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AP Biology

The AP Biology APSI will acquaint teachers with the four Big Ideas found in the AP Biology curriculum framework. Participants will take an in-depth look at the AP Biology curriculum framework and how it is organized into Big Ideas, Enduring Understandings, Essential Knowledge statements, Learning Objectives, and Science Practices. Each day will address a Big Idea found in the curriculum framework. Each day will also include an AP Strategy session designed to enhance an AP Biology learning environment by moving from teacher to student-centered instruction. AP Concepts will also be offered in a daily session to help teachers assist students toward skills needed in an AP Biology class. Select AP Biology labs that correlate to each Big Idea will be included. Additionally, inquiry investigation will be performed to help the teacher move from guided to more open-inquiry investigations for their students. Participants are asked to bring their current AP Biology textbook, a calculator, and a laptop computer if available. Through practice, sharing of ideas, discussions, and modeling, it is the intention that participants will become more skilled in instructing their students to become more successful in achieving the skills necessary in the AP Biology program of study.

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AP Calculus - AB

This session is specifically designed to assist interested teachers build a successful AP Calculus AB course in compliance with the new redesigned AP Calculus curriculum. The week will include an analysis of the current curriculum, including an examination and discussion of various teaching strategies that reflect the current philosophy and goals of the course. An overview of the AP program will be included; suggestions for pacing and sequencing of concepts; a study of numerous AP level problems; activities with graphing calculators (TI84+, TI89); a review of the AP Exam including format, scoring standards, and student responses; a discussion of the grading process from the perspective of an AP Reader; and an overview of resources and materials available to AP teachers. Teachers should bring a graphing calculator and a USB memory stick with them.

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AP Chemistry

The AP Chemistry institute is designed to assist AP teachers in building the foundations for success in teaching AP Chemistry.  Emphasis will be placed on the rigor of the material that students need to be successful on the AP Chemistry exam. Time will be allowed for best practices and for sharing ideas as a group.  Laboratory investigations will be incorporated with the discussion of the theory.   Laboratory topics may include kinetics, equilibrium (determination of pKa), determination of molar masses, titrations, etc.  The material covered (and the sequence) will be determined by the needs of the group as a whole, based on the results of a survey emailed before the conference.

Topics may include the following:

• Equilibrium
• Thermodynamics
• Kinetics (non-calculator and calculator approaches)
• Electrochemistry
• multiple choice strategies
• acid-base chemistry
• atomic structure and periodicity
• particle level diagrams
• bonding

What participants should bring:

• Goggles
• Apron or lab coat
• Closed-toe shoes
• Calculator
• Device with a USB port

What participants will take with them?

• Access to everything developed for Pre-AP Chemistry and AP Chemistry by the lead consultant

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AP English Language and Composition

Designed for the English instructor seeking to learn or improve teaching strategies pertinent to AP English Language, this course will focus on preparing students for the national exam but have an emphasis on application to the rhetorical situations present in communications “of the real world” so that students may also become critical thinkers “beyond the classroom” as well. Participants will leave the institute with lessons and strategies they can immediately incorporate into their curriculum.

Topics will utilize examples from fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama with an overall emphasis on improving students’ close reading/analysis skills and improving the syntactical maturity of students’ writing. Possible APSI discussion topics include:  

• Developing an AP English Language course as part of an effective Vertical Team  

• Improving close/ reading, critical thinking, and rhetorical/language analysis

• Improving students’ writing through their ability to read and analyze complex text

• Introducing/Improving Argumentative Writing (for the Eng Lang & Comp Exam)

• Classroom Discussion methods and Student Annotation methods

• Utilizing multiple genres in the AP English Lang & Comp classroom

• Utilizing high-interest non-fiction (including images and video as rhetorical text)

• Computer lab time for lesson planning, enrichment pieces, and application

• Practical methods for preparing students for the Multiple Choice and Free Response sections of the AP English Lang & Comp exam

• A study of 2015 AP English Language free response questions with sample student responses for each participant and discussion of using those samples for instructional purposes

What to Bring for APSI Class:

• * Writing tools, writing supplies, and note-taking resources (pens, pencils, highlighters, sticky-notes, etc, plus notebook paper, legal pad, or a writing journal).
• * Please have either a paper or electronic copy (if you are bringing a laptop) of the AP English Course Description available as .pdf download at the AP Central website.
• * A list of required curricular pieces (novels, short stories, poetry, etc) for the AP or Pre-AP course(s) taught, as well as those of your vertical team, if possible.
• *Please bring two copies of a short, non-fiction selection (letter, article, brief essay, graphic, etc) that you would like to use in your class.

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AP English Literature and Composition

Course Description: Participants will learn the skills and strategies necessary to prepare high school students for success in AP Literature and Composition classes.  The course materials provide participants with sufficient resources to secure their curriculum and to guide the progress of their students.  The sessions will emphasize activities involving higher-order thinking skills and student-centered teaching.  Emphasis will also be placed on each of the main areas of the Literature exam—the multiple-choice questions, poetry essay, prose essay, and “open” essay—and different ways to prepare our students with the skills they will need on the AP test. Collaboration on strategies, practice test-taking, analyzing readings and sharing best practices will be encourage as well as discussion of the scoring process for the test and review of the current resources available.

• Close reading and annotation
• Reading for analysis and deeper understanding
• Writing about literature, including both timed and process writing
• The content of the Advanced Placement test in Literature and Composition
• Connecting device to meaning in both prose and poetry
• Using visual texts and graphic representation to aid student understanding

• Sticky notes
• Highlighters

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AP World History

Learning Objectives:

• Ability to understand and apply Key Concepts and Themes in course development
• Ability to use Historical Reasoning Skills to develop historical argumentation
• Develop pedagogical skills to increase student engagement

Course Description:

This course serves the needs of new and experienced AP World History teachers. The sessions focus on designing an AP class using Key Concepts, themes, and strategies that engage students as they develop the historical reasoning skills necessary for success on the AP exam. The course places special emphasis on teaching reading and writing skills, examining scoring rubrics, and sharing best practices.

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AP United States History

This week will consist of a mix of pedagogy and content all focused on the successful implementation of the Advanced Placement United States History course. We will focus on the writing and the analytical skills needed for the course as well as the curriculum framework. Participants are encouraged to bring a flash drive (at least 16 gigs) or a laptop; they will receive numerous resources.

Course Syllabus
Day 1-Introductions/AP History Practices and Skills /Understanding the Structure of the Course Framework/Reading Comprehension activity (Inner outer circle)/Historical Reasoning Skill of Comparison (Comparison Activity) HOMEWORK-Bring your favorite primary and secondary source.
Day 2-Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources/Writing Thesis Statements and the Document Based Question! Multiple Choice and writing our own Multiple Choice questions and mini-DBQ’s! Historical Skill of Change and Continuity. HOMEWORK-Bring your favorite Political Cartoon!
Day 3-The Short Answer Question/Long Essay Question/ Historical Thinking Skill of Causation and Argument Development. HOMEWORK-Bring your favorite lesson!
Day 4-Sequencing the Course/Syllabus Development/Bringing Skills and Content together with a lesson from the 1950’s! Share Best Practices

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Pre-AP English

This course will provide participants with lessons that incorporate AP concepts for increased rigor in the middle school classroom. Participants will work through a variety of lessons that address close reading and analysis, rhetoric, grammar, writing, and research. Lessons will be presented in whole group and grade-level groups, and will include incorporating long-term projects, the use of Interactive Student Notebooks, and technology. Teachers will conclude the week by collaborating to create new lessons.

What participants should bring:

• Flash drive
• Post-It notes
• Highlighters
• Poem, novel, or short piece of literature or non-fiction currently taught or that you would want to teach
• Laptop - fully charged

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Pre-AP Mathematics

Pre-AP High School Mathematics: Connecting and Representing the “Big Ideas” of High School Mathematics

The building of mathematical knowledge and understanding can be a complex and daunting endeavor for high school students. In this course teachers will examine traditional high school mathematical topics from an advanced standpoint—with particular emphasis placed on instructional strategies for helping students understand the conceptual underpinnings of the content rather than just procedure. Problem solving and mathematical modeling will be discussed using numerical, algebraic, and graphical representations—coupled with appropriate uses of hand-held graphing technology. There will also be various opportunities throughout the week to meet and interact with middle school teachers in order to vertically alignment curriculum and create common assessment items.

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Pre-AP Science Summer Workshop

This fast paced workshop is designed for both middle and high school science teachers with inquiry based education as its basis. Participants will have many hands-on activities interlaced with short video segments, demonstrations and challenging tasks. A number of discussions addressing issues teachers face with the modern day science student and a lot of great resource materials that you will be able to use each day in your science teaching are incorporated into this workshop.

Come prepared to be engaged. Bring your laptop, ideas, labs and classroom activities that you are willing to share with the group. This workshop is designed to be one that you wish it did not have to end and remember it for all that you were able to take away from it. Just a few of the topics we will be covering during this workshop include: discrepant events, themed based unifying concepts, inquiry based labs, new technology in the classroom, student centered classrooms, effective thinking models, modified vertical teaming, co-teaching and so much more.