ADVANCED PLACEMENT SUMMER INSTITUTE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
CALCULUS AB
The institute is designed to meet the needs of the beginning AP® Calculus teacher. This course will focus on the content and methodology appropriate for an AP® course. Teachers will investigate a multi-representational approach to calculus, including: symbolic, graphical, numeric and verbal. Resources for the teacher, such as: sample tests, worksheets, textbooks and review materials will be discussed, as well as the use of the graphing calculator. An analysis of the exams, scoring standards and procedures will be presented.
CHEMISTRY
The 4 day summer institute in AP® Chemistry is designed to meet the needs of Beginning AP Chemistry teachers. Course sequencing, test design, grading, lab selection, and AP® test preparation will help prepare the new AP® Chemistry teacher to set up and conduct a quality course with confidence. The upcoming Curriculum changes for 2013/2014 academic year will be discussed in detail along with the AP’s shift toward an Inquiry based lab curriculum. This workshop has proven beneficial to the experienced AP® Chemistry teacher as the sharing of different approaches and ideas can strengthen any established program. The opportunity to meet with and exchange ideas on day-to-day activities, demos, projects, and class management strategies with other chemistry teachers always results in a positive experience.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION
The workshop will explore approaches and strategies for teaching AP English language. Participants will develop individual assignments appropriate to various rhetorical and stylistic strategies. The structure and philosophy of AP Language Examination will be discussed and there will be exercises in holistic scoring of examination essays. Each participant should bring a favorite collection of non-fiction, and two or three issues of magazines, such as the New Yorker.
ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
This session explores the world of teaching AP® Literature and Composition, while at the same time providing a forum for sharing the best practices of the participants. Over the week, we will discuss the AP® program in general, particularly the upcoming AP® Audit. We will also examine different ideas about course organization and share best practices. Some of the areas we will cover will include passage analysis strategies, annotation skills, use of technology such as Power Point, creation of challenging evaluation tools for major works study, “boot camp” concentrated writing, style improvement, creative discussions, strategies for multiple choice testing, holistic scoring, and simulated AP® exam grading.
PSYCHOLOGY
This workshop is designed to help new AP Psychology teachers to integrate the content of a college-level psychology course into a high school classroom. Two days will be devoted to the delivery of content and the terminology that is central to this course. Various hands-on and lab activities will be integrated into this part of the week. The third day of the workshop will involve helping teachers to prepare their students for the AP exam with a particular emphasis on the writing and grading of AP prompts. The final day of the institute will focus on planning, pacing, and the implementation of research projects into the course.
STATISTICS
This workshop is for experienced as well as new teachers to AP Statistics. The workshop will include at least two activities every day that could be used to apply the difficult concepts that are part of the course. The workshop will also apply the technology using primarily the TI-84 along with Fathom and JumpIn computer software.
STUDIO ART
This course is designed for new and experienced teachers in the Visual Arts. The participants will become familiar with the content and requirements of the three portfolios offered by the College Board. Visuals from scored portfolios will be used as examples. The development of strategies and effective practices that directly impact and improve the portfolios is the focus. Participants new to the portfolio format will develop syllabi and visual aids through collaboration with experienced teachers. Experienced teachers will develop visual aids and a short power point presentation (using AP Central). You will take home new ideas for lessons and journal assignments, learn new techniques, and meet your states professional development requirements. Collaboration is beneficial and highly encouraged. Participants will be encouraged to refresh their thinking about optimizing the creative spirit in the classroom through reflecting on practices and sharing insights. Teachers should consider providing examples of best practices and visual examples of successful outcomes.
U.S. HISTORY
This workshop provides participants with an overview of the AP curriculum and the most recent exam. The revision of the AP US History curriculum and how it will affect the design and teaching of the course will be discussed, along with changes and trends in the exam. The workshop will also discuss the selection of texts and supplemental materials, the creation and/or revision of syllabi, strategies for essay writing, the use of primary sources, and other best practices.
U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
The United States Government and Politics institute is intended to provide a practical approach for creating and teaching an AP course in government and politics. The course consists of two elements. The first deals with some of the mechanics of an AP program such as; student selection, some of the criteria for admission to an AP class, the impact of open enrollment policies on teaching an AP course, the effects of making the AP examination mandatory, the consequences of various block scheduling schemes on the AP syllabus, the AP test format and its impact on both teachers and students, techniques for improving test scores, and a review of the resources available from the College Board for both teachers and students.
The second element stresses how to design a course for content while stimulating student interest through the use of the Internet and other resources. We will focus on how to write a realistic working syllabus that gives both the teacher and students a detailed guide for the course. We will evaluate sample textbooks and readers in an attempt to better-fit books to the ability of the students in the class, as well as the teaching style of the instructor. We will spend time discussing writing and grading good analytical questions and creating student assignments that specifically embellish and further instructional objectives. Contemporary political issues, used as case study examples for students, are vital for a college level American government course and in answering the free response questions on the exam in May. We will discuss strategies for integrating case studies into all parts of the curriculum. Because AP courses are supposed to be taught at a freshman college level we will discuss how to make the typical high school class a college course. Perhaps it is instructional time that determines everything from pedagogy to student evaluation. We already know that one element is breaking the student of “class dependency”. Finally we will discuss what constitutes success. It may not always be getting the highest test scores in May.
WORLD HISTORY
This workshop will include discussions and techniques covering the successful introduction and implementation of the AP "habits of mind" into the World History classroom. Emphasis will be on the five chronological periods covered in the AP World History course description. Activities, and presentations that work will cover the following: using creative lessons and activities to open the door to student confidence and AP success; writing a practical course syllabus for an accelerated block and/or a traditional school schedule; examining each of the released exams for improved test-taking strategies; improving student study skills; teaching effective essay-writing and critical-thinking skills needed for success on the AP test; and learning how to grade the three essays for maximum correlation with the AP test readers.