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Course Syllabus AP? Capstone SeminarAlonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High 2015-16Instructor: Michael Portnoy Room: 325E-mail: mportnoy@ Course DescriptionAP? Capstone 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. Through this inquiry-based, interdisciplinary course, students will develop skills that allow them to effectively question, explore, understand, analyze, examine, synthesize, team, transmit, and transform. In order to understand how to holistically examine a particular issue or problem, we will evaluate the issues through a myriad of perspectives and lenses. Teacher provided resources, as well as student research, will function as the means through which we explore both the topic and perspectives. The resources we examine should be from multiple primary and secondary sources (e.g., articles, speeches, art, opinion pieces, etc.). Looking at said perspectives, students will realize how to uncover the complexity of answering research questions. Course Outcomes/Curricular RequirementsStudents explore complexities of one or more themes by making connections within, between, and/or among multiple cross-curricular areas and by exploring multiple perspectives and lenses (e.g., cultural and social, artistic and philosophical, political and historical, environmental, economic, scientific, futuristic, ethical) related to those themes.Students develop and apply discrete skills identified in the learning objectives of the enduring understandings within the following five big ideas: Question and Explore, Understand and Analyze, Evaluate Multiple Perspectives, Synthesize Ideas, and Team, Transform, and Transmit.Students gain a rich appreciation and understanding of the issues through the following activities: reading articles and research studies; reading foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; viewing and listening to speeches, broadcasts, and/or personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances.Students develop an understanding of how to ethically use others' knowledge and ideas in their own work, avoiding plagiarism.Students work collaboratively with a team to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate a real-world or academic issue; consider options, alternatives, solutions, or resolutions; and develop a written report, multimedia presentation, and defense to communicate a conclusion or recommendation.Students work independently to identify a research question based on provided stimulus material; research the issue; analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop an argument; present and defend a conclusion; and produce a multimedia presentation to be delivered to their peers.Textbooks: The Bedford Researcher 5th ed. Mike Palmquist. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2015.Thank You for Arguing. Jay Heinrichs. New York: Three Rivers, 2007.Materials and Supplies: Highlighters, blue or black pens, #2 pencils, colored pencils or markersA three-ring notebook with college ruled notebook paper and dividers. Please bring a notebook, paper, and pens/pencils to class everyday. Some days might require note taking or in class writing. Access to a computer and a printer (provided in class)Flash drives for on-line research and presentationsProfessional attire for formal presentationsText(s) as requiredThrough the College Boards digital portfolio—the space where all assessed work will be submitted—you will have access to both a university level research database/search engine and . To allow you to print copies of research articles and sources, as well as multiple drafts for editing of your final assessments, and the ability to synthesize your group paper collaboratively each student will be charged a $10.00 class materials fee to cover the cost of paper and printer ink. Course Assessment The structure of the AP Seminar score differs from other AP courses that you've taken in the past. The breakdown is as follows: Team Project (25%)Independent research with reflection (single document, approximately 2,000 words: 1,200 research/ 800 words reflection)Group Synthesis paper (approximately 3,000 words)8-10 min Multimedia presentationoral defense Students work in teams of three to six to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate an academic or real world problem, question, or issue. Each team designs and/or considers options, alternatives, and approaches and develops a written report and multimedia presentation to communicate its conclusion, solution, or recommendation. Students work collaboratively with a team to identify, investigate, analyze, and evaluate a real world or academic issue; consider options, alternatives, solutions, or resolutions; and develop a written report, multimedia presentation, and defense to communicate a conclusion or recommendation. The individual papers will be due in November. The group paper in December and the presentations will be held at the end of January. The group paper has a required word limit of 3,000 words (12 pages). The presentations are 8-10 minutes long regardless of how many members are in the group. All members must speak and be able to respond to the oral defense of all aspects of the group project. You will also be expected to arrange to work collaboratively outside of school.Independent Research Project (35%) Independent research paper (approximately 2,000 words)6-8 minute Multimedia presentation oral defense The College Board’s AP Capstone Program will annually release cross-curricular source material (texts) representing a range of perspectives focused on a single theme or topic. Students will use these texts to identify a research question of their own; conduct research; analyze, evaluate, and select evidence to develop an argument; and present and defend their conclusion. The final paper must refer to and incorporate at least one of the provided sources. The College Board will release the topic/source materials in January. The individual paper has a required word limit of 2,000 words (8 pages) will be due before Spring break in March and the 6-8 minute presentations should be completed before the second week of April. You will be given ample class time to complete both parts of this assessment. The College Board requires a minimum of 30 class sessions be dedicated to this task.EOC Exam (40%) On the afternoon of May 5th, students will have 3 hours to complete the AP Seminar written exam. The exam consists of five items (three short answer and two essay questions). The three short answer questions assess analysis of an argument in a single source or document. The first essay questions requires the students to perform a close reading of two documents and perform a comparative analysis and evaluation of the author’s arguments. The second essay question assesses students’ skills in synthesizing and creating an evidence based argument. The final scores will be released in July. We will be looking at the exam and practicing for it throughout the school year using assigned readings, articles, and practice tests. AP Capstone Plagiarism Policy Participating teachers shall inform students of the consequences of plagiarism and instruct students to ethically use and acknowledge the ideas and work of others throughout their coursework. ?The student’s individual voice should be clearly evident, and the ideas of others must be acknowledged, attributed, and/or cited. A student who fails to acknowledge the source or author of any and all information or evidence taken from the work of someone else through citation, attribution, or reference in the body of the work, or through a bibliographic entry, will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Assessment Task. ?In AP Seminar, a team of students that fails to properly acknowledge sources or authors on the Written Team Report will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.A student who incorporates falsified or fabricated information (e.g., evidence, data, sources and/or authors) will receive a score of 0 on that particular component of the AP Seminar and/or AP Research Performance Assessment Task. ?In AP Seminar, a team of students that incorporates falsified or fabricated information in the Written Team Report will receive a group score of 0 for that component of the Team Project and Presentation.Course Requirements:Aside from the 3 assessments that will make up the official AP score, there will be period assignments and other graded work and educational opportunities to help you learn the skills required to complete the 3 tasks. To do well in the seminar class, the student is expected to:Submit all assignments on time. No work will be accepted late unless the absence is excused. Make-up work for tests, quizzes, and writing assignments must be completed within two days of the absence before school or during lunch. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the teacher of what work is needed and schedule a time to complete the work or turn it in within the allotted time. Please check for the assignments and class work you missed.Respond in a thoughtful and responsible manner during all class discussions and informal writings.Actively read and annotate all texts assignedWrite all assignments legibly in blue or black inkEdit, polish, and type all final drafts. Size 12 font should be used.Possess a strong command of the conventions of English grammar.Respect the opinions and scholarship of others.Be prepared to work collaboratively regardless of whom you have been grouped with. Respect your group by completing your assigned responsibilities.Submit original work. Cheating will NOT be tolerated. Academic integrity is extremely important. Cheating will result in a referral and Academic disciplinary action Follow all school rules, the dress code, and the Dade County Public Schools Code of Student Conduct.Cell Phones/mp3 Players/Tablet Computers should be off and put away if not being used as part of classwork. Failure to comply or to not put them away when asked to do so will result in failing class participation grade for the day.Collaborative Work and PresentationsIn this class, you will be responsible for creating an annotated bibliography of your research for both the group and individual assessments. You will also have several shorter length practice papers and presentations to hone the skills required for the assessed tasks. Increasingly, college students and adult workers are required to work with other people to complete projects, reports, and presentations and learning how to complete these tasks with other people—regardless of how well you like or know them—will be expected of you. We will spend time in this course working on team building and group work. Any conflicts or situations that will result in failure to complete assignments or the required assessments MUST be brought to my attention as quickly as possible. Once final teams are created NO CHANGES OR ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE MADE. I will be making the majority of the groups for practice group work. You will have an opportunity to have input on the creation of the final assessed group you will be working with. Your cooperation and ability to work well with others will be graded in this class.Make sure your cell phones are off and silent during presentations. It is simply a matter of common courtesy. If your phone goes off interrupting a classmate’s presentation, I will fail you for the assignment. Academic ConsultantsPer the College Board, you are allowed to look for outside guidance to help you complete the 2 task assessments. These consultants can be your other AP teachers, other teachers in the school, college professors, or community professionals and experts in the fields you are researching. There are strict rules about the amount of help these consultants can give you, so if you choose to use one you must create a formal contract outlining requirements and responsibilities you owe your consultant and defining the level of academic help they can provide. The College Board will audit any work or scores they find suspect, so please follow the rules regarding academic help and plagiarism.Peer Editing and CritiquesBecause all the work on the 2 task assessments must be student generated, neither I nor any consultant you work with can edit your papers. The bulk of the editing will fall to your group and classmates. Peer editing is allowed and expected as well as drafts and revisions of all task assessment written work. You will also have your practice presentations filmed and you will be expected to watch and critique your delivery and the quality of your visual presentations and multimedia materials.Attendance and TardinessBe on time. Please be in your seat and ready to work when the bell rings. We have a great deal of material to cover in this course and it is discourteous to your instructor and classmates to make us wait for you to begin. Excessive student tardiness will result in disciplinary action including detention followed by parent contact and administrative referral. Many of you will have sport, club, academic, and family commitments this year. Please make attending this class a priority. I will not be signing permission slips for college visits or club activities. If you miss class for these reasons, I will not allow make up work. Daily participation grades depend on your being here and being an active participant in the class. In order to get the most out of this course and to do your best work, your attendance is mandatory. ConductWhile this class is for college credit, you are still high school students and we will follow all of Mourning Sr. High’s rules for class conduct. I want our class to be a place where you will feel free to discuss and interpret these texts on a higher and more intense level then you are used to, so common courtesy and professional behavior will be expected. All students will be required to participate and add to class discussion. We will listen to each other’s ideas politely during discussion sessions and rudeness will not be tolerated. If you are made to feel uncomfortable during these class discussions or by another student at any time, please see me. Cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices are being allowed in school as part of the academic experience of the class. Make sure these devices are off and put away during class if not being used for classwork. Parents can always reach you through the attendance office in case of emergency. Do not take calls from work or parents during this class. A majority of your time in this class will be spent on self-directed research and class time to prepare the required tasks for the scored assessments. Please use your time e to class prepared. 10th graders, make sure your tablets are at full power. 11th graders can bring their own tablets or computers or use one of the classroom’s. Have your texts and materials with you. Make sure to have completed the assigned reading or written work with you.Bathroom passes will given be at my discretion and will be limited if abused.Homework and ClassworkFrom time to time you will be asked to prepare some reading for class or written analysis to share with the group. You might also be asked to bring drafts of larger assignments for peer editing. Failure to be prepared or complete these assignments or participate in peer editing sessions will result in failing grades. Paper RequirementsAll drafts of papers and prepared assignments must be typed, double-spaced, meet the assigned length requirement and STAPLED using correct MLA style and documentation standards on white 8? x 11 typing or computer paper. Using either under or oversized fonts, cover sheets, creative margins, or barely visible ink on your papers will be to your disadvantage because I will not accept them. On In-class writings and other handwritten work, I will not accept work that is illegible or inordinately sloppy. If you know that your handwriting is difficult to read, make an extra effort. As the writing projects are assigned I will provide you with detailed assignment sheets that explain what I will be looking for in each particular essay.Handwritten assignments should only be written in blue or black ink and on white, college ruled paper. Art projects and participatory assignments will be graded on effort so do not be afraid to do your best regardless of artistic ability. Non-participation will result in zeroes. Late work will lose a letter grade for each day late.Make sure to have duplicate copies of all your longer work. Be sure your files are safely backed up. If a paper does get accidentally lost, it is your responsibility to produce a second copy quickly. / Google docsWe will be using as way to keep in contact during the school year. The summer group will be archived. You need to join the group for your corresponding class period. After registering, please join your period’s group with one of the following access code: e37db7You will need to periodically print out reading material or class assignments from the edmodo site. We also might be using any number of collaborative document sites, like One Drive or Google docs for group projects and papers.Grading Policy:Academic grades will be determined by averaging letter grades and some assignments are weighted more heavily than others. Credit checks will be given for some assignments. Every four checks will equal one A. In general, pop quizzes, class assignments and homework are worth one letter grade; informal essays and presentations are worth two letter grades; written exams and formal essays are worth three to four letter grades and projects will be weighted individually (usually three-six). A student must earn at least the minimum exact average to earn the corresponding letter grade. Out of fairness to all students, no exceptions will be made.Grading scale:100-95 = A / 94-90 = A- 89-87 = B+ / 86-84 = B / 83-80 = B- 79-77 = C+ / 76-74 = C / 73-70 = C- 69-67 = D+ / 66-64 = D / 63-60 = D- 59- below = FMDCPS:Effort:A 4.00-3.501-OutstandingB3.49-2.502-SatisfactoryC2.49-1.503-InsufficientD1.49-1.00F .99- .00You are doing something extraordinary by talking college level work while still in high school and I want you to succeed. I will work with you if you are having difficulty with the material or the texts. You need to come to me early if you are having a problem, not at the end of the grading period. I reserve the right to make changes to this syllabus, including changes in reading assignments, due dates, and paper lengths.Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s):Your child, __________________, received handouts today including a course description, a list of needed supplies, class procedures, grading criteria, and discipline procedures as well as the College Board’s requirements for receiving possible college credit for this course. Please review this information so that we can work as a team to ensure the best possible results for your child. The policies, procedures, and guidelines you will find with this packet are in effect at all times and are designed to help you understand the expectations I have for academics and behavior. Please review this with your son or daughter and sign below.Our signatures below will acknowledge that we have thoroughly discussed these expectations in class and at home and that you have received this information. Please detach this signature sheet and return it to me by Friday, August 28th.Please do not text or call your child during class time. This becomes a major classroom distraction that keeps children off task. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns at mportnoy@. Please include a phone number and a convenient time for me to call you.Thank you for your time, care, concern, and cooperation. Working together, we will be able to create an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration that will allow your child to grow, thrive, and receive the best education possible.I look forward to meeting you personally at Mourning Senior High’s many functions during the year.Sincerely,Michael Portnoy___________________________________________Student signatureParent signature______________________ ________________________(Home telephone number)(Work telephone number) ................
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