least two of the stimulus sources about sports.

Each paper will have a thesis statement, which is your major claim or response to your research question, at least three sub claims or minor reasons, and at least one counterargument (preferably more).

Remember from the practice- there are two ways to organize this information (the "classic" format and the "analyzer" format), and you will get to choose which outline format you’d like to use.

Finally, please see the two short (15-20 minute) linked videos for more guidance from the college board on how to conduct your research and build your argument :)

Due Date: Friday, April 1. Completed on time: 10/10. Each day late: -10%.

Respond to ONE of the following prompts with a response of 200 or more words 😃

What is the meaning of life? 

Which is better: too much of something or too little of something? 

Which is better: truth or beauty? 

Is social media a blessing or a curse? 

What two questions would you ask to find out someone’s true self? Now, answer these questions yourself. 

What does it mean to be human?

Define intelligence.

To what extent do gender, ethnicity, social background influence your life? 

Is society today better off than it was 100 years ago?

What labels could others give you? Are labels helpful or harmful? Explain.

Do you believe human nature is evil or good?

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this form to keep track of topics and potential research questions related to the stimulus sources about inclusion and exclusion.

Due Date: Sunday, March 27 @ midnight 
Completed on time: 10/10. 
Each day late: -10%
Guidance: One of the most important things to know about research questions is that they can either be SOLUTION-BASED (trying to figure out which solution to a problem is best) or POSITION-BASED (trying to figure out which argument about an issue is most valid). The IWA (individual written argument) is an argument essay, and so as long as you have an argument to make, you will likely be okay :)
There have two main issues with our research questions this year. Some were overly broad or not specific enough (helpful examples on how to make a research question more specific at the link below), and some had answers that were clear and obvious, or that no reasonable person would disagree with (i.e. should powerful countries try to limit pollution in the oceans?). If you could focus on avoiding these two common mistakes, your questions will be much stronger!

Finally, I am including links to two videos from the College Board below, which give a ton of tips on how to choose your topic from the stimulus materials (using last year's as an example), and how to create effective research questions. Good luck :)

Instructions: On Monday, March 21, you will be sharing the following information with your classmates, using evidence from the specific source that you claimed in class on Thursday. All of the sources are included below. 


Prompts:
What important claims or information appear in your source? Why does this information stand out to you?
Describe the authors(s)' perspective about inclusion, society, or any other major theme or idea. How do you know?


Due Date: Monday, March 21 at class time (100%). If you are not prepared to share, 10% will be deducted for each day late.

Instructions: Over the course of this next week, you will use your outline from Checkpoint #4 to write a 1,200 word essay (research report) in which you communicate important information about your team's problem or issue that is related to your specific lens. Attached is the College Board rubric and scoring guidelines for the IRR, as well as a perfect scoring sample that we reviewed together earlier in the year.


Please pay close attention to row 3 of the rubric, which states that to score maximum points, you must "evaluate the credibility of the evidence" that you use for your argument. On Tuesday, we will review together how to use the RAVEN document (attached) to do just this, and make sure the reader knows how far we can trust your sources 😃

Due Date: Sunday, March 6 @ midnight. Each day late: -10%.

Instructions: Use this form to collect your final sources and outline your individual research report, the 1,200 word essay you will be writing in class next week (week of February 28th). Last year, many of my students struggled with deciding which ideas or concepts should be the focus of each of your sections. I strongly encourage you to ask yourself the following questions while making your sections:
Are there any connections between the sources I’ve found? Grouping sources with similar ideas together in your sections is a great way to organize your paper.
Are there any major ideas/ concepts that came up in your research? These ideas/ concepts can form the sections of your paper.
Are there specific perspectives that you are investigating in your research? If so, consider devoting each section to a different one of these perspectives!


The important part, no matter which of these options you choose, is that you have a paper with three distinct or unique sections. This makes it much easier for the person reading to follow and understand your ideas!
Due Date: Sunday, February 27th @ midnight. Each day late: -10%.

To help me create the best possible groups for the first performance task of the AP exam, please respond to the following questions as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible:


Is there anyone in the class who you would really like to work with during the project? Do not think of your friends, but think of people that you've genuinely worked well with in the past. This is key. Why do you work well with these people?


Is there anyone in the class who you would really like to avoid working with during the project? Sometimes friends do not make the greatest team members.. Why do you not work well with these people?


Rank the following roles from 1 (most comfortable) to 4 (least comfortable), and explain at least two of your ratings- 
Leader/ Organizer

Writer/ Recorder

Editor/ Proofreader

Peace Keeper/ Harmonizer

Respond to ONE of the following prompts with a response of 200 or more words 😃


If you could invent anything, what would it be? Describe why you want to invent it, what it would look like, what it would do, etc. 
Choose the animals that best represent your family members and closest friends. Explain why you have chosen each animal. 
What if the world was made of Jello?
If your life was suddenly a hit reality television show, what would it be called and what would viewers say about it? 
Describe your survival plan in the event of a zombie apocalypse. 
Create the perfect alien. 
You have three doors in front of you: red, blue, and green. The red door says “wing.” The blue door says “want.” The green door says “woke.” Which door would you choose and why? Describe what you imagine to be behind each door.
Explain what a forest looks like to someone who cannot see. 
Write a recipe for happiness. What would the ingredients be? In what order and amounts would you add them? What instructions would you include for baking and serving? 
Create your own original, symbolic names for five locations you visit every day. 
Write a guidebook for the older generation to help them understand your generation.

Greetings! Please choose ONE of the three sections from your checkpoint #2 outline, and write that section (at least 400 words) the same way that you would if you were writing the entire paper, focusing specifically on the strength of your analysis (that is how you will be graded).


Remember the strategies we discussed in class on Wednesday- 
Engage with/ integrate alternate views to your claims
Help or direct your readers toward conclusions you want them to believe
USE YOUR VOICE, not the voice of the authors you are quoting
The sample essay on mental health (attached), although we did not get to present on it, contains useful examples of many of these strategies.


Furthermore, you can use the more general (not related specifically to the IWA) strategies for analysis we practiced earlier in the year. They involve-
Explaining a reason or cause behind an event
Explaining why an example is so powerful or convincing
Comparing two examples or ideas

You will receive a score out of 12 according to row 4 of the IWA rubric (attached). Good luck!

Due Date: Monday, Jan. 7 @ midnight (-10% for each day late).

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this form to collect your final sources and outline your individual written argument, the 2,000 word essay you will be writing next week. In this essay, you will argue for a position or a solution related to at least two of the stimulus sources about sports. 


Each paper will have a thesis statement, which is your major claim or response to your research question, at three sub claims or minor reasons, and at least one counterargument (preferably more).


There are two ways to organize this information that we still speak about the benefits of each together in class on Thursday, and you will get to choose which outline format you’d like to use.

Due Date: Wednesday, January 26. Completed on time: 10/10. Each day late: -10%.

INSTRUCTIONS: Use this form to keep track of topics and potential research questions related to the stimulus sources about sports.

Due Date: Tuesday, January 18 @ midnight 
Completed on time: 10/10. 
Each day late: -10%


Guidance: One of the most important things to know about research questions is that they can either be SOLUTION-BASED (trying to figure out which solution to a problem is best) or POSITION-BASED (trying to figure out which argument about an issue is most valid). The IWA (individual written argument) is an argument essay, and so as long as you have an argument to make, you will likely be okay :)

Finally, there have two main issues with our research questions this year. Some were overly broad or not specific enough (helpful examples on how to make a research question more specific at the link below), and some had answers that were clear and obvious, or that no reasonable person would disagree with (i.e. should powerful countries try to limit pollution in the oceans?). If you could focus on avoiding these two common mistakes, your questions will be much stronger!

Respond with at least ONE FULL PAGE of writing, or 150 words, to earn full credit. Choose one of the prompts please, not both. We will be sharing this writing during the second half of class :)
Option A- What feelings or emotions did you experience during the break? What caused you to feel these emotions and how did you manage them? Respond with at least one full page of writing to earn full credit.
Option B- What are you hopeful for in 2022? What are you going to do to make sure things go right this year? Respond with at least one full page of writing to earn full credit.

Prompt: What moments, ideas, words, or phrases from your classmates' free writes do you want to know more about?

Instructions: Over the course of this next week, you will use your outline from Checkpoint #4 to write a 1,200 word essay (research report) in which you communicate important information about your team's problem or issue that is related to your specific lens. Attached is the College Board rubric for the IRR, as well as a perfect scoring sample that we will review together on Wednesday.


Here is the schedule for IRR Writing week:
Tuesday: Reviewing and presenting on high scoring samples from our previous analysis activity
Wednesday: Reviewing a perfect scoring IRR sample
Thursday: Writing day (section 1)
Friday: Writing day (section 2)
Monday: Writing day (section 3)
Tuesday: Writing day (introduction and revisions)


Please keep in mind that if you've completed a thorough outline, your essay is mostly complete! I have been following your writing since last year and I believe in all of you 😃

Due Date: Tuesday, December 14 @ midnight. Each day late: -10%.

In this poem, the writer uses something called an extended metaphor to describe the failure or breaking down of a relationship. This is when a writer makes a comparison (for example, to the sinking of a ship), and then continues to create images related to that original comparison. After listening and following along to the words, complete one of the following options-
In a response of 2-3 paragraphs, explain how the writer introduces an important central idea. Then, analyze how the writer uses an extended metaphor, or another writing strategy/ literary device, to further develop that central idea.
Write an original poem in which you use an extended metaphor of your own to communicate a central idea related to the power of words, or any other theme that is important to you.

Instructions: Use this form to collect your final sources and outline your practice individual research report, the 1,200 word essay you will be writing next week. Last year, many of my students struggled with deciding which ideas or concepts should be the focus of each of your sections. I strongly encourage you to ask yourself the following questions while making your sections:

Are there any connections between the sources I’ve found? Grouping sources with similar ideas together in your sections is a great way to organize your paper.
Are there any major ideas/ concepts that came up in your research? These ideas/ concepts can form the sections of your paper.
Are there specific perspectives that you are investigating in your research? If so, consider devoting each section to a different one of these perspectives!

The important part, no matter which of these options you choose, is that you have a paper with three distinct or unique sections. This makes it much easier for the person reading to follow and understand your ideas!

Due Date: Monday, December 6th @ midnight. Each day late: -10%.

Instructions: Use this form with your team to select and refine your overall topic!

Due Date: Monday, November 22 @ midnight (team score). Completed on time: 10/10. Each day late: -10%.


Each group member must have their own responses! (you may copy and paste)

Use this form to help me create our teams for the practice TMP! I will do my best to take all of your feedback into consideration when making the final teams.

Greetings AP Seminar People! There is one more skill that I'd like you to master before we select teams and move into the PRACTICE version of the AP exam, and that is evaluating or judging the credibility (believability) of the sources you find on EBSCO and elsewhere.


The left side of the document attached here has a wonderful acronym called RAVEN that will help you to consider whether a source is credible or not (the right side is for online-only websites, not articles). I will show you how to use RAVEN in class on Monday, and I'd like you to keep in mind that discussing the credibility of sources in your essays is necessary to earn a high score (and to be persuasive).


This project- You and your chosen team mates will be assigned a source from EBSCO (it will be a more serious academic journal). Then, you will plan a SPEAKING ONLY presentation to take place on Wednesday or Thursday in which you communicate whether your source is credible or believable. To score high, please respond to prompts from all five sections of the RAVEN (you can split up these sections as you choose), and refer to evidence from the source itself.


I believe in you!!

Which of the following types of weather best describes you today? (see picture) Explain in 1-2 sentences.

Instructions: Using the three strategies for including exciting analysis that you practiced during yesterday's lesson, write 1-2 pages of analysis on ONE of the following topics. Pretend as if these 1-2 pages would appear in the middle (body) of a longer essay about social media and young people. This means that you do not have to worry about an introduction or conclusion- this is practice for your body paragraphs!

mild topic- A 250 word summary of the impact of social media apps like Instagram on young people (first source article only)
spicy topic- A 400 word argument about how Facebook responded to the controversy about Instagram (both source articles)

Instructions: One of the hardest things for young writers to do is to provide clear and accurate analysis, or explanation of the meaning of the text. After examining the three most common ways to add analysis, consider how the writer of the sample paragraph below about in vivo animal testing could have added more analysis in each of the highlighted areas. Then, use the sentence starters within each highlighted area to add your own analysis and help the writer to increase their score!

The three most common ways to add analysis-
Explain why an example is so powerful or important
Explain the reason or cause behind an event
Explain how one example or piece of information is similar or different from another

Greetings! New York State is requiring all students to take a two-day reading test in order to see how your reading has been affected by the pandemic. The good news is that this means your essay about "New Husbands" is now pushed to next week, and to the second marking period!


Everyone who completes the test in class between Tuesday and Wednesday will receive extra credit (plus 3) for marking period one. The program will know if you are rushing, answering randomly, etc. You must try your best in order to get a score!

Step 1: Go to the following link- http://test.mapnwea.org/
Step 2: Enter in the SESSION NAME (stash7009), password (5226), and other information
Step 3: Click "Start Test" and begin testing :)

Instructions: You and one partner will give a multimedia (slides) presentation on the role of the United States in the world, focusing on just ONE lens that you will claim/ be assigned. The goal of your presentation will be to answer a question related to your lens that you and your partner create during Step 3. Here are the specific steps-


Step 1: Identify important information from the article "America Has No Reason to Be So Powerful" that relates to your team's assigned lens.

Step 2: Select an article from the New York Times website that offers more information about the topic and specifically your team's assigned lens.

Step 3: Create a list of questions related to the topic and your lens that are complex (not obvious or easy to answer). Choose one that you like best.

Step 4: Plan a 4-5 minute multimedia presentation in which you communicate how information from the two articles can help to answer that question.

Instructions: The goal of a free write is to not stop writing for the entire five minutes. Anything that comes to your mind, put it in your response!

Prompt: Read the text "America Has No Reason to Be So Powerful" (attached) and describe the author's main argument/ thesis about the role of the United States in the world. Then, describe whether you agree or disagree with the author's argument, and briefly explain your reasoning.

Instructions: Use this form to score/ rate your classmates’ presentations about their unique perspectives on race in our country Then, make a choice as to which presentation was the most clear and engaging, and briefly explain why.

Step 1: Identify important from ONE of the articles inside of the attached folder that relates to a unique perspective on race in the United States.
Step 2: Discuss one or more of the following within your team-
How is this group uniquely impacted by racial injustice and inequality?
How might their knowledge and/or experiences help to solve these issues?
What solutions exist that might help to improve their situation?
Step 3: Plan a 3-4 minute team presentation in which you use a slide show and verbal communication to explain your findings to the class.

Note: Each team member must share at least a portion of relevant analysis/ explanation to receive credit for the group presentation.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfivMRDyPtEy8Qpe35EKeDkvZmLe9tB9_8DCHRBhU5I7iTLpg/viewform

Directions: Read the passage below and then respond to the following three questions. 


1. Identify the author’s argument, main idea, or thesis. (1 point)
2. Explain the author’s line of reasoning by identifying the claims used to build the argument and the connections
between them. (2 points) 
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the evidence the author uses to support the claims made in the argument. (2 points)

Over the course of this year, you will complete two projects or PERFORMANCE TASKS that each involve a presentation and an essay.

Watch the video and read the sample below (Performance Task 1). Then, write a 1-2 paragraph response in which you explain what you notice (observations) and wonder (questions) about the project, and what skills/ topics you anticipate will be easy or difficult for you personally.

Instructions: The goal of a free write is to not stop writing for the entire five minutes. Anything that comes to your mind, put it in your response!

Prompt: Which of the following animals (see attached picture) is most like you and why?

Instructions: The goal of a free write is to not stop writing for the entire five minutes. Anything that comes to your mind, put it in your response!


Prompt: Describe a time inside or outside of school when you had to take a risk. How did you feel?