AP Research

Course Overview with Philosophy

AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone experience, allows students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Expectations & Support

Successful AP students will have the dedication, self-discipline, and the desire to apply themselves as a college student, and will budget their time effectively to manage the workload. AP courses maintain a level of rigor and a commensurate workload of a college-level course. This requires students to be organized and manage their time to support the demands of the class. Academic integrity is expected at all times, for students are given additional authority over their learning and as such, are expected to conduct themselves accordingly.

Exams & Assessment

• 9-10 Individual Papers (7500 word count)

• 4 Multiple Choice tests

• Rhetorical Vocabulary assessments

• Grammar and Style assessments

Materials & Resources

• AP Classroom

• The Language of Composition textbook, 3rd Edition

• EBSCO and JSTOR databases

Time Commitment

AP English Language and Composition requires students to write extensively in 4 genres—Rhetorical Analysis, Persuasive, Synthesis, and Research. While time spent on these tasks may differ from student to student, on average, a student should expect to spend about 3 hours of work outside of class per week.