A grade of B+ or higher in Humanities 2 or Humanities 2 in Action (English), AP Language & Composition, or Junior English.
10th Grade Entry: A grade of A- or higher in Humanities 1 or Humanities 1 in Action (English)
This course is completely focused on developing a student’s skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. Students develop and refine their investigative and analytical skills through the interdisciplinary study of a variety of current global topics. Students analyze the complexity of an issue to better understand multiple perspectives and gain an awareness of the cultural, economic, political, and social factors. Individual ability to transfer skills and make connections between disciplines is greatly enhanced. Students articulate their learning through writing, discussion, presentation, and reflection. Collaboration is a critical component as students complete a team research project as part of the overall course assessment.
College Board Assessments
Assessment overview for the AP Exam:
Performance Task I - 20% of AP Score Team Project and Presentation
Performance Task 2 - 35% of AP Score Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation
End of Course Exam - 45% of AP Score
Classroom Assessments (non-AP)
To be successful in this class, students must come prepared to engage in discussion and critical thinking. While there is no prescribed content that must be mastered, there are thinking, writing and speaking skills that need to be developed. Students are encouraged to keep pace with reading and writing assignments to enhance the richness of the classroom experience. Formative assessments will help students to hone the skills required for the larger summative assessments and allow ample opportunity for feedback. The summative assessments in the first semester mirror the live assessments completed in the second semester for the College Board. Summative assessments in the second semester range from assignments that complement the live assessments to the quality of feedback a student provides to a peer. Students will receive regular feedback throughout the year whether it is individual or overall class instruction. Course grades will be calculated following the HKIS high school policy.
"AP Capstone is unlike any class I’ve ever taken at HKIS. In the class, not only are we offered the flexibility to choose from an eclectic array of topics for our papers, but we are also assigned multiple assignment checkpoints for improvement, constantly polishing our writing and researching skills through our teachers' feedback. As someone who wasn’t very good at writing and research, taking the capstone seminar has expanded my horizons, exponentially improving my abilities in research, writing, public speaking, and teamwork, all of which I apply daily in Humanities in Action 2. Despite the hardships I’ve endured, like sleeping late and missing assignments, for those interested in boosting their research, writing, teamwork, and public speaking capabilities, I would highly recommend the AP Capstone Program."
"AP Capstone Seminar is a very unique course. Unlike traditional APs, it offers projects and a lot of intellectual freedom. In this course, you will find yourself spending a lot of time researching and crafting your papers, but the cornerstone of this course lies in peer collaboration and feedback. You will gain valuable research, academic writing and public speaking skills, but also communication and time management. After taking it as a sophomore, the course actually equipped me to thrive in future my humanities classes. I had many enriching experiences working on the multimedia presentation and enjoyed researching interesting topics for my individual written argument. As long as you pace yourself well and pay attention to the rubric, it will be a fulfilling class."