AP Seminar: Developing a Research Topic within Context of Stimulus Materials

Summary

In this AP Seminar video, Gerardo Gonzalez guides students through the process of developing a research topic for their individual written argument. He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between a topic and a question and stresses the need for a researchable topic that is contextually linked to the provided stimulus materials. Gonzalez offers strategies for identifying research topics, such as applying philosophical texts to real-world issues and identifying diverging perspectives among sources. He also provides a set of questions to help students refine their topics and shares examples of both successful and unsuccessful attempts to connect stimulus materials to research topics. The video concludes with advice on conducting preliminary research and seeking teacher feedback to ensure a solid foundation for the research question phase.

Takeaways

• 📘 The lesson focuses on developing a research topic for the Individual Written Argument (IWA) in AP Seminar.
• 🔍 The emphasis is on identifying a research topic rather than a research question, highlighting the importance of context and complexity.
• 🎯 The primary objective is to contextualize and identify the complexities of a research problem or issue before moving on to formulating a research question.
• 📚 Students are encouraged to employ appropriate reading strategies, such as reading quickly for a specific purpose and interpreting multiple perspectives on an argument.
• 📝 The importance of linking the stimulus materials to the response, not necessarily to the research question, is stressed for rubric scoring.
• 🚫 Students are warned against rushing into a research question without first understanding the actual topic they are researching.
• 💡 The strategy of combining elements from stimulus sources to formulate a research question is discouraged if it leads to broad or illegitimate topics.
• 🤔 Students are advised to ask themselves specific questions regarding their research topic to ensure it is grounded, connected, and researchable.
• 📈 The use of stimulus sources should be equal to other sources found outside, and they should naturally fit into the research response.
• 📑 Examples from previous students illustrate both successful and unsuccessful attempts at creating a research topic from stimulus materials.
• 🛑 Problem areas to avoid include cherry-picking quotes, mischaracterizing the context of a source, and using a source as a mere jumping-off point.

Q & A

What is the main focus of today's lesson in the transcript?

The main focus of today's lesson is developing a research topic for the individual written argument in the context of AP Seminar.

Why is it important to distinguish between a research topic and a research question according to the transcript?

It's important to distinguish between a research topic and a research question because the research topic forms the foundation for the overall context necessary for an effective research question, which is crucial for earning points in the AP Seminar rubric.

What are the objectives for the lesson as mentioned in the transcript?

The objectives for the lesson are to contextualize and identify the complexities of a research problem or issue, and to identify the steps needed to develop a clear research topic that can lead to an effective research question.

What does the instructor emphasize about the relationship between the stimulus materials and the research topic?

The instructor emphasizes that the research topic and question do not necessarily have to tie in specifically to the concept discussed in the stimulus materials, but they must be integrated as part of the response.

What is the significance of employing appropriate reading strategies as mentioned in the transcript?

Employing appropriate reading strategies is significant for reading quickly for a specific purpose, identifying, comparing, and interpreting multiple perspectives on an argument, and extending ideas from stimulus materials into a new understanding for researching a new topic.

Why is it crucial to develop a research topic that is actually researchable according to the transcript?

It is crucial to develop a research topic that is actually researchable to avoid rushing through the process and jumping directly into a research question without understanding the actual topic being researched, which can lead to a lack of focus and a failure to earn points in the AP Seminar rubric.

What does the instructor suggest as a strategy to avoid when developing a research topic?

The instructor suggests avoiding the strategy of attempting to combine elements of the stimulus sources too literally to formulate a research question, as it can lead to topics that are too broad, not legitimately debatable, or not actual issues.

What is the recommended approach to developing a research topic according to the transcript?

The recommended approach is to use the stimulus sources to identify a debatable issue worth researching, treat the sources as equal to additional sources found outside, and ensure the research topic is grounded in a larger context before moving on to the research question.

What are some questions the instructor suggests students ask themselves while developing a research topic?

The questions include: What is the idea being considered? What are the two sources being connected? How do the sources connect to one another and to the idea? What is the theme shared among the sources? And why are you interested in this topic?

What are some strategies provided in the transcript to identify possible topics for the assessment?

Strategies include applying philosophical texts to a current real-world problem, identifying diverging perspectives among the sources, and considering other feelings, emotions, or experiences associated with the theme of happiness.

What are some potential problem areas to avoid when developing a research topic as mentioned in the transcript?

Problem areas to avoid include cherry-picking quotes, mischaracterizing the context of the source, and using the source as a jumping-off point instead of a solid connection to the research topic.

What is the next step suggested by the instructor after developing a potential research topic?

The next step is to conduct preliminary research on each potential topic by reading non-academic sources to develop a general understanding and determine if the topic is focused enough for further research.

What action can students take if they need access to mobile tools or connectivity for their research?

Students can visit the link CBI.org/tech to fill out a survey providing information and feedback to the College Board, which is working on solutions to help students access what they need for their research.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Developing a Research Topic

In this introductory segment, Gerardo Gonzalez, a teacher at Lane Tech College Prep in Chicago, sets the stage for a lesson on crafting a research topic for an AP Seminar. The focus is on the distinction between a 'topic' and a 'question', emphasizing the importance of developing a clear research topic before formulating a research question. The lesson objectives include understanding the complexities of a research problem and learning to identify steps to develop a topic that leads to an effective research question. Strategies such as quick reading for specific purposes and interpreting multiple perspectives are highlighted as essential for extending ideas from stimulus materials into a new understanding of a topic. The instructor also underscores the importance of linking the stimulus materials to the response, as per the rubric for the Individual Written Assignment (IWA), but clarifies that the research topic or question doesn't have to be directly tied to the concept of happiness, which was a theme in previous materials discussed.

05:01

🛠️ Path to Developing a Research Topic

This paragraph delves into the process of developing a research topic, using a color-coded pathway analogy to illustrate different stages of understanding. The 'green' stage represents a solid grasp of stimulus materials, while 'yellow' indicates areas of uncertainty or a need for further exploration. The 'red' boxes signify unexplored territories that will be covered in future lessons. The main emphasis is on moving from a general understanding of the stimulus materials to identifying a researchable topic, rather than jumping directly to a research question. The instructor advises against literal combinations of stimulus sources to form a question, as this can lead to overly broad or illegitimate topics. Instead, students are encouraged to use the stimulus sources to identify a debatable issue and to treat these sources as equal to any others they might find during their research. The goal is to establish a research topic that provides a foundation and context for the research question, aligning with the rubric's requirements for context and integration of materials.

10:01

❓ Reflecting on Research Topic Development

In this segment, the instructor prompts students to reflect on their potential research topics by asking a series of targeted questions. These questions are designed to help students pinpoint the specific idea they are considering, identify the sources they are connecting, and understand how these sources relate to their overall research idea. The importance of researching beyond the stimulus materials to ensure the topic is viable is stressed. The theme of happiness is highlighted as a common thread among the sources, but students are encouraged to explore additional, smaller themes that may be present. Personal interest in the topic is also emphasized, as it is crucial for maintaining motivation throughout the research process. The instructor provides examples from previous students to illustrate how these questions can be applied effectively in developing a research topic.

15:02

🎨 Activism and Art: A Student's Research Topic Example

The instructor presents a successful example from a previous student who connected the theme of rights and responsibilities with the concept of activism and advocacy through art. The student used two stimulus sources—a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. and a song by Bob Dylan—to explore how both promote activism and fighting for change. The student's idea of activism through art was grounded in the messages of these sources, which advocate for equal rights and recognition of responsibility among citizens. This example demonstrates a solid connection between the stimulus materials and the student's research topic, showing how the sources can be applied to a different issue while maintaining the spirit of the original texts.

20:22

🚫 Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Topic Development

This paragraph serves as a cautionary guide, highlighting common mistakes students make when developing their research topics. The instructor advises against creating a topic that is too abstract or philosophical without connecting it to a concrete issue in society. The example provided illustrates a student's struggle with forming a specific and researchable topic, emphasizing the need to avoid vague concepts and to ensure that the topic has a clear connection to a larger, meaningful issue. The importance of not forcing a connection between the stimulus sources and ensuring that the topic is genuinely researchable is reiterated.

25:24

🤔 Strategies for Identifying Research Topics

The instructor offers several strategies for students to identify potential research topics. These include applying philosophical texts to current real-world problems, identifying diverging perspectives among the sources, and considering other emotions or experiences associated with happiness. The message is to look beyond the surface-level question of 'what is the meaning of happiness' and to find more concrete angles for research. The instructor encourages students to use the stimulus sources in various ways, including as support for a counter-argument or to disagree with the sources, as long as the sources are incorporated meaningfully into the response.

30:24

⚠️ Problem Areas to Avoid in Research Topic Development

The final paragraph of the script outlines problem areas that students should avoid when developing their research topics. These include cherry-picking quotes that deviate from the theme, mischaracterizing the context of the source, and using the source merely as a jumping-off point. The instructor emphasizes that a good connection to the stimulus material is essential, and if the inclusion of a source does not enhance the paper, it should be reconsidered. The paragraph concludes with a reminder of the importance of the research question in the overall success of the research project and paper.

📝 Next Steps and Additional Resources

In the concluding segment, the instructor outlines the next steps for students: identifying one or two potential research topics based on connections made from the stimulus sources and conducting preliminary research on these topics. Suggestions are made to read non-academic sources to gain a general understanding and to determine the real-world relevance of the topics. The instructor also advises students to answer the five questions provided earlier in the lesson and to seek feedback from teachers. Additionally, a resource is mentioned for students who may not have internet access, directing them to a College Board link for further assistance.

Keywords

💡Research Topic

A research topic is the central subject or theme around which a research project is focused. In the context of the video, developing a research topic is crucial for the Individual Written Assignment (IWA) in AP Seminar. The video emphasizes the importance of choosing a topic that is not only linked to the provided stimulus materials but also capable of leading to an effective research question. For example, the video mentions that students should avoid rushing into formulating a research question without first understanding the actual topic they are researching.

💡Research Question

A research question is a specific, focused inquiry that guides a research project. The video script distinguishes between a research topic and a research question, noting that the topic should be developed first before moving on to the question. The script also mentions that the research question does not necessarily have to tie specifically to the concept discussed in the stimulus materials but should be linked to them in the response.

💡Stimulus Materials

Stimulus materials are the sources provided to inspire and guide the development of a research topic and question. In the video, the instructor discusses the importance of integrating these materials into the student's response. The script provides examples of how students might incorrectly force a connection between these materials, emphasizing the need for a natural and meaningful integration that contributes to the overall argument.

💡Contextualize

To contextualize means to place something within a larger context or framework. In the video, the instructor stresses the importance of situating the research question within a larger context to meet the requirements of rubric row 2. This involves linking the research topic to a specific field or broader issue, ensuring that the research is meaningful and relevant.

💡Debatable Issue

A debatable issue is a topic that is open to argument or disagreement. The video encourages students to use the stimulus sources to identify such issues worth researching. The instructor advises against creating research questions that are too broad or not legitimately debatable, which can happen if students try to force a connection between the stimulus sources.

💡Preliminary Research

Preliminary research refers to the initial investigation conducted before embarking on a full-scale research project. The video script suggests that students should conduct preliminary research to understand the real-world nature of their potential topics. This step helps to determine if a topic is focused enough and researchable, which is essential before moving on to formulating a research question.

💡Rubric

A rubric is a set of criteria or a scoring guide used to assess work. In the video, the instructor refers to the rubric for the AP Seminar Individual Written Assignment, highlighting the need to earn points by integrating the stimulus materials as part of the response and situating the research question within a larger context. The rubric helps guide students on how to develop their topics and questions effectively.

💡Philosophical Texts

Philosophical texts are writings that deal with fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and language. The video script mentions applying these texts to current real-world problems or issues as a strategy for developing a research topic. This approach allows students to take abstract concepts from philosophical works and relate them to tangible issues, providing depth to their research.

💡Diverging Perspectives

Diverging perspectives refer to differing viewpoints or interpretations. The video encourages students to identify these among the stimulus sources as a way to formulate research topics. Sources do not need to agree with each other, and recognizing where they diverge can provide a starting point for research, especially if the disagreement is around a specific topic that is open to debate.

💡Cherry-Picking Quotes

Cherry-picking quotes involves selectively choosing quotes or pieces of information that support a particular viewpoint while ignoring the rest. The video warns against this practice, as it can lead to misinterpretation or misrepresentation of the source material. Instead, students should ensure that any quotes they use are representative of the source's overall argument and contribute meaningfully to their research topic.

Highlights

Lesson focuses on developing a research topic for the individual written argument in AP Seminar.

Emphasis on the importance of a clear research topic closely linked to the stimulus materials.

Objective to contextualize and identify complexities of a research problem or issue.

Importance of linking the stimulus materials to the response, not necessarily to the research question.

The research question should be situated within a larger context to earn points in rubric row 2.

Need to develop a research topic that is researchable before moving on to the research question.

Avoid rushing through the process to formulate a legitimate research question.

Using the stimulus sources to identify a debatable issue worth researching.

Treating stimulus sources as equal to additional sources found outside for research topic development.

Avoiding literal incorporation of stimulus sources which can lead to broad or illegitimate topics.

Questions to ask for structuring a potential research topic and ensuring a meaningful connection.

Providing examples of student responses to illustrate proper connection between stimulus sources and research topics.

Identifying problem areas such as cherry-picking quotes or mischaracterizing source context to avoid in research topic development.

Strategies for identifying possible topics, including applying philosophical texts to real-world problems.

Considering diverging perspectives among sources as a starting point for research topics.

Encouragement to think beyond the general question of happiness to more concrete research topics.

Advice on utilizing stimulus sources even in disagreement to support a counter-argument.

Recommendation to conduct preliminary research on potential topics to ensure they are focused and researchable.

The significance of the research question in determining the success of the study and paper in AP Seminar.

Information on resources for students without internet access to ensure equitable access to research materials.

Transcripts

all right welcome back summon our squad

to another edition of our virtual

lessons for AP seminar just a quick

reminder my name is Gerardo Gonzalez and

I teach at Lane tech college prep for

those of you that did not watch the

previous videos in Chicago Illinois okay

so today's lesson will be focusing on

developing a research topic for the

individual written argument okay so I

want to highlight that word topic and

not question and I'll get into that in a

little bit our objectives for today will

be to contextualize and identify the

complexities of a research problem or

issue I'll get into that is really our

primary objective for today and I'll get

into that momentarily our big goal for

today at the bottom of your screen is to

identify the steps needed to develop a

clear research topic that can lead us to

an effective research question okay and

we want to do that by employing the

appropriate reading strategies in

reading quickly for a specific purpose

that's for our stimulus materials and

then identifying comparing and

interpreting multiple perspectives on an

argument about an issue and then we want

to extend some of those the ideas from

the stimulus materials into our own new

understanding for us to be able to

research a new topic and so I mean once

again quickly review the first two

rubric rose for the IWA because I think

it's very important for us to understand

the importance of us to develop a clear

research topic and research question

that is closely linking to the stimulus

materials so if you pay attention to the

highlighted words here for rubric rule

one you earn points by integrating the

stimulus materials as part of the

response okay and so one of the one of

the things that I want to point out to

you here is that

it's the rubric is indicating that you

need to link the stimulus materials to

your response

not necessarily to your research

question okay and so want to keep I want

to keep reiterating that because I want

to make sure that you understand that

your research topic your research

question does not necessarily have to

tie in specifically to the concept of

happiness which is that theme that we

were discussing in our discussion of the

seamless materials in the previous

sources one so you need to integrate the

stimulus materials as part of your

response if you don't if you look on the

left hand side on the left left column

if the if the stimulus materials do not

contribute to the overall argument that

you're making or to the overall argument

within somewhere within the paper then

that's where you're not going to be

earning points so to go into that a

little bit further rubric Row 2 is

really where we're contextualizing we're

integrating the stimulus materials into

our overall response and so we want to

make sure that whatever topic whatever

question you explore you want to make

sure that that topic is situated within

a larger context okay so your research

question your paper your argument needs

to make sure that it's actually dealing

with in a specific field so as we

reviewed previously rubric Row 2 deals

with the context of your research paper

and to earn points you need to make sure

that your research question is situated

within the larger context I'm going to

go into this a little bit further to

review these are the stimulus materials

that we're that we're using for the AP

exam for this year and so I'm gonna stop

and pause here and tell you to stop the

video if you have not thoroughly read

the entirety of the stimulus sources the

next part of the video focuses on ways

to develop research ideas from those

stimulus materials so it helps if you've

read a gotten a clear understanding of

them you should also consider watching

the first three videos of this series if

you have not done so already since

we'll be building off of some of those

ideas moving forward okay so final

warning let's move on to some of the

things that you need to know for today's

lesson it is very very important that

you develop a research topic that is

actually researchable so a well

researched topic is very very necessary

before moving on to the research

question so many many of my students in

my classroom sometimes they struggle

with coming up with a research question

because they rush through the process

and they want to jump directly into the

research question making before actually

understanding that what that what the

actual topic that they're researching is

so on this on this slide we sort of have

like a pathway to how we're gonna

develop our research topic for many of

us we should be green in our

understanding of our stimulus Mateusz

right so we should feel good about this

right now before moving on to the next

part right now the yellow boxes are

indicating where maybe you're a little

bit unclear about you're unsure you

don't know if you should be progressing

further and then the red the red boxes

are things that we have not yet covered

okay so we're yellow right now and may

be making a legitimate connection

between the two stimulus sources that

deals with the shared theme of happiness

and then we're maybe feeling okay about

bridging the connection between the

stimulus sources to actual research

topic okay these two yellow boxes that's

really what I'm gonna focus on today

we're gonna cover the red boxes in the

next lessons after this part so today

really focus on research topic and not

necessarily research question research

question will be the next lesson after

this one so I want to highlight that so

at this point you might be asking

yourself how you need to incorporate the

stimulus sources into your research

question and this is where I want to

tell you that number one you don't need

to do that and number two sometimes you

should

incorporate the actual sources in a way

that's too literal so the image on the

center of the slide depicts a strategy

that many many students often attempt

they seek to combine the elements of the

to stimulus sources to formulate a

research question

unfortunately the strategy sometimes

fails because the sources were not

originally written in a way that they're

like directly addressing one another in

an argument for example have you

renounced pleasure from the book of joy

was not written with the intention of

being placed into a conversation with

the study from Kahneman and Deaton ok so

because they weren't written in a way so

as to directly address one another

sometimes you're gonna get a question

that's not really like legitimate so

attempting to generate a research

question merely from the stimulus

sources is not always the best approach

because it often leads to topics that

are too broad or not legitimately

debatable or to issues that are not

actual issues so I want you to avoid in

in planning your research topic ok I

want you to avoid doing what's in this

box instead what I want you to do is

using the following approaches instead

so in this case I want you to attempt or

brainstorm or think about using the hi

the stimulus sources to identify a

debatable issue that's worth researching

so in this case I have added an

additional box I want you to treat your

sources your stimulus sources as equal

to additional sources that you can find

outside so using the previous example

from the book of joy and and Kahneman

and Deaton although these two sources

were not originally written in with the

intention of the directly conversing

with one another they definitely share a

common theme around happiness and

concepts of happiness so based on the

shared theme the best approach is to

first come up with the research topic

that is researchable instead of rushing

into a research

question so the goal of developing a

research topic first is to give you a

foundation of research to develop your

overall context which is necessary for

rubric growth - so if we head back to

some of the previous slides on row 2 of

the rubric we want we can see here that

our essay and our research question

needs to be situated within the larger

context okay so whatever your essay

whatever your response is whatever your

research question they need to sort of

be like a little bit more concrete so

for the purposes of this research

project the larger context is what you

need to research before moving on to

your research question so moving back to

the previous chart we can see that this

approach allows for the stimulus sources

to be treated as equal okay so while

sometimes they can feel awkward or

clunky to incorporate the stimulus

sources into your overall response by

allowing your stimulus sources to be

part of the overall context and you you

treat them as equal to other sources

they can fit a little bit more naturally

into the research response and so this

overall allows for more meaningful and

purposeful integration into the overall

press so some questions to ask yourself

while making these connections so this

is an assignment that I give my students

anytime we are thinking about our

potential research topic so these are

questions that I want you to consider if

you're having struggles with coming up

with the topic or if you just need a

little bit more structure right now I

want you to ask yourself the following

questions in regard to your research

topic the first question that I want

want you to ask yourself is what is the

idea that you're considering so in this

case I want you to try to be as specific

as possible and I want you to ground

your question in something a little

more substantive and I'll show you some

prior your examples from my former

students in a little bit so you can see

what I'm talking about

the second the second question that I

want you to ask yourself is what are the

two sources that you're connecting to

one another in this case I really want

you to try to be as specific as possible

and be ready to provide specific lines

from the text that you would use to

develop the idea so it's not always

enough for you to just try to apply the

general concept of the source when

making your connection between two

sources I really want you to try to

connect multiple lines from the sources

or multiple concepts from the two

sources in the case of the video for

example to make sure that these two

sources are actually participating in a

conversation with one another and

participating in a conversation with

overall larger context which is what the

third question is so the third question

is how do the sources connect to one

another and to your idea so not only do

your sources need to connect to one

another they also need to connect to the

overall idea that you're researching and

that that second part that connection to

your overall idea

you're not gonna figure that out unless

you researched additional unless you

conduct additional research outside of

the actual stimulus sources you need to

make sure that before moving on to the

research question phase of this project

that your research topic is actually

researchable okay and I'll show you that

in a little bit and then we want to know

what the theme is that shared among the

sources that you're using in this case

we know that for the majority of you the

theme is going to be the concept of

happiness but in addition to that there

are other smaller themes that you could

justify within the sources depending on

the depending on the way that you're

using them and then finally just a

personal interest question why are you

interested in this realistically this is

a process that should be taking you

thirty days to complete 30 school days

right that's that's sort of what we what

we require for this assessment 30 school

days is a long time so you should be you

should have a relative interest in this

project and in this topic because if you

don't you're you might lose steam midway

through and not really not really have

that that passion to continue

researching this topic a little bit

further so in this case remember part of

the part of the beauty of a pea seminar

is that you do get to pursue your

interests a little bit more and you get

to the research and write about what it

is that you'd like so make sure that

you're picking the topic that you are

interested in so I want to use some

previous year examples from my students

and so in this case I am using the

stimulus from 2019 which was last year

stimulus materials and the general the

general theme that was being represented

was rights and responsibilities okay so

here is a response from one of my

students from last year using the same

questions that I asked my students

here's what they what they said so when

I asked them what is the idea that

you're considering they their response

is that they're considering looking at

activism and advocacy through art now I

know that you probably have not read

these stimulus sources but overall you

can you can just see from the following

question the to the way that these two

sources are going to connect to one

another so two of the stimulus source is

from this stimulus packet were a letter

from a bird from Birmingham jail by

Martin Luther King jr. and a song called

blowing in the wind by Bob Dylan

so they said as far as how they connect

so I think that the letter from

Birmingham jail and blowing in the wind

connect because they both promote

activism and fighting for a change

blowing in the wind asked a series of

rhetorical questions

one of the most significant being yes

and how many years can some people exist

before they're allowed to be free this

line directly connects to human rights

and giving everyone the freedom to be

equal in society in a letter from

Birmingham jail dr. King not only

advocates for civil rights but he also

promotes nonviolent direct action as a

method for activism and advocacy dr.

King states injustice anywhere is a

threat to justice everywhere which shows

the importance of addressing social

injustice is because no matter how

seemingly small the issue any injustice

matters and is important to speak up

against so you're seeing both of these

sources that were not necessarily

written as a response to one another

both of these sources are dealing with

this same with the same concept of

promoting activism and fighting for

change okay so there is a connection

there the topic is promoting activism

and fighting for change that is what the

topic is about the final three questions

how do these sources connect to one

another and to your idea

both of the sources connect to the idea

of activism and speaking up against

social issues my idea is activism

through art which is a non-violent form

of protest against social ideas the

letter in the song are also two non

violent pieces of protest that advocate

for equal rights and recognition of

responsibility among citizens so you can

see that in this case the student is

applying the messages of these two

stimulus sources to a different issue of

activism through art the theme is rights

and responsibilities because they both

advocate equal rights and recognition or

responsibility among citizens and then

you can see here that they're interested

in activism because they've always had a

strong sense of justice and I want to

focus on fighting injustice and I think

that nonviolent protests through art is

an interesting way to promote activism

okay so in this case this is a solid

topic that is definitely grounded in the

spirit of the stimulus sources

one so in this case this student is off

to a good start okay now I'm going to

show you an instance of a student who

maybe is not there yet with the

specificity of their stimulus topic use

so the second example I want to explore

involves a topic that did not end up

working for the student okay so this

student turned in this assignment to me

and they realized after a while that

there were just a couple of issues here

that were not that we're not working for

them okay so I'm going to give you a

minute to read this response and I'm

gonna flip over to the next slide in a

bit so go ahead and take 30 seconds to

read this and then I'll flip it to the

next one

you

you

you

you

you

you

you

I'm flipping over to the next one

you

you

you

you

okay so one of the main issues that that

this student ran into as they were

researching was the abstract nature of

this topic although it's acceptable to

write a paper that's more philosophical

in nature you need to make sure that

it's still focused enough this topic

suffers from attempting to connect the

two sources together too directly

without actually and connecting it to a

larger topic overall so if you look at

the question at the at the top of the

screen the student attaches a vague

connection around the concept of human

imagination but what is the larger topic

that demands to be studied so we have

this like power of human imagination but

what does that mean we need to make sure

that in this circumstance that you are

making sure that you are attaching this

this topic attaching your even if you're

doing something a little bit more

philosophical attaching it to something

that is actually an issue in present

society so this concept of human

imagination might be a little too vague

might be a little bit too broad might

not have been researched further like

fully enough before completing this

assignment to actually to actually

proceed so if you see at the final

question why are you interested in this

I'm interested in doing a slightly more

Phylis of philosophical questions while

still applying my question to global

issues what is that global issue that

this student is attempting to research

or to argue about because this this

student didn't really have a full

connection to a general topic there may

be thinking about the stimulus sources

too literally or they're trying to

connect them too much to each other

instead of to the larger context this

topic idea suffers from sort of this

vagueness and that those issues

preventing the student from moving

forward with this idea and so they ended

up moving

in a different direction so now that

we've taken a look at some previous year

example prior your examples let's take a

look at some of the strategies that you

can use to identify possible topics for

this assessment so I have a list of

strategies that you should consider here

the first thing that you can do is to

apply the philosophical texts to a

current real-world problem or issue

which is something that the previous

example attempted to do but maybe they

didn't take it fully okay or they didn't

take it as far as they could have so the

book of joy and the John Stuart Mill

source have a variety of different

messages that can apply to a multitude

of problems and issues that are

currently affecting society right so

that is that is one way that you can

apply these sort of more abstract pieces

on the heavy renounce pleasure and on

the virtue and happiness to to a

potential research topic a second

strategy that you can utilize is to

consider or to consider is to identify

diverging perspectives among the sources

so each of the sources in this packet

has a variety of different points of

view variety of arguments that they make

around the theme of happiness so your

stimulus sources do not necessarily need

to agree with one another okay they can

have competing points of view competing

arguments that's actually a pretty good

place to start because if you see that -

the similar sources are disagreeing or

what may be disagree with each other on

a specific topic that's an entry point

for you to possibly research most

importantly you should also think about

and consider other feelings emotions or

experiences that can be associated with

happiness so the story story of an hour

Big Daddies istance and The Happiness

Project all touch on emotions and

experiences that are not typically

associated with happiness okay so the

story of an hour is

dealing with sort of like tangential

feelings of happiness or feelings that

may be associated with happiness relief

and in some time in at some point it's

grief right so relief turning into grief

so you should brought in the way that

you think about these sources to allow

yourself to look beyond the general what

is the meaning of happiness question

okay what is the meaning of happiness

may not be a research question that

takes you that takes you in the right

direction okay that might be a good

place to start but it's not very

tangible you need to apply it to

something a little bit more concrete

than that so remember do you do not your

paper does not need to agree with the

argument that the sources are making you

can use the similar sources to support a

counter-argument sources can also

disagree with one another all that

matters in terms of like your use of the

stimulus sources is that it is embedded

it is incorporated as a part of your

response you don't need to agree with

them so if you found yourself reading

some of these sources and you disagreed

with them that's great

utilize the stimulus sources as part of

a counter-argument so that you can

proceed a little bit so that you can

move forward with your research don't

feel as if you have to incorporate

incorporate the stimulus sources as part

of something that you're in agreement

with if you truly don't agree with it

okay so some potential problem areas to

avoid here the first thing that I want

to focus on so now that we've discussed

some of the ways to formulate research

topic let's look at some of the problem

areas that you should avoid to ensure

that your topic has a solid foundation

so I also teach ap research and one of

the things that we always tell our

students is if the question fails the

study fails and ultimately the paper

fails okay so the research question is

critical so in this case an AP seminar

for this assignment I want you to think

if your connection to the stimulus

material fails your questions gonna fail

and ultimately your papers gonna fail as

well so these three things underneath

this

underlying section here are some problem

areas that I definitely want you to

avoid the first thing that I want you to

avoid includes cherry-picking quotes so

if you cherry-pick a quote that takes

you away from the direction of the theme

or from the actual from the actual like

message of the source it's going to lead

to some to some problems so for example

there is a reference in the Happiness

Project to the movie frozen okay so

there there's a reference there's a

reference to that but that reference

shouldn't necessarily lead you to an

essay arguing for why the movie frozen

is the greatest Disney movie of all time

even if you feel that way and even if

it's an actual debate that people might

have that isn't what the source was

about so that inclusion and so even if

you would include that quote in the

paper in your paper that's not actually

using the source in a way that that is

sharing a theme with the other sources

in the stimulus package so avoid finding

a quote that you really really love and

using that as as a justification for

researching further you should also

avoid miss characterizing the context of

the source so it's ok to apply the

message of the source as long as the

message connects to your to your topic

but it's not okay to misinterpret the

source or to use a quote in a way that

doesn't represent the author of the

original the original author so once

again it's okay to apply something that

they say or something that they that

they talk about as long as what it's

within the overall argument that they're

making

but you shouldn't try to misconstrue

what the argument is or miss apply claim

and then finally you should avoid using

the source as a jumping-off point so

remember if you can remove the inclusion

of that source from the paper that you

write it's probably not a good

connection if your paper ends up being

better if we get rid of the similar

source then that's

really bad right so we want to make sure

if we get rid of your inclusion of the

sameness source your paper should be

worse off for it it shouldn't be better

okay so avoid using that source as a

jumping-off point and mrs. Molloy

actually did a great job with that in

the first video so if you want a little

bit more explanation on that go ahead

and review the first video in this

series

okay so let's be brief here and

summarize what it is that we were

looking at so we wanted to identify the

steps needed to have a clear to develop

a clear research topic and then that

eventually is going to get us to a point

where we are developing an effective

research question which is the next

thing that we're going to be looking at

and so one of the things that you really

need to make sure that you're doing

contextualizing and identifying the

complexities of this problem or issue

before moving further into a research

question and so these next steps that

we're looking at that I recommend that

you do before proceeding further or

moving on to the next video is to

identify one or two topics that you can

research based on the connection that

you make from the stimulus sources and

you should conduct some preliminary

research on each of the topics so a way

that I recommend my students to do this

is to read two or three sources that are

not necessarily academic sources this

can be from a newspaper it can be from a

periodical like a magazine to just

develop a general understanding on what

your topic is and to understand the

real-world nature of what your research

project is attempting to address and so

I recommend that my students do this to

determine if there's a focused enough

topic that can be further researched

once you do that once you feel like you

have a general understanding of a topic

then you can go ahead and answer the

five questions that I provided earlier

in the in the lesson and really go ahead

and ask your teacher for some feedback

so it's okay for

to provide this response and say hey I

feel like my research topic is maybe a

little bit too broad are you seeing that

as well or where do you think that I

could do a little bit more research in

order to get a little bit more guidance

on that we're gonna look at more

research questions in the next video so

be on the lookout for that one final

piece we know that not all students have

access to the Internet and so the

College Board is working on solutions to

help you get what what you need and in

order to show your best work so if you

need access to mobile tools or

connectivity or if you know someone that

does you can go on this link CBI

org slash tech to fill out a survey to

give a little bit more information and

feedback to the College Board that's all

I have for today thanks for watching