AP Seminar: Individual Written Argument (IWA) – Directions and Rubric

Summary

In this AP Seminar video, teacher Allison Malloy guides students through the Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA) process, emphasizing the importance of engaging with stimulus material to develop a well-reasoned argument. She clarifies key terms, explains task directions, and illustrates how to effectively use and integrate sources into the students' arguments. The seminar focuses on ensuring students understand the assessment criteria and the distinction between on-topic and off-topic material, as well as essential and non-essential use of sources. The goal is to empower students to create original research questions and arguments inspired by connections among the provided texts.

Takeaways

• 📚 The session is an AP Seminar focused on understanding the Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA) and its requirements.
• 👩‍🏫 Allison Malloy, a teacher at Carmel High School, Indiana, is conducting the seminar.
• 🎯 The main learning objective is to employ appropriate reading strategies and read critically for a specific purpose within the IWA.
• 🔍 Students are instructed to analyze the stimulus material to identify themes or connections among the sources to inspire their research question.
• 📝 The task directions outline that students must use the stimulus material to develop a well-reasoned argument conveying their perspective.
• 🔗 It's essential for students to continually revisit and revise their original research question to ensure alignment with their work.
• 💡 The seminar emphasizes the importance of identifying opposing or alternate points of view, along with their implications and limitations.
• 📉 The rubric is detailed, with specific points awarded for the use of stimulus material, argument establishment, evidence selection, and understanding of context.
• 🚫 A response not related to a theme connecting at least two stimulus materials will be considered off-topic and receive a zero.
• 💬 The seminar provides examples to illustrate essential use of stimulus material, where the material is integral to the argument and not just introductory.
• 📝 The importance of context, clear argumentation, and the use of credible evidence is underscored across the rubric rows.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the AP Seminar session presented by Allison Malloy?

The main focus of the session is to work through the stimulus material, employing appropriate reading strategies, and reading critically for a specific purpose in relation to the Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA).

Why is it important for students to understand the definitions of terms such as 'argument', 'perspective', 'claim', and 'evidence'?

Understanding these terms is crucial because they are consistently used in the rubric and task directions. They help students to clearly articulate their points of view, claims, and the evidence that supports their arguments in the context of the IWA.

What does Allison emphasize about the role of the stimulus material in the IWA?

Allison emphasizes that the stimulus material plays a significant role in the IWA as it is the source of inspiration for the students' research questions and topics. It is essential for students to connect their arguments to at least two of the stimulus sources.

What is the meaning of 'on topic' and 'off topic' in relation to the IWA?

In the context of the IWA, 'on topic' means that the student's research question and argument are inspired by and connected to at least two of the stimulus materials. 'Off topic' refers to a response that is not related to a theme connecting at least two of the stimulus materials and would receive a score of zero.

What is the significance of the 2,000-word limit for the IWA?

The 2,000-word limit is significant because it sets the boundary within which students must develop their argument, incorporate evidence, and provide a resolution or conclusion. It challenges students to be concise and effective in their communication.

How does Allison suggest students should approach the task of continually revisiting and revising their original research question?

Allison suggests that students should align their research questions with the actual content of their paper. They should go back to their initial research question and ensure it matches what they have discussed and analyzed in their paper.

What are the proficiencies being assessed in the IWA according to the transcript?

The proficiencies being assessed include establishing arguments, selecting and using evidence, understanding and analyzing context, understanding and analyzing perspective, and applying conventions.

Can you provide an example of how a student might connect their research question to the stimulus material?

A student might connect their research question to the stimulus material by identifying a theme or connection among at least two of the sources. For example, if two sources discuss the impact of long working hours on health, the student could develop a research question about the health implications for night shift workers.

What does Allison mean by 'essential use' of the stimulus material in a student's argument?

Essential use means that the stimulus material is not just introduced but is integrated and contributes significantly to the student's argument. If the stimulus material were removed, the argument would be significantly changed or weakened.

What advice does Allison give for students to ensure they are using the stimulus material effectively?

Allison advises students to use the stimulus material more than once, preferably outside of the introduction, to ground their argument with textual evidence, and to interact with other sources to show a clear connection and significance.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to AP Seminar and Learning Objectives

Allison Malloy, a teacher from Carmel High School, welcomes students and teachers to the AP Seminar. She introduces herself and outlines the session's goal: to employ reading strategies for critical analysis of stimulus material. The focus is on understanding the Integrated Writing Assessment (IWA) requirements, the role of stimulus material in assessment, and the differentiation between on-topic and off-topic, essential and non-essential uses. Definitions of key terms like 'argument', 'perspective', 'claim', 'evidence', and 'conclusion' are clarified to ensure a common understanding among participants.

05:01

🔍 Navigating Task Directions and Stimulus Material

The session delves into the task directions, emphasizing the importance of reading and analyzing seven stimulus sources to identify themes or connections. Students are guided to derive their research questions from these sources, gather information from scholarly and peer-reviewed sources, and develop a well-reasoned argument conveying their perspective. The task also involves revisiting and refining the research question, identifying opposing viewpoints, and acknowledging limitations and implications in building a complex argument.

10:02

🎯 Understanding the Role and Use of Stimulus Material

The role of stimulus material is to inspire the research question and establish a connection between at least two sources. Students must incorporate at least one stimulus material into their argument, ensuring it is essential and not just a superficial inclusion. The importance of making a clear connection to two sources is stressed, as failure to do so could result in an off-topic score of zero. The paragraph also discusses the task of providing resolutions, conclusions, or solutions, highlighting the choice students have in focusing on one aspect effectively rather than attempting multiple and diluting the argument.

15:02

📝 Rubric Breakdown and Proficiency Expectations

The video script provides a detailed breakdown of the IWA rubric, focusing on the importance of connecting the response to at least two stimulus materials. It explains the consequences of not meeting this requirement, such as scoring zero for off-topic responses. The script also discusses the proficiencies being assessed, such as establishing arguments, selecting and using evidence, understanding and analyzing context, and applying conventions. The emphasis is on the high stakes of the assessment, where the response must be related to the stimulus material to avoid a zero score.

20:04

🤔 Clarifying Essential and Non-Essential Use of Stimulus Material

This section clarifies the difference between essential and non-essential use of stimulus material. It uses the analogy of a party to explain how the stimulus should be integrated into the argument in a way that it becomes an essential part of the discussion. Examples are provided to illustrate how references to stimulus material can be used effectively to support the argument, emphasizing the need for more than just introductory mentions and the importance of using textual evidence to ground the argument.

25:05

📚 Importance of Context and Argument Development

The script discusses the importance of situating the research question within a larger context to demonstrate its significance. It differentiates between providing context and making simplistic or general references. The focus is on using evidence or support from the existing conversation to explain why the topic matters. The section also previews rows 3, 4, and 5 of the rubric, which will be covered in more detail in future lessons, and emphasizes the need for a clear, engaging, and organized argument.

30:06

🌟 High-Scoring Argument Construction and Evidence Usage

The paragraph highlights the importance of constructing a high-scoring argument by using evidence effectively. It discusses how to evaluate multiple perspectives, synthesize them, and consider objections, implications, and limitations. The script provides an example of how a student used stimulus sources to support their argument about the potential of VR in journalism. The emphasis is on using sources to advance, complicate, confirm, or extend the argument, rather than merely relying on what the sources say.

35:07

📝 Conventions and Style in Academic Writing

The final paragraph focuses on the importance of conventions and style in academic writing. It discusses the need for consistent citation and attribution to give credit to the sources used. The script also emphasizes the importance of proofreading to ensure the writing is clear, clean, and appropriate for an educated audience. It differentiates between high, medium, and low scores based on the presence of errors and the consistency of citations, with a focus on avoiding informal language and slang.

🎓 Summary of Key Points and Next Steps

The session concludes with a summary of the key points covered, including understanding the IWA requirements, the role of stimulus material, and the definitions of off-topic and essential use. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the stimulus material and to reach out to the College Board for support with technology or connection issues. The script sets expectations for the next lessons and emphasizes the empowerment aspect of the AP Seminar program, encouraging students to build and present their own arguments.

Keywords

💡AP Seminar

AP Seminar is an Advanced Placement course designed to develop students' critical thinking, research, and communication skills. In the context of the video, it is the course for which the Integrated Writing Assignment (IWA) is being discussed, emphasizing the importance of reading strategies and critical analysis of stimulus material to inspire research topics.

💡Stimulus Material

The stimulus material in the video refers to the sources provided to students in the AP Seminar course, which they must read and analyze to identify themes or connections. This material is crucial as it inspires the research topics and plays a significant role in the assessment of the IWA by requiring students to make essential use of it in their arguments.

💡Learning Objective

The learning objective mentioned in the video is to employ appropriate reading strategies and read critically for a specific purpose. This objective underlines the importance of not only understanding the content of the stimulus material but also being able to analyze and apply it effectively in the students' own arguments and research.

💡Perspective

In the video, a perspective is defined as a point of view conveyed through an argument. It is a key concept because the IWA requires students to develop their own perspective on a topic, inspired by the stimulus material, and to support this perspective with evidence and reasoning.

💡Argument

An argument, as explained in the video, is a claim or thesis that conveys a perspective, developed through a line of reasoning and supported by evidence. The argument is central to the IWA as students must construct a well-reasoned argument that reflects their perspective on the research topic.

💡Claim

A claim in the video is described as a statement made that asserts a perspective and is debatable. It is a fundamental part of constructing an argument, where students must clearly state their position on the research topic and support it with evidence from the stimulus material and other sources.

💡Evidence

Evidence is information used to support a claim, as mentioned in the video. It is a critical component of an argument, where students must use evidence from the stimulus material and other scholarly sources to back up their claims and strengthen their argument.

💡On-Topic and Off-Topic

The terms 'on-topic' and 'off-topic' are used in the video to distinguish between arguments that are relevant to the stimulus material and those that are not. An on-topic argument is one that is inspired by and connects with at least two sources from the stimulus material, while an off-topic argument fails to make this connection and may receive a score of zero.

💡Essential Use

Essential use, as discussed in the video, refers to the incorporation of the stimulus material into the student's argument in a way that significantly contributes to the argument's strength. If the stimulus material is essential, removing it would change the argument's effectiveness, demonstrating its integral role.

💡Rubric

The rubric in the video is the set of criteria used to assess students' work on the IWA. It includes various proficiency levels that students must meet, such as establishing arguments, selecting and using evidence, understanding and analyzing context, and applying conventions. The rubric ensures a structured and fair evaluation of the students' arguments.

💡Word Count

The word count mentioned in the video refers to the limitation of 2,000 words for the IWA, not including footnotes, bibliography, figures, or visuals. This constraint challenges students to be concise and focused in their arguments, ensuring that they can effectively convey their perspective within the given space.

Highlights

Introduction of the presenter, Allison Malloy, a teacher at Carmel High School in Indiana.

The learning objective is to employ appropriate reading strategies and read critically for a specific purpose in the context of the AP Seminar.

Clarification on definitions such as argument, claim, perspective, evidence, and conclusion as they pertain to the AP Seminar.

The importance of understanding the role of stimulus material in the Inquiry and Writing Assessment (IWA).

The requirement to read and analyze seven stimulus sources to identify a theme or connection for the IWA.

The task of composing a research question prompted by the stimulus material and its role in inspiring the topic.

The necessity of including scholarly work and peer-reviewed sources in the research process.

The expectation to develop a well-reasoned argument that conveys the student's perspective based on the stimulus material.

The need to continually revisit and revise the original research question to ensure alignment with the final paper.

The requirement to identify and explain the relationship of the inquiry to a theme or connection among at least two stimulus materials.

The importance of providing specific resolutions, conclusions, and/or solutions in the IWA, with clarification on the 'and/or' aspect.

The 2,000-word limit for the IWA and the exclusion of footnotes, bibliography, figures, and visuals from this count.

The critical note that responses not related to a theme connecting at least two stimulus materials will be scored as off-topic and receive a zero.

Explanation of the rubric proficiencies, focusing on establishing arguments, selecting and using evidence, and understanding perspectives.

The significance of essential use of stimulus material in the argument, with examples to illustrate non-essential and essential use.

The importance of situating the research question within a larger context to explain its significance.

Detailed breakdown of the rubric rows, focusing on high-scoring criteria for argument development, use of evidence, and conventions.

The final steps for students, which include familiarizing themselves with the stimulus material and seeking help for technology issues from the College Board.

Transcripts

hi there AAP seminar students and

teachers i'm so glad that you could join

me today as we walk through an AP

seminar before we begin I want to

introduce myself my name is Allison

Malloy I'm a teacher at Carmel High

School in Carmel Indiana which is just

north of Indianapolis for those of you

familiar with the Midwest today our

focus is going to be on working through

the stimulus material so if you look at

the top of this slide will see our

learning objective which is to employ

appropriate reading strategies and read

critically for specific purpose for

those of you who are students you're

probably thinking put that in my terms

so what that means is we are going to

walk through the requirements of the IWA

specifically focusing on the role of the

stimulus material and we want to make

sure we understand how we're going to be

assessed and then beyond that we want to

make sure that we understand the

difference between on topic and off

topic and essential and non-essential

use as it pertains to these stimulus

materials because ultimately with the

IWA the students materials play a

significant role in how you will be

assessed okay so let's begin today by

actually starting with some

clarification on definitions so at some

point over the course of the year your

teachers have most likely going over

these definitions with you whether

they've shown you the exact glossary in

the course in exam description and is up

to them however we have some consistent

terms we want to make sure that we're

all on the same page as it pertains to

so if you look at the top as we go

through the rubric these are going to be

terms that you're going to see in the

task directions as well as the rubrics

so let's start off with argument an

argument is a claim or a thesis that

conveys a perspective developed through

a line of reasoning which is supported

by evidence so let's go down to the

bottom where it says perspective just to

make sure we're on the same page a point

of view conveyed through an argument so

as you're going through all of this

stuff with the IWA it is super important

that we pay attention to those two terms

perspective is synonymous with argument

and an argument is a claim that shows

that perspective okay so make sure we

keep those clear so whenever we see

those terms we

know what we're talking about um claim

is also there because claim is an

argument it's a statement made that

asserts a perspective remembered claims

are debatable whereas when you go down

to evidence this is going to be

information that's used to help support

the claim so the evidence is going to be

the support conclusion is an

understanding resulting from analysis

and and then if you look where

implication is that's going to be a

possible future effect or result that

can be intended or not intended and a

limitation is a point in which your

argument isn't valid or this is a weak

spot in what we're saying a point of

view is the position that you're taking

on a topic and then resolution is the

act of solving a problem and solution is

the means of answering a question or

addressing a problem now hopefully that

was all review but if not this is a

slide you can come back to as we're

working through the rubric to make sure

that you fully understand those terms as

we use them okay so let's get into the

task directions if you have your

stimulus packet handy you can pull that

out because you'll see in the beginning

of the packet is the task directions if

you don't that will be linked in the

video and you can pause and go back and

get that information so at the top what

you'll first notice is that there are

seven stimulus sources that are

referenced the ones in yellow will be

the ones we discussed further in lesson

two the ones that are in teal will be

the ones that we discussed further in

lesson three okay so if we look at the

task directions you know what's the role

of the stimulus your job is to read and

analyze the provided stimulus sources to

identify a theme or connection among the

sources for possible areas of increase

so basically what you're going to do is

you're gonna find your topic is coming

from the stimulus material so you've

read these and you're inspired to then

create this topic okay you're gonna

compose that research question of your

own which is prompted by the stimulus so

again the stimulus are playing a role in

inspiration

you're gonna gather information from a

range of sources it's important as

they've noted there including scholarly

work we want to make sure we're

including peer-reviewed sources not just

all pieces of journalism and so you know

when you're thinking about peer-reviewed

what does that mean how do we know that

they're experts and what have they done

to vet that right so we want to look for

journal articles on databases those are

great places to go so that we know we're

getting more of those scholarly works

now if you notice on the bottom I've

highlighted in purple a major point of

this so your job is to analyze evaluate

and select evidence but then you need to

use that to develop a well reasoned

argument that conveys your perspective

so if we go back to the glossary when we

talked about terms remember we talked

about how perspective is an argument

that what's really important here is it

doesn't say conveys perspectives it says

conveys your perspective so if you think

back to the IRR your job was to say

here's what source a says here's their

argument here's strengths and

limitations here's how it compares to

source being that you're putting those

sources in conversation here it's one

more set so rather than putting those

sources in conversation to show the

existing research and the existing

conversation much like a lit review your

job here is to take all of that to make

your own argument so if the sources say

this how can I use that to support my

own claims and my own stance it's about

you here not necessarily what the

sources say all right so if we continue

with the task directions your job then

is to continually revisit and revise

your original research question so I

also teach ap research and one of the

big points in that class is to make sure

your research aligns because you're you

know dealing with a year-long

investigation however as a seminar

teacher I noticed that same problem

happens in the IRR and IWA that issue

with alignment right we write the

question early we've done a little bit

of research we have an idea then we

start writing the paper but here's the

problem you know when we're no longer

stuck at home and we can actually travel

again it's like taking a trip right you

have a road map you think you know where

you're gonna go but maybe you get hungry

a little bit earlier or roads closed and

you have to change your path right

do you go back and then change the map

saying oh this is the exact trip that we

took you may not know in advance what

that trips going to look like until

you've actually done it so it's really

important that you go back at the end of

your paper and make sure your question

aligns with what you actually did so a

good practice for this would be to go

back to your IRR look at your question

look at what you did is that actually

what you answered and as you go through

the IWA it's super important that even

though we wrote it on the front end we

want to make sure we're continually

coming back and refining the question to

make sure it actually matches we also

want to make sure that we are

identifying opposing or alternate points

of view and their implications and

limitations remember we're looking at

what are those limitations and what are

those consequences okay if you're trying

to build a truly complex argument we

have to acknowledge concessions if I

were writing an essay about cost of

college for example right I have to

concede and say college cost too much I

could have a rebuttal saying that it's

worth it but ultimately I have to

acknowledge that there is a limitation

and to my stance and that's how we know

it's really complex because if I'm

trying to sell somebody and really make

a good argument and considering those

objectives or objections or concessions

that I might need to make okay so let's

talk about what this actually means so

when you build your argument here's

where this becomes really clear on what

you have to do with the stimulus

material okay number one you have to

identify and explain the relationship of

your inquiry to a theme or connection

among at least two of the stimulus

materials prompted by your reading I'm

going to read the next line there to

clarify incorporate at least one of the

stimulus material into your argument

okay so here's what this means I'm gonna

go back aside so I read these seven

sources my job is to make sure that I

have a clear connection between two of

the sources those two sources have

established my question and the

relationship that my question has to the

stimulus material so if I'm not

connecting to I have a problem now we

have

in any way talked about the students but

let's just look at the titles and kind

of talk about what this would look like

so let's do the third one here on high

income high income improves evaluation

of life but not necessarily emotional

well-being so if we just use the title

and we can infer based on the title high

income improves life evaluation so if

you have more money you have a better

evaluation of life straight forward

straight from the title if I decided

that I was making my research question

inspired by only that source okay just

one source and go back to what it says

here

the relationship to a theme among two

then I would not score well because my

relationship is not to two sources

I have to only use one source in my

paper but I have to be connected to two

and so that's where it becomes a little

bit confusing for some students I'm

connected to two but I only have to use

one in my argument as someone who's

graded the IWA previously though I would

strongly encourage you to try to you

and have to because it clearly says at

least one but you can if you want to

show that connection it will help you

because a lot of students the first use

wasn't all that great but the second use

is where they really hit their stride

and used it really well okay we have to

then place our research question in

context we have to include perspectives

include evidence from arrange we have to

link our claims all of that stuff we'll

talk further about as we go into more

lessons but the one I want to draw your

attention to is the next one that says

provide specific resolutions conclusions

and/or solutions one of the things I've

highlighted is that and/or there are

some confusion among students in terms

of what they actually need to do here it

does not say that you need a resolution

a conclusion and solution it says and or

so keep in mind that all of your

teachers and college board and all of

your graders want you to do one thing

really well rather than do multiple

things and not do them quite as well so

if you are arguing for a conclusion

right I'm arguing that doctors should

learn Spanish okay if that's the

conclusion I'm arguing for then I don't

have to prove the solution of what

that's going to look like if I argue

that doctors should learn Spanish and

then I argued that colleges med school

should require doctors to have four

years of Spanish before they can be

licensed or something like that those

are different goals but I don't want to

put those two in the same paper because

doing so in two thousand words only two

thousand words I would not be able to do

both of them well so I want to be very

aware of what my goal is and stay tied

to that purpose and not try to take on

too much because again you only have two

thousand words to do this now while I

bring up the word count which you can

see under here two thousand word limit

that does not encounter any of your

footnotes bibliography figures visuals

that you might have in text now some of

you are a little bit tricky and like to

put some some extra stuff in your

footnotes in terms of like using it as

extra words or you want to include an

annotated bibliography those kinds of

things would not be read

as they would you know give you an

advantage of getting more than the 2,000

words and we stick to that 2,000 words

you do get a 10% overage so 2,200 words

and is the max of what you can do and

now keep in mind I know some of you and

at least the students I have so I know

some of you watching are this too I like

to push that word count as much as you

can if you are someone who's pushing

over that 2,200 remember that College

Board says you can do this really well

in two thousand words so trust them they

would not make this task impossible so

it might just be a matter of being more

concise which is something we'll talk

about in later lessons okay

and so let's continue forward into now

what is being assessed so if you look at

the proficiencies that are highlighted

in yellow down there we're gonna focus

on establishing arguments selecting and

using evidence understanding and

analyzing context understand and analyze

perspective and applying conventions on

the next couple slides we will talk

through what each of these mean in

detail before we do that I wanna draw

your attention to the note that is on

the top of the IWA

rubric and it's a really really

significant so let's look at the bottom

for the purposes of the IWA if the

response is not in any way related to a

theme connecting at least two of the

stimulus material it will be counted

off as off topic and will receive a

score of a zero so remember we talked

about a couple slides ago how important

it was to connect it to two sources

right but if you can't connect it to two

sources and it's not in any way related

it's going to be off topic and you're

gonna get a zero and think about the

implications of that right what it's the

consequences you did all of this work to

earn a zero like what's the point of

even doing it right so we want to make

sure we're really really clear at the

beginning and we put a lot of focus into

picking the right question and making

sure we're connected so just to give you

an example this is the stimulus material

from 2018 okay so if you just look at

the titles and granted we didn't do a

deep dive we didn't read it but we've

got a world without work the myth of

sisyphus

long working hours in cancer rosie the

riveter which is the weekend

do an image Nixon suggests to the nation

on Labor Day and then Adam Smith from

The Wealth of Nations okay without

knowing much about it if we just look at

titles you can see some connecting idea

there had to do with work okay so if I'm

trying to figure out what off topic is

I'm a huge basketball thing okay so if I

said you know what I think LeBron James

is awesome he does work right so now I'm

connected is that that work could I just

argue for my paper why LeBron James is

the greatest basketball player to ever

play no because again I have to use

these sources in my paper there's

nothing on here that I would be able to

use to argue why I LeBron James is great

now if I want to shift this because I

really want to talk about basketball

then I could look at the sources and

maybe this third source about long

working hours and a cancer risk makes me

think about people whose job requires

them to travel consistently right or

maybe those who have jobs where there's

a physical tool now I can start to

connect this to NBA athletes and I can

look at the implications of those the

travel schedule with potentially their

risk of certain diseases or health risks

or mental health risk now I'm starting

to ground it in research okay so I'm off

topic if I just pick something random

and I see no connection I'm on topic if

I can show the connection between two

now I showed the connection there

between one right long working hours in

cancer risk so how can I then connect it

to the other sources well if I do a

deeper reading then maybe there's

something in Derek Thompson or maybe

there's something in Mixon that I can

pull in to show this connection okay you

have to ground this in stimulus material

if you don't and we go back a slide you

are getting a zero right no stimulus

material no grade that's not going to be

a good thing okay so let's move forward

and actually talk about the rubric so if

you look at rubric rule number one okay

I know it doesn't look this way but if

we think about the points earned okay

you're gonna earn points for a

high-scoring use of this if you think

about scoring a zero

a medium and a low that'll help you

better understand what this is actually

going to look like so you're gonna earn

points the response demonstrates the

relevance of at least one of the

stimulus to be to the argument by

integrating it as part of the response

it can provide relevant context for the

question or as evidence to support so

you're gonna earn a point in this row if

you actually use the stimulus okay

you'll earn zero points if you do one of

the two things either you don't

incorporate it so that's the a or you

include a discussion of at least one of

the stimulus however it doesn't

contribute so if you think of that top

part as the low and the bottom part is a

medium we want to make sure that we're

not just throwing it in or doing it in a

real surface level way now one

additional clarification I want to add

here right we have to be connected to

two to get scored but in this row you

have to actually use the stimulus to

then earn the five points so you could

get scored but earn as ero for use of

stimulus if you don't do a good job in

how you actually use it okay knowing

that you are only scored on your IRR and

IWA it's important that we not give up

five points from the beginning

especially when this is completely in

your control so let's look at some

examples okay I'm going to give you a

minute to read through this

you

you

you

you

okay if you notice that the highlighted

terms British Journal of cancer

addressed in the nation on Labor Day

those are two stimulus material that we

just talked about okay even if you're

not done reading I want to make sure you

maximize our time so I'm going to go

through just what the student is doing

so the study from the British Journal of

cancer suggests that long working hours

may share a link to long term risks such

as breast cancer former u.s. President

Nixon and has addressed to Labor Day

said we must always remember the most

important part of quality is quality of

work so the students clearly connected

to two sources right we see that however

if we look at where this paragraph goes

at the end such evaluation brings up the

question what do the current health

impacts of nightshift suggest about the

need for future regulation so this

student wants to look at how we should

be regulating what are the needs for

regulation of future nightshift workers

they use the two sources the student use

the two sources to set up the topic this

is not essential use right think of this

in terms of going to a party if you go

to a party or a family gathering with a

friend and they introduce you but then

you don't interact with anybody else

you're never mentioned again

realistically you could walk out of that

room and nobody would know the the room

wouldn't change the dynamic wouldn't

change you were just introduced but then

that was it and that's what we have here

this example is introducing the topic

it's not necessarily essential so this

is where it would fall on that rubric if

we go back a slide it's gonna fall in

this other use there's a discussion

however it's not really contributing to

the argument it's just helping the set

up the question now the difference

becomes if we go to this second example

right if you go to that same party and

now your friend introduces you and makes

you a part and threads you into

different conversations you interact now

you become essential if you leave people

would notice it's the same thing with

the stimulus material if it is essential

your argument changes because it is

removed so an unbiased study with a

sample size of one

sixteen thousand four hundred and sixty

two individuals conducted by researchers

from the British Journal of cancer

suggest an association between long

working hours and breast cancer the

findings can indicate that night workers

who work long hours have a higher chance

of developing breast cancer although

analysis of the studies confounding

variables proposes no link so they've

done a really good job that student

implemented that now if we look at the

end of the paragraph the concern for

breast cancer

thus extends to more than just night

workers who have long shifts this is

becoming threaded and it's becoming

essential if I remove this reference to

the British Journal of cancer

I have significantly changed the

strength of this paragraph so this now

becomes essential use now the lucky

thing for this student is what we saw in

the last slide and this slide are all

from the same paper which is why it's so

important that you use it more than one

time because that gives you more chances

to actually earn your points all right

so let's look at this one and I want you

to tell me if it's essential use so

stature what is highlighted is the

example I'll give you one minute to read

through this and again we're just

reading quickly kind of four gist

you

you

you

okay so if we look at the use of

Thatcher this is an unsurprising given

that technology has increasingly been a

key tool to facilitate scientific

understanding of complex problems

ranging from global global climate

change thatcher to urban transformation

so we actually and I should have

highlighted Montgomery - we've got

Thatcher and Montgomery both use but

here's the problem this is that that

second level of the rubric right they

mentioned it but it's surface level it's

non-essential it's just thrown in one of

the tips and tricks to making sure you

have essential use is to use it one

outside of the introduction and two to

make sure you're actually using a piece

of textual evidence to help ground it

the third suggestion is to make sure

you're interacting with other sources

interacting with the source that you

included so that way there's a clear

connection and it feels like it's it's

significant so if you look at the

difference here we've got Montgomery

down here just look at the change in how

they did it a relevant example so up

here they're talking about you know if

you look such a restrictive nature of

this issue makes data a science very

useful tools it generates reliable

predictions about certain systems are

phenomenon which allow people to

allocate the available research

resources in the most efficient manner

and prepare for the future a relevant

example of this so now in order to make

their point right how businesses and

sports are no means the only fields

where the predictive capacity of data

and science is employed here's an

example as they're talking about

sustainability related products now

let's look at this example found in the

stimulus we have a clear reference and a

whole quoted line there and then there's

more connection about how this articles

suggest and that is then connected to

another source with we've got more

Montgomery down here right so we have

this clear connection where Montgomery

is now becoming a big essential part of

the argument not just something I threw

it and said hey this talks about urban

transformation which makes me think

about this so therefore it's there

needs to be grounded okay so hopefully

that's very clear now let's look at Row

two Row two again we're thinking of

those all-or-nothing rows as low medium

versus high so in the five points the

response explains the significance or

importance of the research question by

situating it within the larger context

what that means is did you tell us why

your topic matters using evidence or

support from the larger existing

conversation okay if you didn't you

either a provided no context or B you

made a really simplistic or general

reference right we have that low in the

medium are gonna get no points and the

high score is gonna get the points here

again this is not five points you want

to give up so this is not that difficult

to include but let's talk about what it

looks like so we go back to that first

night shift paper and she's talking

about regulations on night shift what we

see appear is on harboring more than 21

million workers so how do I know what

matters well it affects 21 million

workers and I used a source to say that

night shift is very prevalent I also

talked about how OSHA or any federal law

doesn't have specific requirements for

nightshift workers that then helps

ground this in very clear textual

evidence here's how it fits into the

larger conversation which is why then

I'm arguing about the impacts of night

shift

okay hopefully that's very clear in this

row it's not as complicated as the use

of stimulus this is really like did you

tell us why why we should care that's

all it is so I go back to my paper and I

want to argue about how travel is

affecting athletes then I need to make

sure or professional athletes that I

tell you why why it matters because if I

don't I'm losing points on this row okay

all right so let's go into rows 3 4 & 5

and I want to preface this by saying

beyond row 1 & 2 I really want to just

give you the force on these other rows

so that you understand where you're

going but future lessons will really

focus on rows 3 4 & 5 so as we go

through and talk about putting together

the piece

of your argument lessons 5 through 8

will really cover these in a lot more

detail okay

so let's just look at the high scoring

rows and so we can be very clear about

what you need to know and then we'll

just look at the differences between the

two so for the four Row three you're

looking at a perspective you're

evaluating multiple perspectives again

think of the word argument and you're

synthesizing them or bringing them

together by drawing relevant connections

between them consider objections

implications and limitations again I'm

not just going into Google and saying

school should start later and then I'm

going to find a bunch of sources all

from students who say that school should

start later I want to make sure that I'm

finding a variety of points of view so

teachers students government officials

lawmakers Department of Ed whatever I

want to look at and then I want to also

put that in conversation with my

argument so how can those help to

enhance complicate confirm the things

that I'm arguing the middle row says you

describe them but you're really just

describing the differences so that's

gonna feel more like an IRR then

synthesizing that okay the low you only

provided a single perspective or you

just unsubstantiated which means that

you just wrote a lot which some students

do but there really wasn't any evidence

to support what you were saying you will

notice that row four is the heaviest of

all rows it's the worth the most points

at 12 points but this row is essentially

looking at you prevent providing a

really clear and engaging and organized

argument so you have a clear and

convincing argument it's logically

organized it's well reasoned and your

claims are connected to your evidence

and you have a plausible well aligned

Kulik conclusion okay

again the goal here is did you make a

claim did you use the evidence to

support it and were you complex and how

you presented it considering limitations

implications all of that stuff so the

middle row you presented a clear claim

and an argument but you had a little bit

of floss you were very organized but

maybe you're reason with faulty

endpoints or maybe you could have been

more organized as you put all of that

stuff together okay and then again

unsubstantiated or it's just summary

it's going to get you those low scores

and then five is the use of evidence

relevant in credible evidence and you

also want to make sure it's sufficient

did I use enough did I use that evidence

to support my claims amid middle score

is going to be that if you mostly did

and then a low scores it's going to be

that you lacked credibility okay so

again these rows will be covered in much

greater detail but the idea here is that

they're asking about how you're

formulating your argument so if we look

at an example of this and the reason I

picked this example as I highlighted two

different stimulus sources from that

twenty eighteen packet that a student

had used to actually put this into

conversation so it's really cool here is

that this student is talking about how

we can use data analysis as a means of

decision making on sustainability and so

if we're looking at this last time which

is super important the use of VR in

journalism shows potential as it may be

able to mitigate if not eliminate

miscommunication and misunderstanding

due to journalist bias so if we could

use the VR to do that look at what this

stimulus says look at what this stimulus

says to make our point now this is

inversed because most of you would put

your claim at the top and then use your

evidence to support it the student did

it in Reverse that's totally fine but

what we see here is that those stimulus

sources are being used as support for

potential ways to implement VR in

journalism so not only is this essential

use but it's also a good argument of how

you use sources to prove your point

because when you're making your argument

it's not about what the sources say it's

about how what the sources say can be

used to help you advance complicate

confirm extend your argument okay all

right so we are almost done with this

rubric so here we go rows six and seven

row six is about convention this is how

you cite things

it's the attribution that you're giving

so I'm going to go in the reverse order

if you look at the lo the only way

you're getting a lo is if you don't have

your reference page but you have in-text

citations or vice versa okay so most of

you are not getting that zero there

because you hopefully have both we're

looking for consistency it does not

matter in any capacity

what citation style you cite in in AP

Center what does matter is that you are

consistent with that so one of the

things you can look at the difference

for the medium and low is is consistency

okay so if you went back to your IRR

right now and you looked at all of your

references on your reference page we're

excited page bibliography and then you

went back into your paper do those match

and what I mean by that is if I looked

at Smith could I find Smith in the paper

or did you call Smith something else

right if Smith on the reference page and

in the paper if it's not in both places

if I can't tell which ones which or if

it's just a bunch of URLs please don't

do that you want to make sure they align

we're looking for consistency okay we

also want to make sure we're giving

credit because that is super important

because those ideas when they are not

yours need to be given an attribute the

last row then row 7 is looking at your

style the way that you're actually

writing so even though your friends can

be super educated we're gonna pretend

that we're not writing for our friends

but writing for an educated

non-specialized

or even specialized audience they're an

educated audience okay we talked to our

friends in a different capacity than we

talked to adults or to an educated

population of people that were not as

comfortable with okay so things like the

word you if you use the word you a lot

don't right go back to your higher R and

get rid of those but if you use it in

here it's just a way that it makes it

informal if you use a lot of slang if

you have the other part of this is typos

right we want to make sure that we're

cleaning up our paper so it's clearly

communicating and appropriate for the

academic audience College Board does not

expect you to be perfect here by any

means but they do expect you to

proofread the middle row is mostly clear

but there's some more flaws that

actually and are inappropriate or could

interfere and understanding and a low is

just it would be riddled with errors

okay so let's go back to everything

we've covered today because it's a lot

in just a little bit of time so our

objectives were to make sure that we

understood the requirements of the IWA

including the roasts the role of the

stimulus material

to make sure that we understood how they

be assessed and to make sure we

understood the definition of off-topic

and essential use so keep in mind but

the purpose of the stimulus material is

to inspire a topic inspired by a

connection among two sources and then

you have to use one in an essential way

think about that party analogy if your

source were just to leave it would be

eliminated from your paper would it

matter would anybody notice and if the

answer is no nobody would notice it

doesn't matter it's not essential use so

we want to make sure that we are very

clear about the importance we also want

to make sure that if we're on topic we

are inspired by - not just one but two

and that we can use the stimulus to help

back that up okay hopefully again we

have hit all of those objectives and you

are very clear on what you need to do

again it's just a force you're building

an argument here and we're making sure

we're using that stimulus to do that one

of the awesome things about AP seminar

and the capstone program in general is

its empowering you so here's your chance

to be empowered and to make your

argument rather than just rely on the

arguments that other people have already

made okay

so if you look at next steps your job

between now and the next lesson is to

access the stimulus material you can

find this in the digital portfolio your

teacher should have or will be providing

you with a copy of this material but you

can also find a link in the videos for

the next few lessons your job is just to

familiarize yourself with the stimulus

material if you have time to do that you

can do a deeper dive later the idea is

just to get a basic overview at this

point and that is enough the highlighted

sources from the stimulus material will

be the sources that we will cover in

lesson two the ones that are not

highlighted will be covered in lesson

three if you are having any trouble with

connection or technology make sure that

you talk to college board they are

committed to that equity and access

piece and they recognize that not all of

you have the tools that you need so if

you could contact them at CB org

backslash tech and they will be happy to

help you as you as you need so again

thank you so much for watching I hope

you'll join us for the next videos at AP

seminar have a wonderful day