Week 3
July 8 through July 12, 2013
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Biology
AP 503.300 Thomas Carroll
This course is designed for teachers who are new to AP Biology and experienced teachers who are looking for information about the new course requirements. This course will focus on three areas essential to the teaching of the newly-revised AP Biology course: 1) The new curriculum framework (the four "Big Ideas" and the seven "Science Practices"), 2) The new inquiry-based lab approach, and 3) The new exam. During the week, participants will develop a course syllabus based on the new curriculum standards and will work cooperatively with other teachers to share teaching strategies and activities. Participants will engage in extensive hands-on experiences with the new inquiry-based labs. Participants also will discuss ways to modify existing labs to fit the new AP Biology Science Practice Standards. The new exam design, particularly in contrast with the former exam, will be highlighted. Other topics for the week include: the audit process, textbooks, networking and a number of biotechnology labs will be conducted. Participants will be expected to read the new AP Biology curriculum before the workshop begins and share a "best practice" lesson during the week. All laboratory equipment and materials will be provided.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Calculus BC
AP 509.300 Jim Bohan
This course will focus in detail on the philosophy, content and pedagogies related to creating and implementing a successful course in AP Calculus BC. The sessions will engage participants in the four main areas of AP Calculus BC: Function, Limits and Graphs; Derivatives; Integrals; and Polynomial Approximations and Series. The approach will use actual AP Calculus BC problems to guide the discussion of content and pedagogy. In addition, the course will provide opportunities for discussion on topics such as AP course goals, objectives, content, resources, bibliographies, and equipment; AP exam development and grading processes; syllabi, lesson plans, and assignments; how to refresh and improve existing AP courses; recent changes in AP course descriptions; strategies for teaching students at beginning or intermediate levels; vertical teaming; and use of technology in AP Calculus BC. Participants will be expected to collaborate and participate fully in the proceedings of the course and will be encouraged to create a network of support.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Chemistry **CLOSED**
AP 512.300 John Hnatow Jr.
This course is designed both for teachers who are new to AP Chemistry and also for experienced AP Chemistry teachers who are looking for information about the new course requirements. The focus of the course will be on areas essential to the teaching of the newly-revised AP Chemistry course. Participants will be engaged in learning about the new AP Chemistry curriculum framework¾the big ideas and enduring understandings, learning objectives, and the science practices. Participants will be provided with extensive hands-on experiences with guided inquiry-based labs. Participants also will discuss ways to modify existing chemistry labs to fit the new Science Practice Standards. In addition to the laboratory program, inquiry strategies in the classroom also will be discussed. The new AP Chemistry exam design will be highlighted, particularly in contrast with the former exam. During the week, participants will begin to develop a course syllabus based on the new curricular requirements, and will work cooperatively with other teachers to share teaching strategies and activities. Participants will be expected to read the new AP Chemistry Curriculum Framework before the workshop begins and share a "best practice" lesson and a website resource during the week. This course ultimately is intended to inspire teachers to motivate their students to achieve at the highest possible levels. There will be approximately two hours of homework daily.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® French Language and Culture-Experienced Teachers
AP 535.300 Rita Davis
This course will provide an overview of the structure and content of the thematically-organized AP French Language and Culture exam. Relevant materials and specific instructional techniques for teaching the curriculum will be presented, discussed, and evaluated. Participants will develop materials for use in their own classes and will work together to clarify the expected levels of proficiencies in Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Communication. Participants also will explore techniques to transition past activities into strategies and exercises that meet the objectives of the new exam. There will be extensive practice through reviewing the rubrics and achievement level descriptors that will be used by the AP Readers in assessing the Interpretive and Interpersonal Communication segments of the AP exam. In addition, considerable time will be devoted to reviewing and interpreting assessment performance from the June 2013 exam's student samples.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Government and Politics: United States
AP 536.300 Maria Schmidt
This course provides teachers with an overview of the basic structure and content necessary for an AP course in Government and Politics: United States. The instructor will focus on the development of the content for each of the six units included in the course as well as the development of essential questions, course objectives, learning activities, teaching strategies, and the use of multiple resources. Emphasis will be placed on preparing students for the AP examination. An analysis of past AP examinations will be included as well as a review of the standards established for the grading of the annual exams. A major portion of the course is devoted to the development of units for an AP U.S. Government and Politics course by participants, including the resources necessary for the implementation of such a course. This course is suitable for teachers new to AP U. S. Government and Politics as well as those experienced in the teaching of the course. The course will include a "best practices" sharing session and participants are encouraged to bring a copy of a favorite lesson/activity they have used in, or that could be adapted to, an AP U.S. Government and Politics course. If participants already are teaching the course, or know the textbook and/or any other books they will be using, they should bring these as well.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Latin
AP 545.300 Donald Connor
The session will focus on the objectives, syllabus, and exam format for the AP Latin course on Caesar and Vergil. Participants will work through the curriculum guide, developing materials for presenting to students and testing them for the new exam. The course will examine the new rubrics for grading and the new explanations of what the different grades indicate to the colleges. There also will be discussion about certification for the new course. The objective of this course is to help students make significant progress in reading, translating, and analyzing Vergil's Aeneid and Caesar's De bello Gallico in Latin. The course will include studying Rome in terms of politics, religion, ethical and societal values and writing analytical essays about the themes found in different Latin passages. Special attention will be paid to the new format of the exam, especially the emphasis on multiple-choice and "spot" questions. Participants will grade the different types of questions, create similar questions for classroom use, and develop materials and plans for the syllabus. Participants are urged to read the AP Latin Curriculum Framework at www.collegeboard.com and to bring any questions they have to class. If participants are teaching the course or know what textbooks they will be using, they are asked to bring them to the course. Any teacher of AP Latin, from the inexperienced to the very experienced, may register for this course.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Spanish Language and Culture-New Teachers
AP 561.300 Raul Rodriguez
This course is designed for participants with minimal experience teaching AP Spanish Language and Culture. The new 2013-2014 AP Spanish Language and Culture course and examination will be highlighted. Descriptions and discussions will comprise all components of the AP Curriculum Framework to include learning objectives, expected student performance, thematic approach, organizing concepts and essential questions. Participants will discuss models of instructional design for the course that connect language proficiency with products, practices and perspectives of the Spanish-speaking world. Cross-cultural comparisons will make ample use of multimedia and Internet resources. Participants also will discuss and share appropriate classroom materials, techniques and content-specific strategies that can be incorporated into the AP classroom to help students prepare to be successful in their AP course work. Consideration will be given to AP curriculum and syllabus development, and resources to support AP teachers. Sample questions for multiple choice and free response sections of the exam will be made available.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® Studio Art
AP 572.300 Joann Winkler
This course provides an overview of the content of the AP Studio Art portfolios in Drawing, Two-Dimensional Design, and Three-Dimensional Design. Specific course goals and objectives include: engage with ideas and techniques (Vertical Team Concept) to build a strong program in art; explore the three sections of the portfolio and with the three different Studio Art portfolio options; share best practices and techniques to understand the portfolio and help students to succeed on their AP exam; explore available websites and how to integrate the authentic material into daily teaching; and allow time and opportunity for collegial interaction and exchange of successful strategies; and prepare (if needed) the new syllabus for the College Board audit. A variety of course structures will be considered and issues in drawing, 2D and 3D design, color, sculpture, and painting will be addressed in depth. Participants will work toward a course outline for their own AP Program courses and will, through simulated grading of sample portfolios, become familiar with grading standards and procedures. Attention also will be given to the preparation of artwork as well as the digital submission of the portfolio. Participants will complete the course with several textbooks and a flash drive with all of the handouts and generated materials. There will be homework each night culminating in an exhibit of participant artwork. Please bring cameras to document the process and the exhibit.
Preparing Students for Advanced Placement® World History-Experienced Teachers
AP 580.300 Ane Lintvedt
This course is designed for participants with at least three years of experience teaching AP World History. As experienced teachers, participants will discuss, share, inquire, and critique how the course unfolds in their classrooms. This course for experienced teachers will not review the curriculum content in detail as the course for new teachers does, but instead will look at the problematic issues of each era or each requirement in the course curriculum for ways that teaching and learning can be enhanced. Participants will engage in teaching and learning of the periodization, themes, and key concepts, as well as key skills such as the use of scholarly journal articles and how the course and assessments can be adapted to emphasize them. Participants will look at the scoring of the exam as well as how to prepare students to write the three essays and respond to multiple-choice questions that conform to the new course description and exam specs. Participants should plan to share at least one "Best Practices" lesson with colleagues and come ready to share particular areas of success and concern as well as questions about how their own courses and how students fared on the AP World History exam.
Pre-Advanced Placement® English
AP 581.100 Mary Ellen Ackerman
This interactive course will address the many aspects of creating and sustaining an effective English vertical team. Collegial AP vertical teams are composed of middle and high school teachers who collaborate and coordinate their efforts to form and maintain a cohesive program. The team's goal is to create successive, rigorous classes that are inclusive so that all students have the opportunity to achieve success. The team identifies explicit strategies that promote success at the various entry levels. This course will include strategies for establishing effective vertical teams and for setting and accomplishing those goals. Teams will have time to work together to implement the strategies presented.
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