Institute Descriptions
Biology
APSC 690G
This institute is designed for teachers with no experience teaching AP Biology. During this institute, the laboratory component of the AP Biology curriculum will be emphasized, with versions of all 12 labs completed by the institute participants. Alternatives to the laboratory exercises will be discussed, as well as ways to modify the exercises to fit a variety of class schedules. Most of the learning will be done interactively, with less of an emphasis on lecture format.
Calculus AB
APMT 690G
Syllabus
An institute designed to prepare high school mathematics teachers to teach AP Calculus courses in their highs schools, to review and reinforce calculus methods, to help the teachers to understand and to teach the non-routine and abstract problems of calculus, and to integrate graphing calculators in the teaching of calculus. This institute requires participants to develop an AP curriculum individualized for his/her school teaching situation.
Calculus BC
APMT 690G
Calculus AB and Calculus BC are primarily concerned with developing the students' understanding of the concepts of calculus and providing experience with its methods and applications . The courses emphasize a multirepresentational approach to calculus, with concepts, results and problems being expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally.
Chemistry
APSC 692G
An institute designed to prepare high school Chemistry teachers to teach
AP Chemistry in their high schools. A full-year introductory college
course with laboratory, which emphasizes the topics of structure of
matter, states of matter, reactions and descriptive chemistry.
English Language and Composition
APLL 691G
The AP English Language and Composition course follows this emphasis. As in the college course, its purpose is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate. The college course provides students with opportunities to write about a variety of subjects and to demonstrate an awareness of audience and purpose. But the overarching objective in most first-year writing courses is to enable students to write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives.
English Literature & Composition
APLL 690G
AP English Literature and Composition is designed for teachers who have not taught in this program. It can also be beneficial to (1) teachers who have had some experience teaching AP classes but who have not received specialized training for that instruction and for (2) teachers working with high school honors classes which students take as prerequisites to AP classes.
This week-long course will center on procedures for teaching an AP English Literature Course, examination of appropriate class materials, review questions from previous AP Examinations and strategies for addressing those questions, model literature discussions, and how to do activities (both creative and analytical) that can help students be better prepared for the exam and for college-level thinking in general.
Environmental Science
APSC 691G
European History
APSS 691G
European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, (b) an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding in writing.
Spanish Language
APLL 693G
This workshop is for high school Spanish teachers who are interested in preparing their students for proficiency in the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The content of this workshop will focus on building the foundation for a successful Advanced Placement Spanish Language Program. Participants should bring classroom texts and other pertinent materials (DVDs, videos, CDs, reading selections, etc.) to share strategies and ideas used to meet these goals within their existing secondary curriculum. We will discuss how to begin an Advanced Placement Spanish language program, strengthen an existing one, and use the techniques of AP in lower level Spanish classes. The group will also examine the format and grading of the AP exam, utilizing the materials provided by the College Board and the grading criteria of the Educational Testing Service. Special discussion of the changes in the 2007 Spanish Language AP exam will be a focus of this workshop. Daily assignments, oral presentations, and a final project will be the basis for evaluation. Participants will be asked to work cooperatively and to role-play in the sharing of ideas/materials. The workshop will be conducted in Spanish and English.
Statistics
APMT 692G
The purpose of the AP course in statistics is to introduce students
to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing
conclusions from data. Students are exposed to four broad
conceptual themes:
1. Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
2. Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
3. Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability
and simulation
4. Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing
hypotheses
U.S. Government and Politics
APSS 694G
U.S. History
APSS 690G
This workshop will train high school teachers to develop course work and
exam-related materials in preparation for the AP exam in US History. The first
segment of the workshop will be based upon the two-semester US History course
taught at Truman State by Dr. Steven Reschly. The second segment will explain
the AP exam format and essay evaluation, using past AP exams and recent scoring
rubrics. The final segment will discuss approaches to developing viable AP
curriculum for any high school. The combination of content, course format, and
administration offers a comprehensive framework for success in the AP program.
World History
APSS 693G
The purpose of the AP World History course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowledge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge used in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence.