AP Seminar Performance Task 2 Notes

AP Seminar Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation

Pages Overview

  • Performance Task 2: Overview of assignments for AP Seminar.

  • Content Listing: Includes title and authors of stimulus materials to consider.

Introduction

  • Performance task structure for AP Seminar includes:

    • Performance Task 1: Team Project and Presentation

    • Component 1: Individual Research Report

    • Component 2: Team Multimedia Presentation and Oral Defense

    • Performance Task 2: Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation

    • Component 1: Individual Written Argument (IWA)

    • Component 2: Individual Multimedia Presentation (IMP)

    • Component 3: Oral Defense

  • End-of-Course Exam: Includes short-answer and essay questions.

  • Task Objectives: Analyze provided materials, connect with personal interest, develop a thematic research question.

Task Components

1. Individual Written Argument (IWA)

  • Requirements:

    • Analyze stimulus materials, connect themes to form a research question.

    • Collect and critique evidence from scholarly sources for developing a strong argument.

    • Revisit original research question throughout research process.

    • Identify opposing viewpoints and their implications.

  • Mandatory Elements:

    • Well-structured argument leading to a relevant conclusion.

    • Incorporate at least one stimulus material as evidence.

    • Adhere to a 2,000-word limit, excluding certain elements.

    • Submit work to AP Digital Portfolio as directed by the teacher.

2. Individual Multimedia Presentation (IMP)

  • Presentation Goals:

    • Convey argument effectively to educate a non-expert audience.

    • Use visual aids for better audience engagement.

    • Practice delivery to maintain a clear and engaging presentation style.

  • Content Expectations:

    • Importance of research question, relevance to stimulus material analysis.

    • Cite sources, incorporate diverse perspectives.

    • Provide plausible resolutions or conclusions.

    • Maintain a 6-8 minute duration.

3. Oral Defense (OD)

  • Defense Focus:

    • Address the research process, evidence, and conclusions in response to teacher's questions.

    • Be prepared for personal reflections on the research experience.

  • Sample Questions:

    • Reflection on preliminary information impact.

    • Discuss omitted evidence and reasoning for exclusion.

    • Evolution of the research question during the process.

Ethical Considerations

  • Plagiarism and Fabrication: Notably severe penalties for failing to properly cite or fabricate information.

  • Generative AI Use: Must be ethical and properly integrated into the research process.

    • Acceptable uses include idea generation and initial research exploration.

    • Prohibited uses include writing parts or all of the paper.

Stimulus Materials

1. Spaces of Consumption, Connection, and Community: The Role of the Coffee Shop in Urban Lives

  • Authors: Jennifer Ferreira et al.

  • Key Themes:

    • Coffee shops as ‘third places’ that facilitate social connections beyond work and home.

    • The impact of coffee shops on urban community dynamics.

    • Economic and social context of coffee shop proliferation and its implications.

    • Statistics: 25,000 coffee shops in UK (2019) valued at £10.1 billion, expected growth to £16 billion by 2025.

2. How Social Connection Impacts Individual Health and Well-Being

  • Source: Office of the U.S. Surgeon General

  • Key Insights:

    • Significant correlation between social connections and health outcomes, including longevity and mental health stability.

    • Statistics: Social isolation is a major risk factor akin to smoking.

3. How Roads Have Transformed the Natural World

  • Author: Ben Goldfarb

  • Concepts:

    • Road systems as crucial infrastructures shaping ecosystems negatively and positively through ecological disruption and cohabitation.

4. A Walk to Kobe

  • Author: Haruki Murakami

  • Themes:

    • Reflection on personal and cultural identity evoked through physical movement in landscape scarred by natural disaster.

Summary of Requirements

  • Construct a research question connecting at least two stimulus materials.

  • Ensure the argument is supported with credible evidence.

  • Present findings through a oral defense and adapt presentation design toward audience comprehension.

  • Incorporate oral defense responses into final assessments and submissions.

  • Respect academic integrity throughout the process to avoid penalties.

Other Related Sources,

  1. 35 Years After the Berlin Wall Opened - Discusses the remnants and impacts of the Berlin Wall on society and memory.

  2. Shared Memories of Candlestick Park - Personal narrative on the significance of a historical sports venue and its impact across generations.

  3. Sustainability Assessment of Low Earth Orbit Satellite Broadband Megaconstellations - Evaluates the environmental impact of satellite constellations against community connectivity benefits.