Participants should be prepared for an intensive overview of AP Chemistry program with particular attention being paid to the laboratory, the structure and content of the course and the national exam and several key curricular areas. This course will also focus on developing teaching strategies to create a learning environment for student success especially with the concepts needed for rigorous science courses. Key concepts such as equilibrium, kinetics, or thermodynamics will be taught via the questions on previous exams. Time will be allowed for group problem solving in those key areas and for the sharing of best practices, group discussion/teaching of concepts and hands-on laboratory activities. Participants are encouraged to bring a Òbest practice,Ó and/or a favorite demo or lab experiment to share with the rest of the class. They also should bring closed toe shoes, calculator, goggles and lab apron for lab and a lab, and if they it, a lab manual and college chemistry text for use in class. New teachers will develop a timeline for the year-long course and should bring a school calendar for next year.
This class will discuss, evaluate, and investigate the AP Language and Composition Essay and multiple choice questions from past AP Exams including the new 2007 examination. Practices and teaching strategies for each section of the examination will be shared, explored and examined. The class will investigate and practice holistic scoring and develop appropriate assessment vehicles for language and rhetoric. The class will emphasize, but certainly not be limited to, the 2007 examination and its changes. The synthesis question and the uses of citation will be studied. Participants will create materials and lessons for their own classes. At the end of the class, participants will be required to submit a course of study or a syllabus as a final project.
This course will provide breadth and depth in preparation for teaching the AP Literature & Composition class.
Like all worthy workshops, this coming together will provide a marketplace of ideas about teaching the class and preparing students for the exam. The course will combine some philosophical and pedagogical discussion with the nuts and bolts of skill development. Participants will have a chance to work on a prospective course of study or sample lesson for the AP class and are encouraged to bring course materials with them. The emphasis will be on techniques, strategies, activities, and class format. The course will examine the AP exam, discuss scoring rubrics and work with range finders. The goal will be to give participants the tools to teach and to implement strategies in September.
This course provides participants with a content overview that covers the period from the late Middle Ages to the present time. The instructor will focus on the development of the materials and how to apply them in the organizing of a course. The participant will develop the economic, political and social themes necessary in a European History course. The writing of better document-based as well as free response essays and how to score higher on multiple choice exams will be emphasized. The course will also focus on getting students to analyze materials and apply them to historical situations. Participants will also develop a course syllabus and prepare a course audit when appropriate.
This course provides students with an overview of the basic structure and content necessary for an Advanced Placement U.S. History course. The instructor emphasizes the practical aspects involved in teaching an AP course in U.S. History. Samples of multiple-choice and essay questions, including the document-based question, are reviewed in class. Attention is also given to how standards are established for scoring student responses. Participants will learn to develop or modify course curriculum, examine various teaching models to approach course instruction, practice innovative techniques to aid students in writing persuasive essays, and be exposed to historic ideas, themes, and primary documents.
The course will enable the teacher to develop/improve a syllabus around the six major themes of the AP course and exam: (1) the Constitution; (2) Political Beliefs and Behaviors; (3) Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media; (4) National Government Institutions; (5) Public Policy; and (6) Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The course will also examine and illustrate different methods for teaching the course in each of these areas and allow teachers to develop strategies to assist students in traditionally difficult areas, enabling them to better prepare for the AP exam.
The Government & Politics - U.S. APSI is supported by Allegheny College's Center for Political Participation (CPP), which seeks to promote political participation, particularly among young people, through campus activities, scholarly research and educational outreach. For more information about the CPP, visit http://cpp.allegheny.edu