It’s always exciting when a new class is introduced, especially when that class could potentially earn students college credit. Students at the main campus during this year have had the opportunity to enroll in AP Seminar, the first step in the AP Capstone series, followed by AP Research. But what exactly do these these pioneering students and teachers do on a daily basis in this class?

To begin, the course is a collaborative class taught by both an English and social studies teacher. The intent is to provide students with the skills they need to become intellectually aware global citizens.  This endeavor includes, according to College Board, basing the class upon “concepts or issues from other AP classes, student interests, local and/or civic issues, academic problems or questions, and global or international topics.”

Students agree that the class is flexible and provides opportunities for varied intellectual investigation.

“We are able to choose the research we want to do, which gives us a lot of leeway that we don’t have in usual assignments,” junior AP Seminar student MaryKatherine Cotter said.

Teachers instructing AP Seminar challenge their students to view topics through a variety of lenses, including cultural, social, philosophical, ethical, artistic, political, historical, environmental, economic, scientific, and futuristic.  This course requires not one AP Exam, but three: one traditional AP Exam in either the first or second week of May and “two through-course performance assessment tasks.”  The assessment consists of a team project and presentation, an individual research-based essay and presentation, and an end of course exam.    

Despite the plethora of subjects from which students can choose, a strong social studies and English platform can support and propel the work done in AP Seminar.

“In social studies, we’re so worried about content, and the formulas for the essays are not real writing.  You know, it’s do this, do this, do this, to get the point.  In English, I think again, their focus is the literature aspect of it, especially in the pre-AP and the AP [classes].  This really allows them to hone in on research,” AP Seminar teacher Mrs. Janine Moretti said.

Students in this course utilize a framework known as Q.U.E.S.T. (questions and explore, understand and analyze, evaluate multiple perspectives, synthesize ideas, and team, transform, and transmit) to guide them in their journey to intellectual discovery and stay on track through the many steps of their year-long research.   

A social studies foundation can be useful in beginning to use the Q.U.E.S.T. framework.  “When we teach the essays, they’re very similar to the DBQs in terms of context, supporting with documents or research,” Mrs. Moretti said.    

Preparing for the presentation components of the exams presents an invaluable opportunity for students to focus on their skills as effective verbal communicators. “Seminar is a really unique experience because it’s more public speaking than other English courses,” Cotter said.

In addition to promoting the development of traditional effective communication skills, AP Seminar allows students to communicate in a truly modern sense- by way of the internet.

“They are constantly working with one another, peer editing, helping one another,” Mrs. Moretti said.  “We have a blog that they can ask each other questions about their papers.  They can really work with one another.”

Communication and research skills are vital for students to learn because of their real life application.  “[Communication and research is] what you’re going to do at a real job, no matter what job you have.  This is totally a real-life skills based class.  Besides getting them through college, it’s going to get them through the real world,” Mrs. Moretti said.

The second course of the series is AP Research.  This course likewise applies the Q.U.E.S.T framework to the exploration of complex real-world conversations or topics.  The assessment for this course takes the form of a research paper and an oral presentation and defense.  The paper should be between 4,000 and 5,000 words and the presentation and defense should take between 15 and 20 minutes.

AP Capstone is a diploma program that intends to “equip students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges” according to the College Board.  If a student obtains a three or higher on AP Seminar, AP Research, and four additional AP exams, they are eligible to receive an AP Capstone Diploma.  Students who earn a three or higher in only AP Seminar and AP Research should not fret, though, because they are still eligible to receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

On a final note, Mrs. Moretti adds that AP Seminar is “all about learning how to really succeed in college and I think every student can benefit from it.”

Students can add AP Seminar to their schedules for the 2017-2018 school year.  By all accounts, it should be a helpful course to aid students in college and beyond.