AP Seminar educator edition

20 cases, 414 student pages. Each sheet shows a student page with sample answers and notes for you. Student pages have the same page numbers in both books. Many schools teach AP Seminar in grade 10. The tasks are the same.

Open the student edition Download the educator edition, PDF, 10 MB

Educator edition

AP Seminar

AP Seminar classes practicing research, argument and team presentation skills.

20 cases

How to use this educator editionAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 15 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post, Friday 4:52 p.m.

The post

They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?” A seven-second clip is attached. In it, the coordinator says “we are removing access,” and the clip ends there.

Look closely: Which word in the caption goes further than the clip itself?

What it shows

A real clip, and a caption that turns “removing access” into a cancellation.

What it leaves out

The next words of the sentence, who cropped the clip and when the meeting took place.

Evidence BCoordinator’s meeting transcript, Friday 3:30 p.m.

The full update

“The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.”

Look closely: Which four words narrow what “access” means? Underline them.

What it shows

“Through that reader” narrows “access” to one door. Existing bookings stay in place.

What it leaves out

Whether every visitor can use the temporary entrance, and how long the repair will take.

Lesson 1Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in Evidence B.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the clip fake. Listen for: “It’s fake news.” Then: Ask which word in the clip is wrong. None is. The clip is real; the context is missing.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Read the transcript aloud and offer a recording for replay.

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Stretch

Ask which document proves the time and which proves the door, and why the email cannot say anything about the side door.

Heat check

Low.

The student page, reduced, with the same page number as in the student edition.
Sample answers are blue, italic and start with a key symbol.
The educator column names the case, the page and this edition.
Blocks for this page, always in the same order.

How to use this educator edition

Each sheet shows one student page on the left and notes for you on the right. Student pages keep their page numbers in this book. Each case starts with a Case plan sheet.

The educator column

Pacing Minutes for the full chapter, and what to cut when you have one period.
Say this Prompts to read aloud, with a note on how to use each one.
Stop and think On reading passage pages: the passage questions and where each one falls.
Watch for A likely misconception, what it sounds like and what to do next.
Support Scaffolds, sentence frames and English and Spanish cognates.
Stretch A harder question or extension for students who are ready.
Heat check How likely the page is to start a hard conversation, and how to cool it down.
Standards The standards the task practices, on the task page.
Answer key Answers that are not printed on the student page.

Answers

A sample answer Each answer is a complete response a strong student could write. Your students’ wording will differ.

Heat check

Low: most students can discuss this without personal stakes.
Medium: the talk can turn personal. Use the cool-down.
High: plan the cool-down before class.

Plan the courseAP Seminar educator edition

Plan the course

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
1 Is the screening canceled?	Team inquiry: “How do communities decide what’s true when updates move through group chats?” Each member writes a short research report through one lens: journalism ethics, psychology of sharing, platform design or local institutions. Then the team presents one update protocol for a school or club.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team multimedia presentation	330	300	SPJ Code of Ethics
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?	Write an individual argument responding to a stimulus packet on the question “Do standardized formats measure what students know?”	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	274	250	CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?	Team multimedia presentation: “What does an organization owe people it misrepresents?” The team examines PR ethics, journalism standards, sociology of stereotypes and the view of the people affected, then presents a repair standard to a student club.	10-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense	330	300	PRSA Code of Ethics
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?	Team inquiry: “Who should pay for shared community space?” Members research one lens each (nonprofit finance, disability access, urban planning, neighbor relations), write individual reports, then present a recommendation to the Common Room board.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	330	300	ASPA Code of Ethics

Plan the course, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?	Team inquiry: “How should societies share the risks of old age, disability and illness?” Members research economics, history of Social Security, ethics and one other country’s social insurance, then present to classmates starting first jobs.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	350	300	PayrollOrg Code of Ethics
6 What can your family see in your college records?	Individual written argument on “How much should families know about a young adult’s life?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	295	250	AACRAO Ethics and Practice
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?	Team inquiry: “Who should decide what’s in a school library?” Members research librarians’ professional standards, parental rights views, state law trends and student perspectives, then present a model process.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	350	300	ALA Code of Ethics
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?	Team inquiry: “Should influencer disclosure rules change?” Members research consumer psychology, FTC policy, creator economics and teen media use, then present recommendations.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	334	300	FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255)
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?	Team inquiry: “Why do young people vote less in local elections, and what would change that?” Members research turnout data, registration rules, civic education and youth-led efforts, then present to student council.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	334	300	SPJ Code of Ethics

Plan the course, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?	Individual written argument on “Who is responsible for an accessible city?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	281	250	ASPA Code of Ethics
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?	Individual written argument on “Would pay transparency make workplaces fairer?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	282	250	SHRM Code of Ethics
12 When can a school limit what students say?	Team inquiry: “Where should schools draw the line on student expression?” Members research one lens each (U.S. law, education research on school climate, adolescent development, one other country’s approach) and present a model expression policy.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	322	300	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?	Individual written argument on “Should cities charge by how much trash households produce?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	282	250	FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260)
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?	Team inquiry: “Does copyright help or hurt young creators?” Members research artists’ income, remix culture, platform licensing and legal doctrine, then present guidance for student filmmakers.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	313	300	AIGA Standards of Professional Practice

Plan the course, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?	Individual written argument on “Do unpaid internships widen inequality?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	262	250	NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice
16 Who wrote the new building rule?	Individual written argument on “Is housing a right, a market good, or both?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	262	250	ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?	Team presentation: “How should limited public opportunities be allocated?” Members research lotteries, needs-based selection, merit and first-come systems in real programs, then present a recommendation to the crew.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	320	300	The Belmont Report
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?	Team inquiry: “How should school facility needs be prioritized fairly?” Members research equity vs. adequacy, capital planning, student voice and one district’s process, then present to a mock school board.	Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation	320	300	ASPA Code of Ethics
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?	Team multimedia presentation to a mock parks committee on the court-lights proposal, built from interviews with park users (with consent) and research on park use and noise.	8-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense	320	300	ASPA Code of Ethics

Plan the course, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Plan the course, continued

Case	Task	Students make	Full chapter, min	One period, min	Code of ethics
20 Can the crew post this image as true?	Individual written argument on “Can we still trust what we see?”, using a stimulus packet.	Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words	270	250	RTDNA Code of Ethics

Standards in this editionAP Seminar educator edition

Standards in this edition

Common Core codes come from our standards map for this grade band. Each code links to its official page.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence. Lessons 13, 14, 17 and 19

W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind. Lessons 1, 2, 3 and 4

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18 and 20

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience. Lessons 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives AP Seminar. Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20

Question and Explore AP Seminar. Big Idea 1: develop a focused question about an issue and explore many perspectives on it, checking their credibility. Lessons 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18 and 19

Synthesize Ideas AP Seminar. Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. Lessons 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 20

Team, Transform, and Transmit AP Seminar. Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. Lessons 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18 and 19

Understand and Analyze AP Seminar. Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. Lessons 2, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16 and 20

Professional standards in this editionAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition

A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. Codes for journalists and public relations are voluntary. The rules of professional conduct for lawyers are adopted in each state and can lead to discipline. The FTC guides are law-related guidance, not ethics codes.

SPJ Code of Ethics, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). Professional code.

Revised September 6, 2014, at SPJ's National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Who it binds: No one is legally bound. SPJ calls the code “not a set of rules” and says it is not legally enforceable under the First Amendment. SPJ encourages its use “by all people in all media.”

Seek Truth and Report It: Lessons 1, 9, 18 and 20

Minimize Harm: Lesson 19

spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics

RTDNA Code of Ethics, Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Professional code.

Revised code adopted June 11, 2015.

Who it binds: Journalists in broadcast and digital news, as guidance. RTDNA says the code “does not dictate what journalists should do in every ethical predicament.” It is not a law.

Truth and accuracy above all: Lessons 1 and 20

Independence and transparency: Lessons 3 and 14

Opening statement (before the guiding principles): Lesson 9

rtdna.org/ethics

Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge), Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), the student organization of PRSA. Professional code.

No date shown on the page.

Who it binds: PRSSA student members. PRSSA asks members to follow its Code of Ethics and Conduct and encourages chapters to have members sign the pledge when they join. PRSSA lists the same six professional values as PRSA and says it “models its ethics guidelines after those of its parent organization, PRSA.” It does not say it adopts the PRSA Code word for word. The pledge says members who violate it may be barred from PRSA membership.

PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge): Lesson 1

prsa.org/prssa/about-prssa/ethical-principles

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Professional code.

No adoption date shown on the page.

Who it binds: Special education professionals, who CEC says “are guided by” these principles and standards. It is not a law; IDEA and Section 504 are the laws.

Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment: Lesson 2

Special Education Professional Ethical Principles: Lesson 2

exceptionalchildren.org/standards/ethical-principles-and-practice-standards

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, National Education Association (NEA). Professional code.

Adopted by the 1975 NEA Representative Assembly. NEA's web page, titled “Code of Ethics for Educators,” was published September 14, 2020.

Who it binds: Educators, including education support professionals. NEA says the code states “the aspiration of all educators” and that only NEA and its affiliates set remedies for violations. It is not a state licensing rule or a law.

Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8: Lesson 2

Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2: Lesson 7

nea.org/resource-library/code-ethics-educators

PRSA Code of Ethics, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Professional code.

First developed in 1950. The current code was adopted by PRSA members in October 2000, according to PRSA's Board of Ethics and Professional Standards handbook. The page shows no later revision date.

Who it binds: PRSA members. PRSA says the code “applies to PRSA members.” It is voluntary: PRSA says it has no legislative or government power to enforce it, though its board can bar or expel members sanctioned by a government agency or convicted in court for conduct that breaks the code.

Free Flow of Information: Lessons 3 and 8

Disclosure of Information: Lessons 12 and 20

Competition: Lesson 14

prsa.org/professional-development/prsa-resources/ethics

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

Credo for Ethical Communication, National Communication Association (NCA). Professional code.

Approved by the NCA Legislative Council in 1999; reaffirmed in 2011; reaffirmed with edits in 2017 and 2024.

Who it binds: NCA members, who “endorse and are committed to practicing” its nine principles. It is a statement of values with no enforcement process.

“We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences of our own communication…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 3

“We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 6 and 9

“We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lessons 7 and 16

“We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 18

“We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles): Lesson 19

natcom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Credo-for-Ethical-Communication-Revised-Clean-2024.pdf

ASPA Code of Ethics, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Professional code.

Revised 2013. ASPA has promoted ethical standards for public servants since 1984.

Who it binds: ASPA members, who “may be sanctioned” for failing to uphold it. ASPA also aims to raise awareness among “all those who work in public service in all sectors.”

5. Fully Inform and Advise.: Lessons 4 and 18

3. Promote democratic participation.: Lessons 4, 10 and 19

4. Strengthen social equity.: Lesson 17

aspanet.org/ASPA/Code-of-Ethics/ASPA/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics.aspx

ALA Code of Ethics, American Library Association (ALA). Professional code.

Adopted in 1939; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.

Who it binds: Librarians, library trustees and library staff, as a framework. ALA says the principles “cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.”

Principle 1 (of 9): Lesson 4

Principle 2 (of 9): Lesson 7

ala.org/tools/ethics

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, PayrollOrg. Professional code.

No date shown on the document.

Who it binds: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg. It is not a law; tax and wage laws are separate.

Item 2: Lesson 5

Item 5: Lesson 5

info.payroll.org/pdfs/members/PAYO-code-of-ethics.pdf

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Professional code.

No date shown on the page.

Who it binds: IABC members, who must agree to the code when they apply and renew. IABC can end the membership of anyone found to have violated it.

“I communicate accurate information”: Lesson 5

“I protect confidential information”: Lesson 11

“I do not guarantee results”: Lesson 13

iabc.com/about/what-we-do/standards/code-of-ethics

AACRAO Ethics and Practice, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Professional code.

Adopted by the AACRAO Board on December 3, 2009; amended March 31, 2010; ratified by members April 23, 2010; reviewed without changes in 2016 and 2019.

Who it binds: AACRAO members, such as college registrars and admissions officers. It is not a law; FERPA is the federal law on education records.

Standards of professional practice: Lesson 6

Principles of professional ethics: Lesson 6

aacrao.org/resource/ethics-and-practice

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.

Current text as revised July 26, 2023 (88 FR 48102), read on the eCFR.

Who it binds: Advertisers, endorsers (including influencers and reviewers) and intermediaries such as PR firms, under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The Guides are the FTC's “administrative interpretations” of that law. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.

§ 255.5 Disclosure of material connections: Lesson 8

§ 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f): Lesson 8

ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-255

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists, National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). Professional code.

No revision date shown on the page.

Who it binds: Visual journalists (news photographers and video journalists) and the people who manage visual news. The code says they “are accountable for upholding” its ten standards. It is not a law.

Code of Ethics, standard 3: Lesson 10

nppa.org/resources/code-ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, American Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility. Professional code.

Adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 1983 and amended since.

Who it binds: Lawyers. The ABA writes the Model Rules as a model. Each state adopts its own rules of professional conduct, most based on this model, and those rules bind the lawyers it licenses. Lawyers can be disciplined for breaking them. The rules do not bind people who are not lawyers.

Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions: Lessons 10 and 16

Rule 2.1 Advisor: Lesson 12

Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others: Lesson 15

Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person: Lesson 15

americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

SHRM Code of Ethics, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Professional code.

As amended April 24, 2023.

Who it binds: SHRM members (human resources professionals). SHRM's bylaws set disciplinary procedures for violations.

Fairness and Justice: Lesson 11

Use of Information: Lesson 11

shrm.org/legal/bylaws-and-code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, AIGA, the professional association for design. Professional code.

Text read in AIGA's Design Business + Ethics (2009 edition). AIGA's current web page for the standards could not be opened.

Who it binds: AIGA members. AIGA says the standards “represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.”

The designer’s responsibility to the public: Lesson 12

The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment: Lesson 13

The designer’s responsibility to other designers: Lesson 14

aiga.org/resources/aiga-standards-of-professional-practice

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260), Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Law or regulation.

October 11, 2012 (77 FR 62124), current text read on the eCFR.

Who it binds: Marketers who make environmental claims, such as calling a product “recyclable.” The Guides say they “do not operate to bind the FTC or the public,” but the FTC can act under Section 5 of the FTC Act against claims that are deceptive. They are law-related guidance, not an ethics code.

§ 260.12 Recyclable claims: Lesson 13

ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-260

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Professional code.

Approved by the NACE Board of Directors in 2017; updated 2025.

Who it binds: NACE members: college career-services staff and employers' recruiting staff, who “are expected to use the Principles.”

4. Comply with laws: Lesson 15

naceweb.org/career-development/organizational-structure/principles-for-ethical-professional-practice

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Professional standards in this edition, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Professional standards in this edition, continued

The Belmont Report, National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Research ethics.

Published in the Federal Register on April 18, 1979 (44 FR 23192).

Who it binds: Researchers who study people. It is a statement of ethical principles for research with human subjects. It is not a membership code, and by itself it is not a law.

B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice: Lesson 17

C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent: Lesson 17

govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1979-04-18/pdf/FR-1979-04-18.pdf

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Access, language and discussionAP Seminar educator edition

Access, language and discussion

Supports in this edition

Vocabulary: Keep the five big ideas visible and name which one each work session practices.
Read aloud: Offer recordings or read-alouds of dense stimulus sources.
Bilingual planning: Allow research in any language with sources documented, and allow planning in any language. Never ask a student to disclose a disability, immigration status, family finances or private records to take part.
Oral rehearsal: Run a practice oral defense with peer questioners before the graded presentation.
Other ways to respond: Allow visual research maps and recorded rehearsals as process evidence.

Cognates

The terms and evidence sheets list English and Spanish cognates in the Support block, such as context (contexto). Point them out before reading. A fluent Spanish reader checks every list before release.

Heat check

Every sheet rates how likely the page is to start a hard conversation.

Low: most students can discuss it without personal stakes.
Medium: use the cool-down if talk turns personal.
High: plan the cool-down before class.

No one has to share

No student needs to share private experiences, create a social media account or post publicly. Students can answer every question with the evidence on the page.

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How this book worksAP Seminar student edition

How this book works

Each case is a short chapter. The pages follow the same order in every case, so you learn the layout once.

What happened Read the story and the question you will answer.
Key terms Learn the words the case needs, each with its Spanish word.
Reading passage Read a longer passage about the case. Stop and think at each question.
Look at the evidence Read each document. Write what it shows and what it leaves out.
Key idea and In the news Read the idea behind the case, a code of ethics and two real news stories.
Sort the evidence Decide which evidence supports each claim and whose view is missing.
Practice Choose the best response and fix two phrases in a student’s draft.
Your task Follow the numbered steps, plan in the boxes and write your draft.
Check your work Answer yes-or-no questions and mark your level in the rubric.
Questions to discuss Write short answers, then finish My take.
Talk about this case at home Take home a page of questions for your family.

Labels on the page

Evidence AGroup-chat post

A document from the case. Read it closely and compare it with the other documents.

Real sourcePublisherDate

A real news story, code or study. Scan its code to read the original.

Directions on each page

On your ownA short direction under a heading tells you what to do if you work without a teacher, and about how long it takes.

When a page continues

Some sections run onto a second page. Its heading says “continued,” and it keeps the next page number.

Filling in this book

Fill it in on paper or in a PDF app. Save a copy before you type.
What you type stays on your device. Nothing is sent to us.
Do not write private information about yourself or other people.

How this book worksAP Seminar educator edition

Say this

“Every case in this book follows the same order, so you learn the layout once.” — Point to the list of sections as you say it.

“An “Evidence” label marks a document from the case. A “Real source” label names its publisher and date.” — Ask two students to find one of each in Lesson 1.

Watch for

Misconception: Every document in a chapter comes from the news. Listen for: “Where was this group chat published?” Then: Point to the labels. Evidence documents belong to the case; a real source always names its publisher and date.

Support

Read the page aloud with the class.

Show the “On your own” strip on one case page before students work alone.

Repeat the rule: do not write private information about yourself or other people.

ContentsAP Seminar student edition

1 Is the screening canceled?3
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?23
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?44
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?65
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?85
6 What can your family see in your college records?105
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?125
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?145
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?165
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?186
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?206
12 When can a school limit what students say?226
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?246
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?267
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?288
16 Who wrote the new building rule?308
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?329
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?349
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?369
20 Can the crew post this image as true?389

Lesson 1Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

Content note

The optional film clip from The Hunger Games (2012) shows coercion and danger to young people. Preview it before class, or skip it, because students need only the evidence in the story.

Overview

Students read a short story about a neighborhood screening. A cropped seven-second clip in the crew’s group chat seems to say the event is canceled. Students compare the post with two documents, the coordinator’s meeting transcript and a booking email, and decide what the evidence supports. They then write a short group-chat update that corrects the claim and says which entrance to use.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

judge a source’s credibility from its author, date and purpose

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a focused research question from the case

Objectives, continued

investigate the question through one disciplinary lens

evaluate outside sources for credibility

synthesize the team’s lenses into one update protocol and name its limits

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The lens assignment sheet and the source-credibility tracker

Two or three educator-approved outside sources per student

Slides or poster paper for an 8-minute team presentation

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “How do communities decide what’s true when updates move through group chats?” Each member writes a short research report through one lens: journalism ethics, psychology of sharing, platform design or local institutions. Then the team presents one update protocol for a school or club.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team multimedia presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 3): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key terms (pages 4 and 5): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (page 9): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Look at the evidence (page 10): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key idea (pages 11 and 12): 20 min. Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Sort the evidence (page 13): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Practice (page 14): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 15 and 16): 40 min. Short on time: 40 min.

Your draft (page 17): 160 min. Short on time: 150 min. Students finish the report outside class.

Check your work (pages 18 and 19): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 20 and 21): 20 min. Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 4. The team protocol answers it.

Talk about this case at home (page 22): at home.

Periods: full chapter 330 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Plan 1

Lesson 1Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 1 plan, continued

Standards

Question and Explore Big Idea 1: develop a focused question about an issue and explore many perspectives on it, checking their credibility. In this case: Students frame a research question about truth in group chats.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Each lens adds a distinct perspective on the same rumor.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team transforms research into a protocol presentation.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.

W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.

W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.

Standards, continued

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals (professional values and member pledge): PRSSA Code of Ethics and Conduct (member pledge)

Heat map

Opener (page 3): Low

Key terms (pages 4 and 5): Low

Look at the evidence (page 9): Low

Look at the evidence (page 10): Low

Key idea (pages 11 and 12): Low

Sort the evidence (page 13): Medium

Practice (page 14): Medium

Check your work (pages 18 and 19): Low

Try it at your school

Find out how your school sends urgent updates.

Ask a teacher or front-office staff which channel carries official changes (email, app, website)

Save the official channel so you can check it before reposting

Next time a screenshot circulates, post “still checking” instead of a verdict

Suggest to your student council that urgent updates include the original link

Who to ask: Front-office staff, a teacher, the student council advisor or a school librarian

Safety: Don’t share other people’s names or messages from a private chat. Check any official source with a trusted adult if it asks for personal information.

Sources

Scholastic, “Sunrise on the Reaping announcement,” June 6, 2024

Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993

Society of Professional Journalists, “SPJ Code of Ethics,” September 6, 2014

Plan 1b

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

A cropped clip in the group chat seems to cancel the crew’s screening, so you check the original documents and write an update.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the sentence that worries the crew. About 10 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. New skill: Find the original source.

Gia and Mateo read the message about tonight’s screening.

What happened

It is Friday afternoon at the Common Room, a shared event space inside a bookshop in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Mateo, 22, booked the room for tonight’s 6 p.m. screening, the crew’s first in the neighborhood. He has been moving tables and chairs all afternoon.

Gia, 21, is helping between her class and her shift at a café. Jordy is testing the projector and captions. Sami is on her way from the print shop.

At 4:52 p.m., someone forwards a seven-second clip to the group chat. The clip comes from a meeting about the room. Its caption asks whether the screening is canceled.

Gia wants to warn people before they leave home. Mateo hopes the post is wrong. Gia has about ten minutes before she has to leave for work.

Your question: Is the screening really canceled, and what should the crew tell people?

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 10 minutes.

Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

En español: afirmación

In this case: The caption “Screening canceled?” is a claim. It ends with a question mark, and no document confirms it.

Context Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.

En español: contexto

In this case: The full transcript adds the words “through that reader tonight.” Those words show that only the broken side door is closing.

Framing Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

En español: encuadre

In this case: The crop and the caption choose what viewers notice: “removing access,” not “through that reader.”

Holding statement A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.

En español: comunicado provisional

In this case: Jordy posts: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.”

Who is involved

Mateo

Booked the room for tonight

“I’ve been moving these tables all afternoon. Please tell me we didn’t cancel this in a group chat.”

Gia

Leaving soon for a café shift

“Sami’s already on the train from the print shop. “We’re figuring it out” doesn’t tell her whether to keep coming.”

Lesson 1Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will come back to it at the end.” — Keep first guesses private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “claim” as “lie.” Listen for: “The claim is fake.” Then: Reread the definition. A claim can turn out to be true or false; evidence decides.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Frame: “A claim is ___. In this case, the claim is ___.”

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is going on?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the event is off, because the coordinator is on video saying access is being removed.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Whose version travels fastest

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.

Words to know

Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.
Holding statement: A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.

The story: A real clip with a false caption

By late Friday afternoon, the Common Room is almost ready. The event space, tucked inside a Fort Greene bookshop, has rows of folding chairs that Mateo has been arranging since lunch. Jordy is checking whether the projector’s captions are readable from the back row. Gia has about ten minutes before she has to leave for a café shift. Sami, who uses a manual wheelchair and usually enters through the side door, is already on the train from the print shop.

At 4:52 p.m., a seven-second clip reaches the group chat. It comes from a meeting about the room. The coordinator says, “we are removing access,” and the clip ends. The forwarded caption supplies the conclusion the video does not: “They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?”

Nothing about the clip is fabricated. That is what makes it persuasive. The voice is real, the words are real and the meeting happened. Gia’s instinct is protective. People are already asking whether to turn around, and she wants to save them a trip. Mateo’s instinct is hopeful, and he says plainly that he wants the clip to be fake. Jordy’s instinct comes from editing. A sentence that stops at “access” usually has more after it.

Your role in this case is specific. You are the one who reads the full transcript before Gia posts. Every reply the crew sends will be read by people making decisions on the move, so the order of the crew’s next three steps matters.

Stop and think. Why can a real clip mislead people more easily than a fake one?

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Reading the record against the clip

The caption makes a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. Two documents test it. The coordinator’s 3:30 p.m. transcript reads: “The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.” Mateo’s booking email from Tuesday confirms Friday, 6 to 9 p.m., a step-free front entrance and staff at the desk from 5:30.

Set side by side, the documents show that the clip is accurate but incomplete. Context, the information around a quote that you need to understand what it means, narrows “removing access” to a single broken reader. The email adds something the transcript does not: the front entrance is step-free. It also leaves something out. It was sent before Friday’s meeting, so it says nothing about the side door.

The crew’s response follows the evidence in order. First, Jordy sends a holding statement, a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more: “We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.” Notice what it avoids. It does not repeat the word “canceled,” and it does not call the clip fake. Then Gia posts the correction in the same chat where the rumor spread, with the time, the entrance and the original update. Jordy captions it so it can be read without sound. Mateo keeps a link to the full transcript beside the cropped clip.

Stop and think. The holding statement avoids the word “canceled.” What might happen if it repeated the word, even to deny it?

Selection, emphasis and who controls the story

Robert Entman’s research defines framing through two actions: selecting some aspects of a situation and making them more salient (Robert M. Entman, “Framing,” 1993). In plain terms, framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The seven-second crop is a frame built by subtraction. It selects “removing access” and removes the qualifier. Analyzing a frame does not require proving anyone’s motive. It requires showing what was selected and what was left out.

The pattern reaches far beyond one group chat. When Suzanne Collins announced a new Hunger Games novel, her publisher quoted her on propaganda and “the power of those who control the narrative” (Scholastic, June 6, 2024). In the 2012 film’s reaping scene, the Capitol stages an official ceremony, yet it cannot control how the crowd reacts when Katniss volunteers for Prim. In our reading, the scene and the clip raise the same question: whose version does the edit make easiest to see?

Research suggests the defense is teachable. A Stanford study found that most of 3,446 students judged posts by how they looked rather than by who made them (Stanford Graduate School of Education, November 18, 2019).

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Selection, emphasis and who controls the story, continued

A district-wide field study in high school government classes found that teaching lateral reading measurably improved how students judged online claims (Wineburg et al., Journal of Educational Psychology, July 2022). News organizations hold themselves to a similar standard. The RTDNA code warns that “trending” or “going viral” may increase urgency, but these “only heighten the need for strict standards of accuracy” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). Finding the original source is the first skill in this series, and every later case builds on it.

Stop and think. Entman says a frame works by selection and emphasis. What did the crew’s correction select and emphasize?

Sources

Real sourceRobert M. Entman1993

Framing

Real sourceScholasticJune 6, 2024

Sunrise on the Reaping announcement

Real sourceStanford Graduate School of EducationNovember 18, 2019

High school students are unprepared to judge the credibility of information on the internet, according to Stanford researchers

Real sourceJournal of Educational Psychology (Wineburg et al.)July 2022

Lateral reading on the open Internet: A district-wide field study in high school government classes

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015

RTDNA Code of Ethics

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 15 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post, Friday 4:52 p.m.

The post

They’re removing access tonight. Screening canceled?” A seven-second clip is attached. In it, the coordinator says “we are removing access,” and the clip ends there.

Look closely: Which word in the caption goes further than the clip itself?

What it shows

A real clip, and a caption that turns “removing access” into a cancellation.

What it leaves out

The next words of the sentence, who cropped the clip and when the meeting took place.

Evidence BCoordinator’s meeting transcript, Friday 3:30 p.m.

The full update

“The side-door reader is broken. We are removing access through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place. Use the staffed front entrance while we repair it.”

Look closely: Which four words narrow what “access” means? Underline them.

What it shows

“Through that reader” narrows “access” to one door. Existing bookings stay in place.

What it leaves out

Whether every visitor can use the temporary entrance, and how long the repair will take.

Lesson 1Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in Evidence B.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the clip fake. Listen for: “It’s fake news.” Then: Ask which word in the clip is wrong. None is. The clip is real; the context is missing.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Read the transcript aloud and offer a recording for replay.

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Stretch

Ask which document proves the time and which proves the door, and why the email cannot say anything about the side door.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CBooking email to Mateo, sent Tuesday

The booking email

Friday, 6–9 p.m. Screening confirmed. Front entrance: step-free. Staff member at the desk from 5:30 p.m. Contact the coordinator for arrival support.

Look closely: What does this confirm? What does it not say about the side door?

What it shows

A separate record of the booking that agrees with the transcript on the entrance.

What it leaves out

The broken reader. It was sent on Tuesday, three days before the Friday meeting.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether every visitor can use the staffed front entrance (the email says step-free, not that every arrival need is covered), who first cropped the clip and why, and how many people already changed their plans.

Notes

Lesson 1Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the last word of the clip. What would you need to hear next?” — Wait for someone to find “through that reader” in Evidence B.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the clip fake. Listen for: “It’s fake news.” Then: Ask which word in the clip is wrong. None is. The clip is real; the context is missing.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Read the transcript aloud and offer a recording for replay.

Cognates: context (contexto), evidence (evidencia), original (original), correction (corrección), confirm (confirmar), cancel (cancelar), access (acceso), transcript (transcripción).

Stretch

Ask which document proves the time and which proves the door, and why the email cannot say anything about the side door.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: framing

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 20 minutes.

The clip in the group chat is real, but that only tells you the video is authentic. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means. Here, the clip stops before the rest of the coordinator’s sentence, so the clip alone cannot confirm the caption’s claim.

Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. Media researcher Robert Entman uses this idea to study what messages select and emphasize. The crop makes “removing access” stand out and hides “through that reader,” the words that limit the change to one broken side door. You do not have to prove that anyone meant to mislead people. You only need to show what the edit leaves out.

A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. It gives people a next step while the crew checks the documents. The correction that follows needs the time, the door and a contact for arrival help. People who are already traveling need those details before they arrive.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

“Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.”

In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code check a claim against the original source before they share it.

Question: What does the full meeting transcript say right after the point where the seven-second clip ends?

Your answer

The transcript goes on to say ___, which means ___.

The transcript goes on to say “through that reader tonight. Existing room bookings remain in place.” The clip stops just before the words that limit “access.”

Lesson 1Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Say this

“A frame is what a message chooses to show. What did this clip choose?” — Accept “the scary part” and ask for the exact words.

“The SPJ code says to use original sources whenever possible. Which document here is the original?” — Wait for the transcript.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the SPJ code as a law. Listen for: “They could get arrested for that.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The SPJ code is not a law.”

Support

Read the code card aloud. Point out the label: it is a quotation from a real code.

Stretch

Read the RTDNA line about going viral. Ask what Jordy can tell Sami right now that they know is accurate.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)January 22, 2019

Check Yourself with Lateral Reading: Crash Course Navigating Digital Information #3

Shows the move the crew makes: leave the screenshot, open new tabs and check who made it and what other sources say.

Real sourcePolitiFactAugust 1, 2022

Viral image shows fake story from The Atlantic about Biden

A real fact-check of a fabricated news screenshot: the image looked official, but the outlet never published it.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim. Write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 15 minutes.

Draw an arrow from each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Which claim is left standing, and which gap still needs a check before you post?

Evidence	Claim 1The screening is canceled.	Claim 2The screening is on; use the staffed front entrance.
1 The clip: “we are removing access…” ends mid-sentence.	Supports	Neither
2 The transcript: access is removed “through that reader,” and existing bookings remain in place.	Challenges	Neither
3 The booking email: Friday 6–9 p.m., screening confirmed, step-free front entrance.	Challenges	Supports

Still open

Can every visitor use the temporary entrance?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

People who already changed their plans after the first post. Nobody knows how many there are, so I would ask how the correction will reach people who left the chat.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the message you would send and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 10 minutes.

The post arrived a few minutes ago, and nobody has checked the original yet. What do you send to the group chat?

A Cancel your plans before you travel.
B We’re checking the original. Hold your plans for a moment.
C The post is fake. Ignore it.

Why I chose it

B. A spreads the claim the crew is checking, and C swaps one unsupported claim for another. B is the only message the evidence supports before anyone checks.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hey everyone, so there was a clip going around that said the screening was canceled but 1 that is NOT true lol. Someone didn’t watch the whole thing and posted it anyway which is kind of annoying. I checked with Mateo and he said the booking is still good. They are just removing access through one door so everything is fine and 2 you can come like normal. The event is still happening Friday. Bring snacks if you want, Jordy is doing the projector. See you there!! Also if you have questions ask Mateo.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

The clip is real but ends before “through that reader tonight.”

Rewrite phrase 2

The side-door reader is broken. Use the staffed, step-free front entrance.

Lesson 1PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Nobody has checked the original yet. Which message do you send?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose “The post is fake.” Listen for: “Just ignore it.” Then: Ask for a false word in the clip. There is none.

Heat check

Medium. Students may guess why the clip was posted.

Cool-down: Say the documents do not show why. Go back to the options.

Answer key

A revised version: Update on Friday’s screening: it is still on, 6–9 p.m. The clip going around cut off mid-sentence. The full update from the coordinator says the side-door card reader is broken, so that door is closed tonight, but existing bookings are still in place. Please use the staffed front entrance, which is step-free. Staff will be at the desk from 5:30. I checked the coordinator’s transcript and Mateo’s booking email. If you need help arriving, message the coordinator before you leave. Thanks for waiting while we checked. Jordy is still confirming arrival support with the coordinator.

Other notes on the draft:

“Someone didn’t watch the whole thing and posted it anyway” This guesses at the poster’s motive. The sources don’t tell us what they knew.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 40 minutes.

Team inquiry: “How do communities decide what’s true when updates move through group chats?” Each member writes a short research report through one lens: journalism ethics, psychology of sharing, platform design or local institutions. Then the team presents one update protocol for a school or club.

Use: Case documents plus two or three credible outside sources per student (educator-approved).

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team multimedia presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one lens: journalism ethics, psychology of sharing, platform design or local institutions.
Write a focused research question for your lens.
Find two or three approved sources. Rate each one in the credibility tracker.
Draft your report’s opening paragraph on the Your draft page.
Write the full report, 800 to 1,000 words, in the online workspace.
Bring your team one source that complicates its preferred protocol.
Build an 8-minute presentation with your team that proposes one protocol.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My lens

Journalism ethics

Lesson 1Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 40 min.

Short on time: 40 min.

Say this

“Each lens asks a different question about the same rumor. What would a platform designer ask that a journalist would not?” — Take one answer per lens before teams split up.

Watch for

Misconception: Research questions are too broad to answer. Listen for: “How does social media affect society?” Then: Ask who, where and what kind of update. Narrow to one kind of group.

Support

Lens assignment sheet

Source-credibility tracker

Slide storyboard for an 8-minute presentation

Question frame: “How can ___ (a group) ___ when ___?”

Stretch

Each member must bring one source that complicates the team’s preferred protocol.

Standards

AP Seminar: Question and Explore; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; RI.11-12.7; W.11-12.1.a; W.11-12.1.b; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

My research question

What can a journalism code teach a club about posting urgent updates from group chats?

Case evidence my lens can explain

The SPJ code says, “Use original sources whenever possible.” The crew’s original was the coordinator’s full transcript.

A point that complicates our protocol

The SPJ code is written for journalists, and a club is not a newsroom, so some of its standards may not fit.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 160 minutes.

Your report’s opening paragraph

At 4:52 p.m., a seven-second clip reached the crew’s group chat with a caption that asked whether the screening was canceled. The full transcript showed that only a broken side-door reader was losing access. This report asks what a journalism code can teach a club about posting urgent updates. The SPJ Code of Ethics tells journalists, “Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.” No one is legally bound by the code, but its habits fit a club that posts updates for its members.

Our team’s protocol, first draft

1. Before anyone posts about a change, one person finds the original update. 2. The first post says what we are checking and when we will post again. 3. The correction gives the time, the place and a link to the original.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research question focused and answerable?
YesNo
Does your report represent your lens accurately?
YesNo
Did you bring one source that complicates the team’s protocol?
YesNo
Does the presentation name the protocol’s limits and next steps?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Repeats the screenshot’s claim or ignores the documents.	Mentions a source but not the detail that changes the meaning.	Uses the transcript or email to correct the claim accurately.	Uses both documents and names what they still cannot confirm.
Reasoning	Treats the clip as fake or as final.	Corrects the claim but adds a guess about motive.	Explains the difference between an entrance change and a cancellation.	Explains how the crop produced the wrong conclusion and avoids inventing motive.
Audience & purpose	Message would not help someone decide whether to leave.	Gives the verdict but leaves out time or entrance.	Gives time, entrance and a contact.	Anticipates access needs and people who saw only the original post.

Lesson 1Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Circulate and ask for one added fact or one removed guess.

Watch for

Misconception: Students make surface edits only. Listen for: “I fixed the spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for one added fact or one removed guess.

Support

Let students mark rubric levels with a partner before they revise.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the team presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses the transcript or email to correct the claim accurately.

Reasoning: Explains the difference between an entrance change and a cancellation.

Audience & purpose: Gives time, entrance and a contact.

Revision: Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim.

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change after feedback.	Surface edits only.	Adds a missing fact or removes an unsupported claim.	Explains why each edit makes the update more usable.

One limit of our protocol

Our protocol does not ___.

Our protocol does not reach people who left the chat before the correction.

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I narrowed my question from “social media” to “urgent updates from group chats,” because my sources could not answer the bigger question.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 20 minutes.

1 The clip is real. How did it lead people to the wrong conclusion?

The crop selected the words about removing access, and the caption made cancellation the most noticeable idea. No word in the clip was false.

2 Should the crew say why they think the clip was posted? Why or why not?

No. The sources cannot show motive, and the rubric treats a guess about motive as a reasoning gap. The crew can correct the claim without judging the person.

3 Jordy’s holding message does not repeat the word “canceled.” Why might that matter?

Repeating the word would put the rumor in front of readers again. A message that names only what is being checked keeps the claim from spreading.

4 What rule could the Common Room adopt for urgent updates? What would the rule cost?

Link the coordinator’s original update in the first post about any change. The cost is a slower first message while some people are already traveling.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should correct the claim with the time, the entrance and a link to the transcript, without guessing at motive.

Lesson 1Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 4. The team protocol answers it.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a feeling about the poster.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Map how the rumor would travel through three different chats and who would miss the correction.

Going further: Ask who has already changed plans because of the post, and how the crew can reach them. Then write two truthful captions for the correction. What does each one make a reader notice first?

Going further: Trace the clip back to the full meeting transcript. When you share the clip, keep the sentence before it and the words that come right after it.

Going further: Make a 20-second correction video with readable captions and a link to the source.

Going further: Ask a teacher or someone in the front office which channel carries official changes, such as email, an app or the school website. Save that channel so you can check it before you repost a screenshot.

Write a one-paragraph policy for how the Common Room posts urgent updates

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The transcript, because it narrows “access” to one reader and keeps existing bookings in place.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Speed matters more than accuracy when people are already on the train.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document says whether every visitor can use the front entrance.

I would change my mind if ___.

The coordinator reported a second problem with the room.

Notes

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?

In this case, a short video clip in a group chat makes a group of friends think their movie night is canceled. Your student compared the clip with the full meeting notes and a booking email, then wrote a message that corrects the mix-up.

Questions to talk about

What would you check before you share a screenshot?
Where does your school post official updates, such as closings?
What makes a correction easy to trust?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

Lesson 2Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

Content note

This case discusses disability, evaluations and support plans. No student should share their own grades, diagnosis or support plan, so keep the discussion on Dec’s situation.

Overview

Students read about Dec, a high school senior who explains a circuit well out loud but loses his place on a dense practice sheet. They sort the evidence into what is observed, what might explain it and what is not established, using a summary of the IDEA evaluation rule. They then redesign the practice sheet or draft a support request that Dec could approve.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a set of sources for their arguments

compare at least three perspectives on one question

outline a line of reasoning before drafting

Objectives

Students will be able to:

draw a focused research question from a stimulus packet

evaluate student, teacher and research perspectives

Objectives, continued

synthesize the sources into an original argument

propose a feasible resolution and name its limits

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The stimulus packet: the case, the CAST UDL summary, one article on assessment validity and one teacher perspective on workload

The perspective map and the line-of-reasoning outline

Access to the online workspace for the full argument

The task in this edition

Task: Write an individual argument responding to a stimulus packet on the question “Do standardized formats measure what students know?”

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 23): 8 min. Short on time: 6 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Pacing, continued

Key terms (pages 24 and 25): 8 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Key idea (pages 31 and 32): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the code of ethics card.

Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Practice (page 35): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 36 and 37): 30 min. Short on time: 30 min.

Your draft (page 38): 150 min. Short on time: 150 min.

Check your work (pages 39 and 40): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the rubric boxes. Use your teacher-adapted rubric instead.

Questions to discuss (pages 41 and 42): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip question 3.

Talk about this case at home (page 43): at home.

Periods: full chapter 274 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Plan 2

Lesson 2Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 2 plan, continued

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze arguments in the stimulus about assessment.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students weigh student, teacher and research perspectives.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students build their own argument from the sources.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.

W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.

W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.

Standards, continued

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Professional Ethical Principles

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 8

Heat map

Opener (page 23): Medium

Key terms (pages 24 and 25): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 29 and 30): Low

Key idea (pages 31 and 32): Low

Sort the evidence (pages 33 and 34): Medium

Practice (page 35): Medium

Heat map, continued

Check your work (pages 39 and 40): Low

Try it at your school

Learn your school’s route for asking about support.

Find your school’s student handbook or website page on learning support

Write one question you’d want answered, without naming a classmate

Ask a counselor who handles support requests and how parents or students start one

If a friend is struggling, ask them what they want before doing anything

Who to ask: School counselor, special-education coordinator or a teacher you trust

Safety: Don’t share anyone’s grades, diagnosis or support plan. A parent or guardian usually has to be part of a formal evaluation request for students under 18.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, “IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures),” No date listed

CAST, “Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0,” 2024

Plan 2b

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

Dec can explain a circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet, so the crew asks what the task measures.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline what Dec can do out loud and where he gets stuck. About 8 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows. New skill: Check what a task is meant to measure.

Dec points to a small light circuit on the table while Anika watches.

What happened

Anika, 16, and Dec, 17, are at the study table twenty minutes before theater rehearsal. They are building a light circuit for a school set. Dec can explain out loud how the current travels through the circuit. On the written practice sheet, he loses his place in the instructions.

The sheet has six dense paragraphs and one small diagram. Anika’s first idea is to run the same timed practice sheet again. Then she draws a larger sketch, and Dec traces the whole circuit correctly.

Mari, 19, is on her break from the bookshop. She does not assume she knows why Dec is stuck. Dec wants help with this task, but he does not want a diagnosis from the group chat.

Your question: Does the practice sheet show what Dec knows, and what should Dec ask his teacher?

Lesson 2OpenerAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 6 min. Read What happened aloud. Skip the opening question.

Say this

“Dec can explain the circuit out loud. What could make a written sheet harder than talking?” — Set the norm first: nobody shares their own grades or support plans. Take two or three answers.

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Dec is not trying. Listen for: “He just needs to focus.” Then: Ask what the story says Dec can do. Write “explains the circuit out loud” on the board.

Support

Read What happened aloud while students follow along.

Sketch a simple circuit on the board: battery, switch, LED.

Heat check

Medium. Students may link Dec’s struggle to their own diagnosis or a classmate’s.

Cool-down: Restate the norm: we talk about Dec and the worksheet only. Nobody shares grades, diagnoses or support plans.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 8 minutes.

Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.

En español: meta de aprendizaje

In this case: The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed or reading six dense paragraphs.

Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.

En español: evaluación

In this case: Dec’s practice sheet is not an evaluation. It is one observation the crew can describe to a teacher.

Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.

En español: elegibilidad

In this case: A practice sheet cannot show whether Dec is eligible for special education. Under IDEA, no single measure can be the only basis for that decision.

Who is involved

Dec

Theater crew, working on the circuit sheet

“I can show you where the current goes. Then I get halfway through the written question and lose my place.”

Anika

Studying the circuit with Dec

“I kept pointing at the page and saying “it’s right there.” I never looked at how the question was written.”

Lesson 2Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will come back to it at the end.” — Keep first guesses private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think “evaluation” means any test. Listen for: “The worksheet was his evaluation.” Then: Reread the definition. An evaluation is a formal school process, not a practice sheet.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

Frame: “A learning goal is ___. In this case, the goal is ___.”

Cognates: evaluation (evaluación), eligibility (elegibilidad), circuit (circuito), diagram (diagrama), observation (observación), format (formato), instructions (instrucciones), diagnosis (diagnóstico).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Dec gets stuck on the worksheet?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the sheet tests reading more than circuits, because Dec can explain the circuit out loud.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

One score, two explanations

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Learning goal: A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.
Evaluation: An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.
Eligibility: Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.
Context: Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.

The story: What the study table shows

Twenty minutes before rehearsal, the study table looks like a small workshop. Anika, a high school junior who helps build theater sets, and Dec, a senior who pulls the curtain at every show, are wiring a light circuit for a school set. Dec can narrate the path of the current without hesitating: out of the battery, through the switch and the LED, and back. The written practice sheet stops him. It asks students to read six dense paragraphs, use one small diagram and answer four questions in complete sentences. Partway through, Dec loses track of which line the question wants him to follow.

Each friend responds according to habit. Anika, who likes to solve a problem herself, suggests running the timed sheet again. Later she notices her own mistake. She kept pointing at the answer instead of at how the question was built. When she redraws the circuit at a larger size, Dec traces it correctly from start to finish. Mari, who is dyslexic and moves between print and audiobooks, does not claim to know what is happening for Dec. She asks him to explain it to her first, then compare that with the worksheet.

Dec sets the terms. He wants help with this assignment, and he wants his friends to describe what happened rather than announce what is wrong with him. Your role is to read the goal line before anyone decides what Dec knows.

Stop and think. Anika wants to avoid doing the thinking for Dec. How can a clearer format still test the learning goal?

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Measuring the goal, not the format

Lesson 1 taught a habit that transfers directly: go back to the original source. Here that source is the practice brief. Its goal is to “explain how a simple circuit works.” It sets no time limit. A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show, and naming it changes the question. The issue is no longer whether Dec can finish the sheet. It is whether the sheet measures the goal or something next to it, such as reading dense text under pressure.

The evidence is uneven, and that is useful. The study-table notes record two observations on the same afternoon. Spoken, with a larger sketch, Dec’s explanation was correct. Written, he skipped a line and answered a different question. Neither observation explains why. Lesson 1’s term context applies here. A written answer is real evidence, but like a cropped clip it shows one frame of a larger picture.

Anika’s revised plan is modest. She wants one clear diagram and one instruction at a time, followed by Dec explaining why the circuit works. She does not want to do the thinking for him. That last condition matters. A new format is only a fair test if it still requires Dec to show the learning goal.

Stop and think. The notes record what happened but not why. Why is it important to keep those two things separate?

The limits of a study session

Schools have a formal process for questions the crew cannot answer. An evaluation is a school’s formal process for learning about a student’s needs, using more than one measure. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. The federal IDEA regulations require a public school to use a variety of assessment tools and forbid using any single measure as the sole basis for an eligibility decision (U.S. Department of Education, IDEA regulations, 34 CFR 300.304). As the law turned fifty, K-12 Dive traced where IDEA, evaluations and individualized education programs came from (K-12 Dive, December 3, 2025).

The same logic appears in design and in civil rights guidance. CAST’s guidelines encourage giving learners more than one way to take in information and show what they know (CAST, Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0, 2024). A systematic review and meta-analysis examined how well that approach works in practice (Almeqdad et al., Cogent Education, May 29, 2023). The Department of Justice says testing accommodations should let a test measure skill rather than disability (ADA.gov, February 28, 2020).

Professional ethics adds a privacy boundary. The NEA code says educators “shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service” without a compelling professional purpose or a legal requirement (National Education Association, Code of Ethics, 1975). Friends are not bound by that code, but the crew follows its spirit. Dec decides what Ms. R hears, and a study session stays a study session.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

The limits of a study session, continued

The skill you practiced here, checking what a task is meant to measure, returns in later cases. You will ask it of a pay statement, a sample ballot and a school budget.

Stop and think. IDEA forbids using a single measure as the only basis for eligibility. What risk is that rule designed to prevent?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of EducationNo date listed

IDEA regulations, 34 CFR § 300.304 (evaluation procedures)

Real sourceK-12 DiveDecember 3, 2025

IDEA at 50: How the landmark law changed education

Real sourceCAST2024

Universal Design for Learning Guidelines 3.0

Real sourceCogent Education (Almeqdad et al.)May 29, 2023

The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis

Real sourceADA.gov (U.S. Department of Justice)February 28, 2020

ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations

Real sourceNational Education Association (NEA)1975

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 15 minutes.

Evidence APractice brief, handed out Monday

The assignment

Goal: Explain how a simple circuit works. Read the six paragraphs below before you answer. Use the diagram to trace the path of the current from the battery through the switch and the LED and back. Answer questions 1–4 in complete sentences.

Look closely: Which skill does the goal line name, and which does it leave out?

What it shows

One goal, explaining a circuit, but the page also demands reading six dense paragraphs.

What it leaves out

How it is scored, and whether the reading load is part of what it means to test.

Evidence BStudy-table notes, Wednesday 3:40 p.m.

Dec’s explanation

Out loud, with the larger sketch: traced the whole path, battery to switch to LED and back. Correct. Written sheet: skipped a line in the instructions and answered a different question from the one asked. Dec: the layout is hard to follow.

Look closely: What did Dec get right out loud that the sheet did not record?

What it shows

A second observation: correct out loud, off track on paper, with Dec’s own account.

What it leaves out

Whether other students lose their place too, and what Dec wants to happen next.

Lesson 2Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the goal line in Evidence A. Now find what Dec did out loud in Evidence B.” — Ask students to compare the two before anyone explains why.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the notes as proof of a disability. Listen for: “So he has a learning disability.” Then: Ask what the notes record: two observations and Dec’s own words. They do not record a cause.

Support

Give Evidence A with the goal line enlarged and the paragraphs numbered.

Read Evidence B aloud.

Cognates: evaluation (evaluación), eligibility (elegibilidad), circuit (circuito), diagram (diagrama), observation (observación), format (formato), instructions (instrucciones), diagnosis (diagnóstico).

Stretch

Ask which parts of Evidence A a teacher could change without changing the goal line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether Dec wants formal support at all, how the sheet is scored, whether other students lose their place in the same layout, and what the teacher meant the six paragraphs to test.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: learning goals

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

Dec’s written answer and his spoken explanation give the crew different information. A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show. The practice brief names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. It does not list speed, and it does not list reading six dense paragraphs. So the next question is what the sheet was meant to measure and what got in the way.

CAST’s Universal Design for Learning Guidelines encourage giving learners more than one way to take in information and show what they know. For Dec, a larger diagram is a practice option to test. It is not a diagnosis, and it does not change an official test. Ask Dec what helped, and check that he can still explain the circuit.

An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure. Under IDEA, a federal law, a public school must use varied tools in an evaluation. No single measure can be the only basis for deciding eligibility. Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program. A study session is not an evaluation, so Dec decides whether to ask his school how that process starts.

Professional standards

Real sourceCouncil for Exceptional Children (CEC)

CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards: Special Education Standards for Professional Practice: Teaching and Assessment

“Use culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment procedures that accurately measure what is intended to be measured”

In plain words: Special educators who follow CEC's standards use assessments that measure the skill the task is meant to measure.

Question: The goal is explaining a circuit. Which parts of the sheet test something else, like reading six dense paragraphs?

Lesson 2Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Skip the code of ethics card.

Say this

“A learning goal names what a task should show. What does this sheet show besides the goal?” — Wait for “reading the paragraphs.”

“The CEC standard asks for assessments that measure what they are meant to measure. Does this sheet?” — Take a thumbs vote, then ask for evidence.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the CEC code or IDEA as rules for every quiz. Listen for: “It’s illegal to give that worksheet.” Then: Say: “IDEA’s rule covers formal evaluations. The CEC code guides special educators. Neither makes this sheet illegal.”

Support

Read the code card aloud. Point out the label: it is a quotation from a real code.

Stretch

Read the second CEC card. Ask how the crew can make sure Dec, not Anika, decides what his message says.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Besides its goal, the sheet measures ___, which means ___.

Besides its goal, the sheet measures reading six dense paragraphs and keeping track of instructions. So a wrong answer may not show a gap in circuit knowledge.

In the news

Real sourceEducation WeekOctober 13, 2025

Does Extended Time on Tests Actually Help Students With ADHD?

Asks the case’s question in real life: does a test accommodation help students show what they actually know?

Real sourceK-12 DiveDecember 3, 2025

IDEA at 50: How the landmark law changed education

Explains where IDEA, evaluations and IEPs came from and why schools must plan around each student’s needs.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownRead each decision in the diagram. Write who decides it in each blank box. About 10 minutes.

Sort who can decide each question. Which decision belongs to the teacher, which to a formal school process, and which only to Dec?

Try a clearer practice format for the circuit goal

Who decides

The teacher, who sets the practice format and the learning goal

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Dec, who decides what to share and whether to ask

Your way in

Start a formal IDEA evaluation or a Section 504 conversation

Who decides

The school’s evaluation process, with a parent or guardian for a student under 18

Under which rule

IDEA evaluation rule: varied tools, no single measure as the sole basis

Who lives with it

Your way in

A counselor or special-education coordinator explains how a request starts

Lesson 2Sort the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Say this

“Each decision in the diagram has a different decider. Which decision belongs only to Dec?” — Model the teacher row together.

Watch for

Misconception: Students give the friends a decider role. Listen for: “Anika and Mari should ask for the IEP.” Then: Point to the diagram. The school’s process decides evaluations, and Dec decides what he shares.

Support

Let students write T (teacher), S (school process) or D (Dec) before writing sentences.

Heat check

Medium. The missing-perspective question can lead students to talk about their own support plans.

Cool-down: Keep it about Dec and Ms. R. Restate the norm, then return to what the diagram says each person decides.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Other students who use the same sheet. I would ask whether they also lose their place in this layout, without asking anyone about grades.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.

What should the crew try at the study table?

A Run the same timed sheet again so Dec gets more practice.
B Let Dec explain with a larger diagram, then compare his reasoning with the sheet.
C Tell Dec he probably needs an IEP.

Why I chose it

B. Only B changes the format while it keeps the learning goal, so the crew learns what the sheet measures. C claims an eligibility decision no study session can make.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi Ms. R, Dec failed the circuit sheet again and we think the test is unfair to him. He obviously knows the material because he explained it to us perfectly. At the study table he went through the whole thing out loud with no mistakes. 1 We think he might have a learning disability and should get an IEP so he can get extra time. My cousin has one and it helped her a lot. 2 Can you give him an easier version? We really think this would help him pass. Thanks, Anika and Mari.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

He traced the circuit aloud but skipped a line on paper. We can’t say why.

Rewrite phrase 2

Could the same four questions be tried with a larger diagram?

Lesson 2PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Dec has twenty minutes before rehearsal. What should the crew try right now?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because it sounds caring. Listen for: “He needs help, so tell him about an IEP.” Then: Ask who can decide eligibility. Only the school’s evaluation process can.

Heat check

Medium. Option C can prompt stories about classmates’ IEPs.

Cool-down: Say that no student’s plan is discussed here. Ask what the evidence shows about Dec, then go back to the options.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi Ms. R, I’m working on the circuit practice sheet. The goal says we should explain how a simple circuit works. When I talked it through with a larger diagram, I could trace the whole route. On the written sheet, I lost my place in the paragraphs and answered a different question. Could we talk about how the sheet checks the goal and what support options might help me show my reasoning? I can bring both attempts. Anika and Mari helped me write this, and I asked them to. Thanks, Dec

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 30 minutes.

Write an individual argument responding to a stimulus packet on the question “Do standardized formats measure what students know?”

Use: Educator-built stimulus packet: the case, the CAST UDL Guidelines excerpt, one article on assessment validity and one teacher perspective on workload.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each stimulus source for its main claim.
Write a research question that grows out of the stimulus.
Map at least three perspectives: student, teacher, researcher or policymaker.
Outline your line of reasoning on the Your draft page.
Write your opening paragraph on the Your draft page.
Write the full argument, 1,200 to 1,500 words, in the online workspace.
Finish with a resolution that respects the learning goal and the teacher’s constraints.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

When a practice format adds a reading load the goal does not name, what does the score measure?

Lesson 2Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 30 min.

Short on time: 30 min.

Say this

“Your question has to come out of the packet. Which source surprised you, and what question does it raise?” — Take three answers and write each one as a question.

Watch for

Misconception: The research question is too broad. Listen for: “Are standardized tests bad?” Then: Ask which students, which format and which goal. Narrow it to what the packet can answer.

Support

Stimulus annotation guide

Perspective map: student, teacher, policymaker, researcher

Line-of-reasoning outline

Frame: “When ___, what does ___ measure?”

Stretch

Propose a resolution that respects both the learning goal and the teacher’s constraints.

Standards

AP Seminar: Understand and Analyze; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; RI.11-12.7; W.11-12.1.a; W.11-12.1.b; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Student perspective

Dec: correct aloud, off track on the written layout.

Teacher perspective

One format for a full class saves planning and scoring time.

Research perspective

UDL encourages more than one way to take in information and show what you know.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Line of reasoning

1. A format can measure more than its stated goal. 2. The case shows this: one goal, but a heavy reading load. 3. Teachers need a format that works for a full class. 4. UDL offers a way to keep the goal while offering more than one way in. 5. Resolution: keep the questions, change the layout for everyone and check whether scores still track the goal.

Your opening paragraph

A practice sheet about circuits names one goal: explain how a simple circuit works. Yet the page asks students to read six dense paragraphs before they reach the questions. Dec, a student in the case, traced the whole circuit correctly out loud and then answered a different question on paper. His two results raise a broader question. When a standard format adds demands its goal does not name, what does the score measure? This argument weighs a student’s experience, a teacher’s workload and research on design. It proposes a resolution that keeps the learning goal fixed while changing the layout.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Does your research question grow out of the stimulus?
YesNo
Do you evaluate at least three perspectives?
YesNo
Do you synthesize the sources into your own argument?
YesNo
Does your resolution name its limits?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Mentions only the score.	Describes Dec’s explanation vaguely.	Cites the goal and two specific observations.	Uses observations and notes what they cannot show.
Reasoning	Concludes Dec has a disability or the test is illegal.	Suggests easier content without linking to the goal.	Connects a possible format barrier to the learning goal.	Distinguishes classroom support from IDEA evaluation accurately.
Audience & purpose	Message speaks for Dec without his input.	Mentions Dec but ignores his voice.	Written in Dec’s voice with his permission.	Respects Dec’s control and gives the teacher a clear next step.

Lesson 2Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Skip the rubric boxes. Use your teacher-adapted rubric instead.

Say this

“Would Dec agree to your work as written? Mark your level honestly. Then make one change.” — Circulate and ask for one removed guess or one added observation.

Watch for

Misconception: Students make surface edits only. Listen for: “I fixed the spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask students to replace one diagnosis with an observation.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the goal and two specific observations.

Reasoning: Connects a possible format barrier to the learning goal.

Audience & purpose: Written in Dec’s voice with his permission.

Revision: Replaces the diagnosis with an observation.

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Removes one problem line.	Replaces the diagnosis with an observation.	Explains how each change protects Dec’s privacy and agency.

One limit of my resolution

My resolution does not ___.

My resolution does not show whether a clearer layout helps every student.

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added the teacher’s workload to my resolution, because my first draft treated the teacher as an obstacle.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 15 minutes.

1 Is the practice sheet checking circuit understanding, reading speed or both?

Officially it checks circuit understanding, and speed is not listed. In practice, the layout also measures sustained reading and tracking of instructions, so one score mixes two skills.

2 How would you know a new format shows Dec’s learning more clearly instead of giving away the answer?

Compare both formats against the goal line. If both still require an explanation of how the circuit works, the change removes a barrier, not the task.

3 What does the IDEA evaluation rule cover, and why does a study session fall outside it?

It covers IDEA evaluations: varied tools, and no single measure as the only basis for eligibility. A study session is not an evaluation, so the rule does not apply to it.

My take

My claim: ___.

The sheet mixes its stated goal with a reading load, so one score cannot show what Dec knows.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The brief’s goal line, because it names only the circuit and lists no time limit.

Lesson 2Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Skip question 3.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the brief or the notes, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Design a universal design version of a real quiz from another class. Keep its learning goal the same.

Going further: Write down your first guess about why Dec got stuck. Then compare the two observations in the evidence, and write what changed your mind.

Going further: Design two practice sheets that keep the same learning goal: explaining how a simple circuit works. Ask a classmate which one makes the goal easier to show.

Going further: Find the IDEA evaluation rule in its federal source, 34 CFR § 300.304. Quote the part about using more than one measure, and name where it comes from.

Going further: Find your school’s handbook or web page on learning support. Write one question you want answered, without naming a classmate. Then ask a counselor how students or parents start a request.

Research how your state describes the timeline for an initial evaluation after a parent consents

Design a UDL version of a real quiz from another class

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Every test involves reading, so the layout is a fair part of the task.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

Two observations at one study table cannot show why Dec loses his place.

I would change my mind if ___.

Dec lost track the same way with numbered steps and a larger diagram.

Notes

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 2: Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?

In this case, a student can explain a light circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet. Your student compared the worksheet’s goal with notes from a study session and thought about what the worksheet really measures.

Questions to talk about

Can one test show everything a person knows? Why or why not?
What makes the directions on a worksheet or a form easy to follow?
Who at a school can students ask about help with schoolwork?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

Lesson 3Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

Content note

The recap caption blames younger attendees for a late start. Keep the discussion on the event in the story, and do not ask students to describe times they were blamed or stereotyped.

Overview

Students read a short story in which the crew’s recap caption blames “the younger crowd” for a late start. They build a timeline from Jordy’s setup log, which shows that a projector failure caused the delay, and compare it with Gia’s first apology draft. They then write a correction that names the error and a repair step with an owner and a way to check it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

find and evaluate a source for a team inquiry

compare how two fields answer the same question

answer questions about a source’s limits out loud

Objectives

Students will be able to:

compare how PR ethics, journalism standards and the sociology of stereotypes answer one question

Objectives, continued

represent the view of the people affected fairly

build a repair standard the team can defend

answer an oral-defense question about a source’s limits

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The PRSA and SPJ codes listed in the case page’s Sources

One sociology source on stereotypes that you approve

The presentation rubric preview and the oral-defense practice questions

The task in this edition

Task: Team multimedia presentation: “What does an organization owe people it misrepresents?” The team examines PR ethics, journalism standards, sociology of stereotypes and the view of the people affected, then presents a repair standard to a student club.

Students make: 10-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense

Pacing

Opener (page 44): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Key terms (pages 45 and 46): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (page 50): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Look at the evidence (page 51): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key idea (pages 52 and 53): 20 min. Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Sort the evidence (page 54): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Practice (page 55): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 56 and 57): 40 min. Short on time: 40 min.

Your draft (pages 58 and 59): 160 min. Short on time: 150 min. Teams rehearse the presentation outside class.

Check your work (pages 60 and 61): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 62 and 63): 20 min. Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 1.

Talk about this case at home (page 64): at home.

Periods: full chapter 330 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Plan 3

Lesson 3Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 3 plan, continued

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students compare PR, journalism, sociology and affected-person perspectives.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students combine the perspectives into a repair standard.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents and defends the standard.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.

W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.

W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.

Standards, continued

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences of our own communication…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 44): Medium

Key terms (pages 45 and 46): Low

Look at the evidence (page 50): Low

Look at the evidence (page 51): Low

Key idea (pages 52 and 53): Low

Sort the evidence (page 54): Medium

Practice (page 55): Low

Check your work (pages 60 and 61): Low

Try it at your school

Help a club you’re in write a corrections rule.

Ask the editor or advisor of a school newsletter, club account or yearbook how they fix mistakes

Suggest a three-step checklist: name the error, show the evidence, say what changes

Offer to test it on an old post together

Keep any real examples anonymous

Who to ask: School newspaper or yearbook advisor, club advisor, student council secretary

Safety: Don’t repost someone else’s mistake to criticize them. Talk to the club privately first.

Sources

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), “PRSA Code of Ethics,” October 2000

Society of Professional Journalists, “SPJ Code of Ethics,” September 6, 2014

Critical Media Project, “Zootopia: the press conference,” No date listed

Plan 3b

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

The crew’s recap caption blamed younger neighbors for a late start, but the event log shows the projector failed.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the caption and the time the projector failed. About 10 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who checks the log’s times before the correction goes up. New skill: Correct a public mistake.

Gia and Jordy sit at a table with a laptop and a printed page.

What happened

It is Sunday at the edit desk. Caio, 24, edited a short recap of Friday’s screening. The crew posted it on Saturday morning. Gia’s caption, “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized,” sounded believable, because a few people did arrive late.

Then Jordy checks the setup log. The projector failed at 5:40 p.m. The replacement was not running until 6:20, twenty minutes after everyone was seated. The log also says Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before the doors opened.

Anika sends the group a voice note asking why she and Dec are the problem in the post. Gia wants to take responsibility. Her first draft of a correction is mostly about how bad she feels, and the recap caption is still up.

Your question: What should the correction say, and what will the crew do differently next time?

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 10 minutes.

Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

En español: afirmación

In this case: The caption claims the late start happened because “the younger crowd” was not organized. Jordy’s setup log checks that claim.

Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

En español: corrección

In this case: Gia edits the original caption, not just her story, so people who saw it learn what was wrong.

Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

En español: rendición de cuentas

In this case: The crew names who fixes the caption, who contacts Anika and Dec, and who checks the next recap against the log.

Who is involved

Gia

Wrote the recap caption

“I wrote ‘once the younger crowd finally got organized.’ A few people did come in late, so it felt true. I never checked why we started late.”

Jordy

Kept the setup log on Friday

“My log says Anika and Dec were carrying chairs before doors opened. The caption turned them into the reason we started late.”

Lesson 3Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will come back to it at the end.” — Keep first guesses private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think saying sorry is the same as a correction. Listen for: “She apologized, so it’s fixed.” Then: Reread the definition. A correction replaces wrong information with supported information.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

Frame: “The claim was ___. The correction says ___.”

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what should Gia’s correction say first?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is an explanation of the projector failure, because that caused the delay.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

When an explanation becomes blame

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.
Accountability: Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

The story: The log nobody opened

The crew’s first neighborhood screening, the one saved from a cropped clip in Lesson 1, went ahead on Friday. On Saturday at 11:08 a.m., the crew posted a recap. Caio, 24, had edited the video. Gia, 21, wrote the caption: “Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.” It seemed accurate to her in the loose way captions often do. A few people had arrived late, and the evening had started late, so the two facts fused into a cause.

On Sunday at the edit desk, Jordy opens the setup log. At 5:40 p.m., a projector failure was reported. At 6:00, attendees were seated. At 6:20, a replacement was connected, twenty minutes after the audience sat down. The final line notes that Anika and Dec, the two youngest people involved, carried chairs before the doors opened. Jordy writes in the chat that no one opened the log before posting, Jordy included.

Anika’s voice note lands next: “We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?” Gia had already drafted a response, which was never posted: “Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.” Rereading it, she recognizes the conditional “if” as a dodge. The draft also never mentions the projector.

Stop and think. How did two true facts, a late start and some late arrivals, combine into a false claim?

Two jobs in one caption

The caption did two jobs at once. It explained the late start, and it assigned blame for it to a group of people. The first job is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Two jobs in one caption, continued

Lesson 1 gave you the method: find the original source. The log is that source, and it replaces the caption’s explanation with a mechanical one.

A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. A strong correction here has a clear order. It names the wrong claim, states what the log shows and places the fix where the original audience will see it. Caio’s rule, fix the same post instead of burying it under a new one, follows from that last requirement.

Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. In practice, accountability becomes a list of named owners. Gia corrects the post. Caio keeps a visible correction note with the edit. Jordy adds a source check before publication. Each owner is a named person rather than the crew in general, so anyone can check later whether the work was done. Just as important is what accountability does not require. Anika should not have to comfort Gia or approve the correction in public. Jordy suggests offering Anika a private way to respond and then letting her decide what she thinks. Jordy also proposes a test of success that ignores view counts. Ask a few people who saw the first post why the screening started late. If they still say “the younger crowd,” the fix failed.

Stop and think. Why does accountability include limits on what the crew asks of Anika and Dec?

What research and professional codes add

A 2016 study of apologies found that acknowledging responsibility and offering repair mattered most among six elements (Lewicki et al., Negotiation and Conflict Management Research, April 6, 2016). Research on misinformation points the same way. A meta-analysis of 65 studies found that corrections work better when they explain what is true rather than simply denying the false claim (Walter and Murphy, Communication Monographs, May 15, 2018). Gia’s draft offered neither an explanation nor a repair.

Journalists write the prominence rule into their ethics. The RTDNA code says ethical journalism requires “owning errors, correcting them promptly and giving corrections as much prominence as the error itself had” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). NPR’s public editor describes naming the error, fixing it on the story and keeping a public list (NPR, October 21, 2022).

The film connection sharpens the stakes. In Zootopia (2016), Judy tells a press conference that a set of incidents has a biological explanation tied to one group, and Nick’s reaction shows a personal cost her official answer overlooks. In our reading, good intentions do not erase the effect of an unsupported claim about a group. The animal groups in the film are not a scientific model of human race. The crew’s caption is far smaller, but it made the same kind of move. Your job is to check the log’s times before the correction goes up.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Stop and think. Walter and Murphy found that explanations beat bare denials. What explanation should the correction give?

Sources

Real sourceNegotiation and Conflict Management Research (Lewicki et al.)April 6, 2016

An Exploration of the Structure of Effective Apologies

Real sourceCommunication Monographs (Walter & Murphy)May 15, 2018

How to unring the bell: A meta-analytic approach to correction of misinformation

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015

RTDNA Code of Ethics

Real sourceNPR Public EditorOctober 21, 2022

That was wrong

Real sourceCritical Media ProjectNo date listed

Zootopia: the press conference

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 15 minutes.

Evidence ARecap caption, posted Saturday 11:08 a.m.

The caption

Great night, once the younger crowd finally got organized.

Look closely: Which group does this caption ask readers to blame, and on what evidence?

What it shows

A public claim about cause that names an age group and no evidence.

What it leaves out

What the setup log recorded at the time.

Evidence BSetup log, Friday evening

Jordy’s event log

5:40 p.m. Projector failure reported. 6:00 p.m. Attendees seated. 6:20 p.m. Replacement projector connected. Note: Anika and Dec helped carry chairs before doors opened.

Look closely: What happened at 5:40 that the caption never mentions?

What it shows

A same-night record: a 5:40 failure, a 6:20 fix, and Anika and Dec helping.

What it leaves out

What each attendee experienced, and whether latecomers mattered.

Lesson 3Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on 5:40 in the log. Now find anything in the caption about the projector.” — Wait for “nothing.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Gia is a bad person. Listen for: “Gia is just rude.” Then: Ask what the evidence shows Gia did. The caption made a claim she never checked.

Support

Give the four documents on separate half-pages.

Read Anika’s message aloud in a neutral voice.

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Stretch

Ask which document was written at the time and which were written later, and why that matters.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CVoice note to the crew

Anika’s message

“We were helping you set up. Why are we the problem in this post?”

Look closely: What fact does Anika add, and what is she asking the crew?

What it shows

The person the caption blamed, correcting the record and naming the harm.

What it leaves out

What response Anika wants, public or private.

Evidence DDraft correction, Saturday 2:15 p.m., not posted

Gia’s first correction

Sorry if this came across wrong. We love our younger neighbors and would never want anyone to feel excluded.

Look closely: What fact does this correct? Who does the word “if” put the problem on?

What it shows

An apology about intent that uses “if” and corrects no fact.

What it leaves out

The false cause, the real cause and any repair.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What each attendee actually experienced, whether any latecomers affected the start at all, how far the recap was reshared, and whether Anika wants any public response.

Lesson 3Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on 5:40 in the log. Now find anything in the caption about the projector.” — Wait for “nothing.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide Gia is a bad person. Listen for: “Gia is just rude.” Then: Ask what the evidence shows Gia did. The caption made a claim she never checked.

Support

Give the four documents on separate half-pages.

Read Anika’s message aloud in a neutral voice.

Cognates: correction (corrección), evidence (evidencia), error (error), projector (proyector), stereotype (estereotipo), repair (reparación), responsibility (responsabilidad), public (público).

Stretch

Ask which document was written at the time and which were written later, and why that matters.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: corrections

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 20 minutes.

Gia’s caption did two jobs at once. It explained the late start, and it blamed a group of people for it. A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence. Jordy’s setup log checks the caption’s claim and shows a projector failure instead.

A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information. It should appear where people saw the mistake, so the crew should edit the recap caption itself. A 2016 study of apologies found that taking responsibility and offering to repair the harm mattered most. Gia’s first draft talks about loving younger neighbors, and it does neither.

Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it. That means naming who corrects the caption, who contacts the people it blamed and who checks the next recap. Anika does not have to comfort Gia or approve the correction in public. The crew can offer her a private way to respond.

Professional standards

Real sourcePublic Relations Society of America (PRSA)

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

“Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.”

In plain words: Public relations professionals who belong to PRSA agree to fix their own mistakes quickly.

Question: The recap caption went up Saturday at 11:08 a.m. What should the crew change first, and where?

Your answer

The first change is ___, made in ___, because ___.

The first change is the caption, edited in the original post with a correction note, because the error should be fixed where it appeared.

Lesson 3Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Say this

“A correction replaces wrong information with supported information. Which document supplies the supported information?” — Wait for the setup log.

“The PRSA code says to act promptly to correct errors. What should the crew fix first?” — Point to the caption.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the PRSA code as a law. Listen for: “The crew could get sued for that.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The PRSA code is not a law.”

Support

Read the code card aloud. Point out the label: it is a quotation from a real code.

Stretch

Read the RTDNA card. Ask whether a new post or an edit to the original would reach more of the same readers.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPR Public EditorOctober 21, 2022

That was wrong

How a real newsroom corrects mistakes: name the error, fix it on the story and keep a public list.

Real sourceNPROctober 8, 2017

Dove Expresses 'Regret' For Racially Insensitive Ad

A real brand apology after an ad played into a racial stereotype; compare the words with what changed afterward.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare the four accounts. Mark where they agree, where they differ and which one was written at the time. About 15 minutes.

Place the four accounts side by side. Where do they agree, where do they split, and which one was written down at the time?

Account 1

Caption: the night went well once the younger crowd got organized.

Account 2

Event log: projector failed at 5:40; replacement connected at 6:20; Anika and Dec carried chairs.

Account 3

Anika: “We were helping you set up.”

Where they agree

The screening started late.

Where they differ

What caused the delay: a group’s behavior or an equipment failure?

Check: Which account was recorded at the time rather than remembered afterward?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

People who saw the recap but were not there. I would ask what they now believe caused the delay.

Lesson 3Sort the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Say this

“Put the four accounts side by side. Which one was written down at the time?” — Wait for the log. Model one row together.

Watch for

Misconception: Students trust the caption because Gia was there. Listen for: “Gia was there, so her caption counts.” Then: Ask which account was recorded at the time. The log was written that night, and the caption came the next morning.

Support

Let students write A (agree) or D (differ) in each box before writing sentences.

Heat check

Medium. The missing-perspective question can lead to talk about how younger people are treated.

Cool-down: Keep it about the people in the case. No student speaks for an age group. Return to the log.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what goes first in the correction and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 10 minutes.

What should go first in the correction?

A An explanation of how bad Gia feels about the caption.
B The wrong claim, and what the event log shows.
C Delete the post and stay quiet.

Why I chose it

B. A correction has to replace the claim with the record. A offers regret without facts, and C removes the post but not the belief.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We want to apologize for our last post. We didn’t mean to offend anyone and we love having younger people at our events. It was a really stressful night and 1 things were hectic so we said something we shouldn’t have. Honestly we were all tired and trying to get everything set up on time, and it’s been a lot. We are sorry if anyone was hurt. 2 We promise it won’t happen again and we hope everyone keeps coming! Thank you all for your support and understanding, it means a lot to us.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Our log shows a projector failure at 5:40 p.m. and a fix at 6:20.

Rewrite phrase 2

Before each recap, Jordy checks every claim about a cause against the log.

Lesson 3PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia is ready to post. What goes first?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because it sounds sincere. Listen for: “She should say how bad she feels.” Then: Ask what A tells Anika about the delay.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Correction: our recap said the screening started late because younger attendees were disorganized. That was wrong. Jordy’s event log shows the projector failed at 5:40 p.m. and the replacement was connected at 6:20. Anika and Dec actually helped carry chairs before doors opened. We have edited the original caption and messaged the people it blamed. Starting with the next event, Gia and Jordy will check any claim about causes against the event log before we post. We’re sorry we blamed people who were helping us. If you see something we got wrong, message Jordy.

Other notes on the draft:

“We didn’t mean to offend anyone” Talks about intent. It still doesn’t say what was wrong.

“We are sorry if anyone was hurt” “If” puts the problem on readers. Name who was blamed.

“we hope everyone keeps coming” Good goal, but a repair makes that more likely than a hope.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 40 minutes.

Team multimedia presentation: “What does an organization owe people it misrepresents?” The team examines PR ethics, journalism standards, sociology of stereotypes and the view of the people affected, then presents a repair standard to a student club.

Use: Case plus PRSA and SPJ codes and one sociology source on stereotypes.

You’ll make: 10-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one perspective: PR ethics, journalism standards, the sociology of stereotypes or the people affected.
Find what your perspective says an organization owes people it misrepresents.
Write your section of the team script on the Your draft page.
Name one limit of your main source.
Build a 10-minute presentation with your team that proposes one repair standard.
Practice answering an oral-defense question about your source’s limits.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My perspective

Public relations ethics

What my perspective says the crew owes

PRSA asks members to act promptly to correct erroneous communications they are responsible for.

Lesson 3Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 40 min.

Short on time: 40 min.

Say this

“Your team has four perspectives on one question: what does the crew owe Anika and Dec? Where will they disagree?” — Take one prediction per perspective.

Watch for

Misconception: The team leaves out the people affected. Listen for: “Our sources are all professional codes.” Then: Ask whose view no code represents. Assign that perspective first.

Support

Perspective jigsaw

Presentation rubric preview

Oral-defense practice questions

Question frame: “What does ___ owe ___ when ___?”

Stretch

Each member answers one oral-defense question about a source’s limits.

Standards

AP Seminar: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; RI.11-12.7; W.11-12.1.a; W.11-12.1.b; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

One limit of my main source

The PRSA code applies to PRSA members, and the crew are not PR professionals.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 160 minutes.

Your section of the team script

Public relations ethics gives a clear first answer. The PRSA Code of Ethics asks members to “act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.” The crew wrote the caption, so the crew is responsible for fixing it. Jordy’s setup log shows what the fix must say: the projector failed at 5:40 p.m., and younger attendees did not cause the delay. The code has limits. It applies to PRSA members, and the crew are not PR professionals. It also says nothing about the people the caption blamed. That is why our team pairs it with the view of the people affected.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft, continued

Our team’s repair standard, first draft

Correct the error where it appeared, as soon as it is found. Name the cause from the record. Tell the people who were blamed, and let them respond privately.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your team’s question clear and significant?
YesNo
Do you represent more than one perspective fairly?
YesNo
Does the presentation reach a repair standard the evidence supports?
YesNo
Can you answer a question about your source’s limits?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No evidence about the delay.	Mentions “technical issues” vaguely.	Cites the projector failure from the log.	Cites specific times and corrects who actually helped.
Reasoning	Apologizes for feelings only.	Admits error but not what it was.	Names the inaccurate claim and replaces it.	Explains why the claim harmed a group and how the repair prevents a repeat.
Audience & purpose	Does not consider who saw the post.	Speaks to readers in general.	Reaches the people who were blamed.	Reaches the original audience and the blamed group through appropriate channels.

Lesson 3Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Would Anika recognize what happened in your correction? Mark your level, then make one change.” — Ask for one added fact or one removed excuse.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone instead of fixing facts. Listen for: “I made it sound nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for one fact, owner or check added.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The presentation and defenses are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published team presentation and defense criteria; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the projector failure from the log.

Reasoning: Names the inaccurate claim and replaces it.

Audience & purpose: Reaches the people who were blamed.

Revision: Adds facts and a repair.

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Softens tone only.	Adds facts and a repair.	Adds facts, an owner, a check and removes shifting of blame.

An oral-defense question I practiced, and my answer

Does the PRSA code apply to the crew? No. It applies to PRSA members, so we use it as a model, not a rule.

One change our team made after feedback

We changed ___ because ___.

We added the view of the people affected, because every code we read was written for the organization.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 20 minutes.

1 The caption felt true to Gia because a few people came in late. Why was that not enough evidence?

It was a believable story, not a record. The same-night log shows an equipment failure, and nothing links the latecomers to the delay.

2 What evidence would show that the repair happened?

Ask viewers why the screening started late. If they name the projector, not “the younger crowd,” the correction reached them.

3 After the correction goes up, what is still up to Anika and Dec to decide?

Whether to respond, in public or in private, and whether they trust the crew again. The repair work stays with the crew.

My take

My claim: ___.

A correction must replace the false cause with the logged cause, in the same post.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The setup log, because it was recorded at the time instead of remembered afterward.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Deleting the post removes the harm faster than correcting it.

Lesson 3Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 1.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the log or the messages, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Compare a real newsroom’s published correction policy with the crew’s plan.

Going further: Ask the people affected what the correction missed, without asking them to forgive anyone. Then decide where the corrected fact should go so the original audience sees it.

Going further: Correct the record where people can see it. Keep enough of the original caption in a correction note to explain what changed.

Going further: Write a caption correction and a short script for an accessible video. Use the same facts in both.

Going further: Ask the editor or advisor of a school newsletter, club account or yearbook how they fix mistakes. Suggest three steps: name the error, show the evidence and say what changes.

Draft how the crew would measure whether younger neighbors come back

Compare a real published correction policy from a newsroom with the crew’s plan

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The limit of the evidence is ___.

The log does not show whether latecomers affected the start at all.

I would change my mind if ___.

Attendees’ accounts showed that latecomers delayed the start.

Notes

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?

In this case, a group of friends posts a caption that wrongly blames younger neighbors for a late start. Your student compared the caption with an event log and wrote a correction and a plan to repair the harm.

Questions to talk about

What makes an apology feel complete?
Where should a correction appear so the people who saw a mistake will see it?
How can a group check a claim before it posts about an event?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

Lesson 4Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

Overview

Students read a short story about the Common Room, where a nonprofit board is considering paid evening rentals. The rentals would help close a $200 weekly budget gap. Students read the board agenda, a budget note and listening notes from evening users, then map who might miss the meeting. They write a note or a spoken comment with a budget question and an access question.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

judge a source’s credibility from its author, date and purpose

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research one lens accurately

synthesize four lenses into one recommendation

address both the budget gap and a missing voice

acknowledge uncertainty in the recommendation

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Lens assignments and the annotated bibliography template

Educator-approved outside sources on community spaces and funding

Slides or poster paper for an 8-minute team presentation

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Who should pay for shared community space?” Members research one lens each (nonprofit finance, disability access, urban planning, neighbor relations), write individual reports, then present a recommendation to the Common Room board.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 65): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key terms (pages 66 and 67): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (page 71): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Look at the evidence (page 72): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key idea (pages 73 and 74): 20 min. Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Pacing, continued

Sort the evidence (page 75): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Do the sort as a whole class.

Practice (page 76): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 77 and 78): 40 min. Short on time: 40 min.

Your draft (page 79): 160 min. Short on time: 150 min. Students finish the report outside class.

Check your work (pages 80 and 81): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 82 and 83): 20 min. Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 2.

Talk about this case at home (page 84): at home.

Periods: full chapter 330 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Question and Explore Big Idea 1: develop a focused question about an issue and explore many perspectives on it, checking their credibility. In this case: Students frame a question about funding shared spaces.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Each lens adds a distinct perspective.

Plan 4

Lesson 4Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 4 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents a recommendation to a real-style board.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

RI.11-12.7 Combine and evaluate sources in different media to answer a question or solve a problem.

W.11-12.1.a Introduce a precise, informed claim, show why it matters, distinguish it from opposing claims and organize the argument logically.

W.11-12.1.b Develop claims and counterclaims fairly and fully, with the best evidence for each, keeping the audience’s knowledge, values and possible biases in mind.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.

Codes of ethics, continued

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 1 (of 9)

Heat map

Opener (page 65): Low

Key terms (pages 66 and 67): Low

Look at the evidence (page 71): Low

Look at the evidence (page 72): Low

Key idea (pages 73 and 74): Low

Sort the evidence (page 75): Medium

Practice (page 76): Low

Check your work (pages 80 and 81): Low

Try it at your school

Find the room where your community’s decisions happen.

With a trusted adult, look up an upcoming library board, school committee or rec-center meeting agenda

Identify which body decides and whether the item is for discussion or a vote

Write one question about who uses the space and when

Check whether written comments are accepted if you can’t attend

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: Library staff, a rec-center manager, the school board clerk or a student council advisor

Safety: Go to public meetings with a trusted adult. Check whether comments and names become part of the public record before submitting.

Sources

New York City Council, “NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months,” July 14, 2024

NYC Mayor’s Office, “Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems,” July 1, 2024

NY1, “Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays,” November 17, 2023

PIX11 News, “Last Sunday service held at Brooklyn Public Library,” December 17, 2023

Carol Bacchi, “What’s the problem represented to be?,” No date listed

NYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13, “About community boards,” No date listed

Design Council, “The Double Diamond,” No date listed

Plan 4b

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

The Common Room’s board is weighing paid rentals on two free evenings, so the crew prepares a comment before the meeting.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline who decides and what the board is considering. About 10 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who checks the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board. New skill: Weigh the trade-offs of each option.

What happened

It is the Friday after the crew’s first screening, and the board meeting is coming up. A small neighborhood nonprofit runs the Common Room alongside the bookshop. The nonprofit’s board is considering paid rentals on two evenings a week to help cover staffing. No vote has happened yet.

Mari, 19, works the bookshop counter and closes the shop. She knows that “just keep it free” does not pay the evening staff. Sami runs a print workshop in the room after her afternoon shift. It is one of the few step-free rooms nearby.

Caio, 24, runs the crew’s Tuesday film night. Tuesday is one of the evenings Option B would rent out. Mateo already has a headline for a petition. The crew agrees the room matters, but they do not agree on the best schedule.

Your question: Which option should the crew support, and what should they ask the board?

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 10 minutes.

Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.

En español: propuesta

In this case: Option B is a proposal on the board’s agenda. No vote has been taken, so it is not a decision yet.

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

In this case: Paid rentals help close the $200 weekly gap but take away free evenings Sami and Dec use.

Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

En español: quien toma la decisión

In this case: The nonprofit board decides, not a city community board and not the crew.

Who is involved

Mari

Closes the bookshop, then stays for zine night

“I’m the one they pay to lock up, and I’m also one of the people using this room after. I can’t pretend either half away.”

Sami

Runs a print workshop in the room

“We keep deciding what the evening people need. Has anyone asked them yet?”

Lesson 4Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will come back to it at the end.” — Keep first guesses private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think a proposal is a decision. Listen for: “The board decided to rent it out.” Then: Reread the definition. A proposal has not been approved yet.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term.

Frame: “A trade-off here is ___. The cost is ___.”

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think the crew should ask the board for?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is renting two evenings, because the room needs to pay its evening staff.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

What is the problem represented to be?

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: The meeting nobody can attend

The Common Room’s board meets Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The small nonprofit that runs the room alongside the bookshop is weighing paid evening rentals to help cover staffing. The agenda item is marked “for discussion,” and no vote has been taken. By Friday, the crew’s group chat has split along predictable lines. Mateo, who likes turning “we should” into a plan, has drafted a petition headline. Others are less sure a petition is the right tool.

Mari holds both sides of the problem in one job. She is paid to lock up the bookshop and then stays for zine night with her friends. She wants the free time protected, but she knows the bookshop has costs, and she proposes asking which hours earn money and testing a different arrangement. Sami raises a procedural objection. The crew keeps speaking for evening users without asking them. For her own part, she wants three things from the meeting: the actual proposal, a way to give input without speaking on the spot and a clear answer about what that input can change.

Caio, 24, runs the crew’s Tuesday film night, one of the evenings Option B would rent out. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. The proposed meeting time overlaps several people’s shifts. The people most affected by the decision are among those least able to attend it.

Stop and think. Sami wants to know what her input can change. Why does that question matter before anyone speaks?

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Reading an agenda like an analyst

The documents lay out the choice. Option A keeps the current free evenings and leaves the funding gap. Option B replaces Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C pilots one rental evening for six weeks while seeking additional funding. Each is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. The budget note puts evening staffing and utilities at $600 a week against $400 in grants and donations. Each rental is projected to add $120 after costs, so two would cover the $200 gap and one would leave $80. The note adds a caution the headline would never carry: demand is uncertain.

A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option has one. Option A protects the evenings and leaves the deficit. Option B closes the deficit on paper and ends two free nights. Option C limits the loss and leaves a smaller gap. It also leaves open what the board will do if the pilot falls short.

The policy scholar Carol Bacchi offers a sharper tool. Her approach asks what a proposed solution assumes the problem is (Carol Bacchi, “What’s the problem represented to be?”, November 1, 2017). Option B represents the problem as a $200 gap and treats two free evenings as the price. That representation is a form of framing, the Lesson 1 idea of choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. It brings the budget forward and pushes Sami, Dec, Mari and Caio into the background. Bacchi’s question applies to the crew’s own preferences too. A petition to “keep it free” represents the problem as a threat to free space and leaves the staffing cost out of view.

Stop and think. Apply Bacchi’s question to Option C. What does it assume the problem is?

Decision-makers and public participation

A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. The board controls its own schedule, so a strong comment names the proposal, explains one effect with evidence and asks for something the board can decide. Public agencies follow different rules. New York’s community boards, for example, have advisory authority (NYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13, no date listed).

New York’s libraries show how funding decisions reach ordinary schedules. City budget cuts ended Sunday hours at every branch that still had them, and Brooklyn’s last Sunday was December 17, 2023 (NY1, November 17, 2023). Restored funding, part of a $58.3 million investment, brought Sunday service back starting July 14, 2024 (NYC Mayor’s Office, July 1, 2024). Council members thanked residents who called and wrote (New York City Council, July 14, 2024).

Professional codes speak to the board’s side of the table. The American Society for Public Administration asks public servants to “inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance” (ASPA Code of Ethics, 2013). The crew’s plan puts that into practice.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Decision-makers and public participation, continued

It sends the board a joint question that leaves room for disagreement. Mari checks the figures, Sami proposes a way to send written feedback and Mateo rewrites the petition as a request the board can answer. Your role is to check the budget figures before the crew speaks to the board.

Stop and think. A petition to keep the room free is also a frame. What does it bring forward, and what does it leave out?

Sources

Real sourceCarol BacchiNovember 1, 2017

What’s the problem represented to be?

Real sourceNYC.gov, Brooklyn Community Board 13No date listed

About community boards

Real sourceNY1November 17, 2023

Public libraries over the next two weeks to begin closing on Sundays

Real sourceNYC Mayor’s OfficeJuly 1, 2024

Mayor Adams Celebrates $58.3 Million Investment in City’s Three Library Systems

Real sourceNew York City CouncilJuly 14, 2024

NYC Council, Library Leaders, and New Yorkers Celebrate Library Budget Restorations to Restore Full Service, as Branches Reopen and Reinstate Services on Sunday for First Time in Months

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)2013

ASPA Code of Ethics

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 15 minutes.

Evidence ABoard agenda, Wednesday 6:30 p.m. meeting

The proposal

Evening rentals, for discussion. Option A: keep the current free evenings; the funding gap remains. Option B: replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings with paid rentals. Option C: pilot one rental evening for six weeks while seeking additional funding. No vote has been taken.

Look closely: Is this a vote or a discussion? Which words tell you?

What it shows

A proposal stage: three options, each with a cost, and no vote.

What it leaves out

Who uses each evening, and the board’s plan if the pilot falls short.

Evidence BWeekly budget note for the board

The budget note

Evening staffing and utilities: $600. Current grants and donations: $400. Each paid rental is projected to add $120 after its extra costs. Two bookings would add $240; one would add $120. Demand is uncertain.

Look closely: Which number is a guess, and what could change it?

What it shows

A $200 gap, and a $120 per-rental projection the note calls uncertain.

What it leaves out

The basis for the projection, and any other way to close the gap.

Lesson 4Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the word “projected” in the budget note. What does it tell you about the $120?” — Wait for “it’s a guess.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat $120 per rental as guaranteed. Listen for: “Two rentals means $240, done.” Then: Point to “Demand is uncertain.” Ask what happens with one booking, or none.

Support

Provide a calculator and work $600 − $400 = $200 together.

Read one option at a time aloud.

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Stretch

Ask students to work out the gap with zero, one and two rentals, and say which result is a guess.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CListening notes from evening users

The missing voices

Sami works afternoons. Dec rehearses on Thursdays. Mari closes the shop. A nearby resident worries about late noise. The proposed meeting time overlaps with several shifts.

Look closely: Whose voice is missing from these four notes?

What it shows

Four stakeholders, including a neighbor, and a meeting time that excludes some.

What it leaves out

Users not in the notes, and how their input would reach the board.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Who uses the room on other evenings, whether the $120 projection rests on any past bookings, what the board will do if the pilot underperforms, and the views of evening users who were not in the listening notes.

Notes

Lesson 4Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the word “projected” in the budget note. What does it tell you about the $120?” — Wait for “it’s a guess.”

Watch for

Support

Provide a calculator and work $600 − $400 = $200 together.

Read one option at a time aloud.

Cognates: option (opción), projection (proyección), community (comunidad), access (acceso), authority (autoridad), equity (equidad), pilot (piloto), decision (decisión).

Stretch

Ask students to work out the gap with zero, one and two rentals, and say which result is a guess.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: trade-offs

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 20 minutes.

The board is weighing a proposal about the free evenings. A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. Option B would help close the $200 weekly gap, but it would end the free Tuesday and Thursday evenings. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Every option on the agenda has one, including the one you prefer.

Carol Bacchi’s policy-analysis approach asks what a proposed solution assumes the problem is. Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem and two free evenings as the price. That leaves two questions open: who loses those evenings, and what happens if bookings come in lower than projected? Ask the same questions about your own favorite option.

A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Here, the nonprofit’s board controls its own schedule. A community board or a city agency would follow other rules. A strong comment names the proposal, explains one effect with evidence and asks for a decision the board can make. The board can still choose an option the crew did not ask for.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise

“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”

In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as board members, accurate and complete information.

Question: The budget note projects $120 more per rental. What should it also tell the board about how certain that is?

Your answer

The note should also say ___, because ___.

The note should also say what the $120 projection is based on. It should add that demand is uncertain, because a board may treat an estimate as a promise.

Lesson 4Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 18 min. Skip the In the news section.

Say this

“A trade-off means gaining one benefit costs something else. What does each option cost, and who pays?” — Build a three-column chart: A, B, C.

“The ASPA code asks for accurate, complete information for decision-makers. What is missing from the budget note?” — Wait for the basis of the $120.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the ASPA code as a law. Listen for: “The board has to follow ASPA.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. The ASPA code is not a law.”

Support

Read the code card aloud. Point out the label: it is a quotation from a real code.

Stretch

Read the second ASPA card. Ask how the board could hear from evening users who cannot attend.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceEducation WeekFebruary 6, 2023

Letting Students Decide Where Money Should Go: How One District Did It

A real district let students propose and vote on how shared school spaces and money would change.

Real sourceFirst Alert 4 (KMOV)June 4, 2026

St. Louis shuts down streets to cars, hands them over to neighbors

A city pilot that changes a shared space for a trial run, so neighbors can test trade-offs before anything is permanent.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each option to its consequences. Mark the consequences that depend on a projection. About 15 minutes.

Follow each option to its consequences. Which consequences depend on a projection, and who carries the cost if it misses?

Option B: paid rentals replace Tuesday and Thursday evenings

A projected $240 would cover the $200 gap if both evenings book
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?
Dec loses Thursday rehearsals and Mari’s late evenings stop being usable
Who is affected
Evening users, including people who cannot attend the meeting

Option C: one rental evening piloted for six weeks

A projected $80 gap remains while the board seeks funding and reviews the pilot
Who is affected
Check: What happens if bookings fall short of the projection?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

People who cannot attend the Wednesday 6:30 p.m. meeting. I would ask how they could give written input.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should ask for first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 10 minutes.

What should the crew ask the board for first?

A Post that the board is taking away the free nights.
B Ask for the budget assumptions, who uses each evening and a way to comment without attending.
C Support whichever option brings in the most money.

Why I chose it

B. It asks the decision-maker for information it can supply and a way to comment. A misstates the process, and C ignores access.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

1 The board should not take away our free nights. The Common Room is important to the community and a lot of people use it. I have been coming here for movie nights since it opened and it’s one of the only places we can all hang out without paying. Renting it out just shows 2 the board cares more about money than people. Sami and Dec would lose their spot and that is not fair. Please keep it free for everyone. Thank you for listening.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Option B, which the board has not voted on, would rent two free evenings.

Rewrite phrase 2

The board faces a $200 weekly gap, and rentals are one way to close it.

Lesson 4PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The meeting is Wednesday. What should the crew ask for first?” — Vote first.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because it feels urgent. Listen for: “We have to warn everyone.” Then: Ask whether the board has voted. It has not, so A misstates the facts.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: I use the Common Room on weeknights, and I’m commenting on the rental options. Option B would replace both Tuesday and Thursday free evenings. Sami meets clients after her print-shop shift, and Dec rehearses Thursdays, so losing both nights hits people with the least flexible schedules. I understand the $200 weekly gap is real. Option C’s one-night pilot could cut it to about $80 if bookings hold. I’m asking the board to choose the pilot, collect written input from evening users who can’t attend, and review the results with them after six weeks.

Other notes on the draft:

“Sami and Dec would lose their spot” Good affected perspectives. Say which evenings and why they matter.

“Please keep it free for everyone” Clear position, but the board needs a plan for the gap. What could it do?

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 40 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Who should pay for shared community space?” Members research one lens each (nonprofit finance, disability access, urban planning, neighbor relations), write individual reports, then present a recommendation to the Common Room board.

Use: Case plus educator-approved outside sources on community spaces and funding.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one lens: nonprofit finance, disability access, urban planning or neighbor relations.
Write a research question for your lens.
Find two or three approved sources and annotate each one.
Draft your report’s opening paragraph on the Your draft page.
Write the full report, 800 to 1,000 words, in the online workspace.
Build an 8-minute presentation with your team that addresses the $80 gap and a missing voice.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My lens

Disability access

My research question

How should a community room weigh rental income against keeping step-free evening time for the people who need it?

Lesson 4Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 40 min.

Short on time: 40 min.

Say this

“Four lenses will give four answers to who should pay. Which lens will care most about the $80 gap?” — Take one prediction per lens.

Watch for

Misconception: Each lens argues only for its own group. Listen for: “Access matters more than money.” Then: Ask what your lens says about the $200 gap. Every lens has to face it.

Support

Lens assignments

Annotated bibliography template

Presentation storyboard

Question frame: “How should ___ weigh ___ against ___?”

Stretch

The recommendation must address the $80 pilot gap and a missing voice.

Standards

AP Seminar: Question and Explore; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; RI.11-12.7; W.11-12.1.a; W.11-12.1.b; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Case evidence my lens explains

The room is one of the few step-free rooms nearby, and Sami runs a workshop there after her afternoon shift.

A missing voice we will address

Evening users who cannot attend the Wednesday 6:30 p.m. meeting.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 160 minutes.

Your report’s opening paragraph

A small nonprofit board is weighing whether to rent out two free evenings in its community room. The budget note shows a $200 weekly gap, and each rental is projected to add $120, though demand is uncertain. This report looks at the decision through the lens of disability access. The room is one of the few step-free rooms nearby, so an evening lost here may not be replaceable somewhere else. The question is how a community room can weigh rental income against keeping step-free time for the people who need it.

Our team’s recommendation, first draft

Pilot one rental evening for six weeks. Keep one free evening in the step-free room. Collect written input from evening users, and plan how to cover the projected $80 gap.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is each lens researched accurately?
YesNo
Does the recommendation synthesize the lenses?
YesNo
Does it address both the budget and access?
YesNo
Does it acknowledge uncertainty?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No figures or perspectives.	Mentions money or people vaguely.	Uses one figure and one affected perspective accurately.	Uses figures conditionally and names an uncertainty.
Reasoning	Assigns bad motives to the board.	States a preference without addressing the gap.	Recommends an option and addresses the gap.	Weighs trade-offs across options and explains the choice.
Audience & purpose	Speaks to the wrong decision-maker.	Addresses the board but asks for nothing specific.	Makes a request the board can act on.	Requests a process that includes people who can’t attend.
Revision	No change.	Tone edits only.	Replaces a motive claim with evidence.	Adds a figure, a perspective and a follow-up request.

Lesson 4Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Could a board member act on your request tomorrow? Mark your level, then make one change.” — Ask for one figure stated as a projection.

Watch for

Misconception: Students state the $120 as certain. Listen for: “The pilot will bring in $120.” Then: Point to the Evidence row. Add “is projected to.”

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses one figure and one affected perspective accurately.

Reasoning: Recommends an option and addresses the gap.

Audience & purpose: Makes a request the board can act on.

Revision: Replaces a motive claim with evidence.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One uncertainty our recommendation admits

The $120 per rental is a projection, so the gap could be larger.

One change our team made after feedback

We changed ___ because ___.

We added the resident’s noise concern, because our first draft left out neighbor relations.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 20 minutes.

1 Option B treats the $200 gap as the problem. What does that way of stating the problem leave out?

It treats access as a cost to cut, not as part of the problem. It also hides the risk that bookings fall short of $120 each.

2 Mari is paid to close the shop and also uses the room at night. How does that shape what she asks for?

Her two roles make her weigh the costs, so she asks for tested options and written costs, not a simple yes or no.

3 How is the Common Room’s board different from the City Council that helped restore library Sundays?

The board governs one small nonprofit’s room. The City Council negotiates the city budget with the mayor, which is how the $58.3 million was restored.

My take

My claim: ___.

The board should pilot Option C and review it with evening users after six weeks.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The listening notes, because they show whose evenings each option changes.

Lesson 4Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 17 min. Skip question 2.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the agenda, the budget note or the listening notes.” — Post the question numbers and call on one student per question.

Stretch

Model what happens if only four of six pilot rentals are booked.

Going further: Choose one option on the agenda. Write what it assumes the problem is and what it leaves out.

Going further: Map who is affected by the change, including people who cannot attend the meeting. Then write an invitation that says what is still open to input.

Going further: Make an annotated options sheet that compares Options A, B and C. Test it with a neighbor, and revise any part that confuses them.

Going further: With a trusted adult, look up an upcoming library board, school committee or recreation center meeting agenda. Find out whether the item is for discussion or a vote, and whether written comments are accepted.

Research the difference between a nonprofit board and a public community board in your area

Heat check

Question 1: Low.

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A pilot only delays a hard decision.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows what the $120 projection is based on.

I would change my mind if ___.

The board found funding that closes the gap without rentals.

Notes

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?

In this case, a community room’s board is weighing whether to rent out two free evenings to cover its costs. Your student used a budget note and notes from evening users to write a comment the board could act on.

Questions to talk about

Who decides the hours at a public library or community center?
What should a group know before it asks a board for a change?
How can people give input if they cannot attend a meeting?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

Lesson 5Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than she expected after 18 hours of café shifts. They read her pay statement and shift log, label gross pay, FICA, withholding and net pay, and find out why three hours are missing. They then write a private question to payroll about any line they cannot explain.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

evaluate a source’s credibility and point of view

divide a task among team members and meet deadlines

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a research question about how societies share risk

research one lens and compare it with teammates’ lenses

synthesize the team’s findings into one conclusion

Objectives, continued

translate the research into one accurate takeaway for first-time workers

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B

Educator-approved sources, including the Social Security Administration overview

Lens assignment cards and an annotated bibliography template

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “How should societies share the risks of old age, disability and illness?” Members research economics, history of Social Security, ethics and one other country’s social insurance, then present to classmates starting first jobs.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 85): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 86 and 87): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (pages 91 and 92): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Key idea (pages 93 and 94): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip In the news. Students will find their own sources.

Sort the evidence (page 95): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 96): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 97 and 98): 120 min. Short on time: 110 min. Assign lenses and a starter source list instead of open searching.

Your draft (page 99): 150 min. Short on time: 145 min. Shorten team rehearsal to one full run-through.

Check your work (pages 100 and 101): 20 min. Short on time: 12 min. Students check the report only. Score the presentation yourself.

Questions to discuss (pages 102 and 103): 15 min. Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 104): at home.

Periods: full chapter 350 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Plan 5

Lesson 5Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 5 plan, continued

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Economic, historical, ethical and international lenses are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team transmits findings to first-time workers.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 5

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I communicate accurate information”

Heat map

Opener (page 85): Low

Key terms (pages 86 and 87): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 91 and 92): Low

Key idea (pages 93 and 94): Low

Sort the evidence (page 95): Low

Practice (page 96): Medium

Check your work (pages 100 and 101): Low

Try it at your school

Know how to read your first pay statement.

Before a first job, ask how and when you’ll be paid and where to see your pay statement

Keep your own log of hours and shifts

Look up your state’s minimum wage on its labor department site

Bring pay questions to a supervisor or payroll, in writing

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: School counselor or career office, a work-permit issuing officer if your state uses them, your supervisor or payroll office

Safety: Never post pay statements, Social Security numbers or bank details online. Workers under 18 have limits on hours and jobs; ask a trusted adult to help check them.

Sources

Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding Taxes: gross pay and net pay,” No date listed

Internal Revenue Service, “Understanding employment taxes,” No date listed

Internal Revenue Service, “Tax Withholding Estimator,” No date listed

TBS, “Rachel Gets Her First Paycheck from Central Perk,” No date listed

Plan 5b

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out, so she reads her pay statement line by line before asking payroll.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two hour totals that do not match. About 5 minutes.

Gia holds a small card and talks beside a phone on a tripod. Jordy holds Voz, one of the crew’s companions, on an open hand.

Your role: You’re the one who adds up Gia’s hours before she writes to payroll. New skill: Read a pay statement line by line.

What happened

It is Thursday evening, and it is payday for Gia. She works café shifts around her college classes. She checks her bank account and sees a deposit that is smaller than the pay she worked out. Gia keeps a shift log in her notes app. The log says 18 hours, but her pay statement says 15.

Jordy works event shifts, and their deposit looks different too. Jordy’s shifts fall on different dates and hours, so their pay cannot explain Gia’s. Jordy asks Gia to name the line that worries her instead of posting her whole statement.

Gia’s pay statement lists her hours, her hourly rate and four tax lines. She expected the lines for Social Security and Medicare. She does not understand the line for federal income tax. Before she writes to payroll, she wants to know what her own records show.

Your question: Why is Gia’s deposit smaller than her own count, and what should she ask payroll?

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

En español: salario bruto

In this case: Gia’s statement pays 15 hours at $17.00 an hour, so her gross pay is $255.00.

Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

En español: salario neto

In this case: The $220.99 that reached Gia’s bank account is her net pay, not the amount she earned.

FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.

En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)

In this case: On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax, $15.81, and Medicare tax, $3.70.

Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.

En español: retención

In this case: Federal income tax withheld, $8.40, is a separate line from FICA. The IRS says its amount depends partly on the W-4.

Who is involved

Gia

Works café shifts and keeps her own shift log

“My notes say 18 hours. The statement says 15. I counted twice, so where did three hours go?”

Jordy

Works event shifts on different dates

“Mine is event work. Different dates, different hours. My deposit can’t tell Gia anything about hers.”

Lesson 5Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which number did Gia see in her bank account, gross pay or net pay?” — Wait for “net pay.” Then ask what her gross pay was.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat FICA and federal income tax as the same tax. Listen for: “FICA is just the income tax.” Then: FICA is two lines, Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax is a third line.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Draw gross pay at the top and net pay at the bottom, with deductions between them.

Cognates: deduction (deducción), net (neto), total (total), calculate (calcular), period (período), federal (federal), confirm (confirmar), error (error).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia’s deposit is smaller than she expected?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that taxes explain the whole gap, because every paycheck has deductions.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Reading the document behind the deposit

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.
Net pay: Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.
FICA: FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.
Withholding: Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

The story: Eighteen hours or fifteen

Gia works café shifts around her college classes, and like many students with jobs, she checks her pay the way most people check the weather: quickly, on her phone, expecting nothing unusual. On this Thursday, the deposit is smaller than the number in her head. She does not guess. She opens the shift log she keeps in her notes app. Five shifts, 18 hours. Then she opens her pay statement. Fifteen hours.

She posts in the group chat that her deposit is much lower than expected. Jordy, who works event shifts, notices their own deposit looks different too, and then immediately sees why that comparison is useless. Their shifts fall on different dates and hours. Two deposits cannot explain each other. Jordy’s next message sets a boundary that protects them both. Gia should not post her whole statement. She should name the line that worries her. Jordy also does not want Gia mentioning their pay to her payroll office. It proves nothing about Gia’s pay and puts Jordy’s pay in front of Gia’s payroll office.

Your role is to add up Gia’s hours before she writes to payroll. That sounds simple. It is also the step most people skip.

Stop and think. Why does Jordy not want Gia to mention Jordy’s pay in her message?

A statement is an argument you can check

Gia’s working theory is that payroll shorted her.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

A statement is an argument you can check, continued

That is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. Lesson 1 taught you to test a claim against the original source, and Lesson 4 taught you to read dollar figures carefully, as Mari did with the board’s budget note. A pay statement combines both skills. It is the employer’s account of how it got from your work to your deposit, and each line can be checked.

The statement covers the pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday. It lists 15 hours at $17.00, for $255.00 in gross pay, the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. Gia’s log explains the difference in hours. Her shifts on the 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th total 15 hours. Her 3-hour Saturday shift on the 13th fell after the period closed. The likely answer is that those hours will appear on the next statement. A likely answer is not a confirmed one, so Gia still plans to ask.

The rest of the gap is taxes. Social Security tax of $15.81 and Medicare tax of $3.70 together form FICA, the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. Federal income tax withheld, $8.40, is a separate line, as is state and local income tax, $6.10. Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. The total left, $220.99, is Gia’s net pay, the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

Stop and think. What is the difference between a likely answer and a confirmed one, and why does Gia still write to payroll?

The system behind the lines

The IRS explains that the federal taxes an employer withholds include income tax, Social Security and Medicare. It says income-tax withholding depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4 (Internal Revenue Service, updated May 1, 2026). Federal income tax taken from each paycheck counts toward what a worker owes for the whole year, so one paycheck cannot show that yearly total. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is the official tool for checking whether withholding is on track (Internal Revenue Service, updated June 27, 2026). The IRS has also written directly to teens starting a first job, explaining withholding and the W-4 (IRS Tax Tip 2019-62, May 20, 2019).

FICA can feel abstract until you ask what it funds. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation explains where the Social Security and Medicare money taken from a paycheck goes (Peter G. Peterson Foundation, May 26, 2026). NPR’s The Indicator devoted an episode to the Social Security portion and why it comes out of nearly every check (NPR, June 6, 2018).

Gross pay has its own rules. Many states set a minimum wage above the federal one, and 19 states raised theirs in January 2026 (Money, January 1, 2026). Payroll professionals hold themselves to a standard, too. The PayrollOrg code asks members “to strive for perfect compliance, accuracy, and timeliness of all payroll activities” (PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, no date listed).

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

The system behind the lines, continued

A worker who can read the statement is the best check on that promise.

Stop and think. Why can one paycheck not show how much federal income tax a worker will owe for the year?

Sources

Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceMay 1, 2026

Understanding employment taxes

Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceJune 27, 2026

Tax Withholding Estimator

Real sourceInternal Revenue ServiceMay 20, 2019

It’s summertime… and these tips can help make livin’ easy for teens with jobs (IRS Tax Tip 2019-62)

Real sourcePeter G. Peterson FoundationMay 26, 2026

Payroll Taxes: What Are They and What Do They Fund?

Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018

Social Insecurity

Real sourceMoneyJanuary 1, 2026

Minimum-Wage Workers in These 19 States Just Got a Raise

Real sourcePayrollOrgNo date listed

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the pay statement and the shift log, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 minutes.

Evidence APay statement

Gia’s pay statement

Pay period ending Friday the 12th, paid the following Thursday. Hours: 15.00 at $17.00. Gross pay: $255.00. Social Security tax: $15.81. Medicare tax: $3.70. Federal income tax withheld: $8.40. State and local income tax withheld: $6.10. Net pay: $220.99.

Look closely: Which line shows gross pay? Which two lines together make up FICA?

What it shows

15 × $17.00 = $255.00 checks out. FICA is two lines, apart from income tax.

What it leaves out

Any shift after the 12th, and how the $8.40 federal line was figured.

Evidence BNotes app

Gia’s shift log for the last two weeks

Mon the 8th: 4 hrs. Wed the 10th: 4 hrs. Thu the 11th: 3 hrs. Fri the 12th: 4 hrs. Sat the 13th: 3 hrs. My total: 18 hrs.

Look closely: Which shift falls outside the pay period? Add the hours inside it.

What it shows

Her log matches the statement once the 3-hour Saturday shift is set aside.

What it leaves out

Whether payroll logged the Saturday hours, and which statement will pay them.

Lesson 5Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Put your finger on the date the pay period ends. Now find each shift in the log that comes after it.” — Wait for Saturday the 13th.

Watch for

Misconception: Students expect all 18 hours on this statement. Listen for: “She worked 18 hours, so she gets paid for 18.” Then: Ask which dates the pay period covers. Only 15 of the 18 hours fall inside it.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the dates enlarged.

Offer calculators and model 15 × $17.00 = $255.00.

Cognates: deduction (deducción), net (neto), total (total), calculate (calcular), period (período), federal (federal), confirm (confirmar), error (error).

Stretch

Ask which two lines make up FICA, and why the statement lists federal income tax on its own line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether the Saturday shift will appear on the next statement, what Gia entered on her W-4, whether any other deductions such as benefits apply to her job, and the minimum wage where she works.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: gross pay and net pay

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

A bank deposit shows how much money arrived, but the pay statement shows how the employer figured it. Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out. For an hourly worker, gross pay is the hours worked times the hourly rate, plus any other earnings. Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay. Gia’s deposit is her net pay.

Deductions are the lines between those two totals. FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare. On Gia’s statement, FICA appears as two lines: Social Security tax and Medicare tax. Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker. Federal income-tax withholding is a separate line from FICA, and the IRS says its amount depends partly on the worker’s Form W-4.

A statement can also list other deductions, such as benefit contributions, so read each line’s name before you decide it is income tax. The federal income tax taken from each paycheck counts toward the tax a worker owes for the whole year. One paycheck cannot show what that yearly total will be. This explanation covers employees in the United States. Self-employed workers follow a different tax process.

Professional standards

Real sourcePayrollOrg

PayrollOrg Code of Ethics: Item 2

“To strive for perfect compliance, accuracy, and timeliness of all payroll activities.”

In plain words: Payroll professionals who belong to PayrollOrg aim to pay people correctly and on time.

Question: Gia worked Saturday the 13th, after the pay period ended. What should payroll confirm about when she gets paid?

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Payroll should confirm ___. Item 2 matters here because ___.

Payroll should confirm which pay period the 3-hour Saturday shift belongs to. Item 2 matters here because it asks for accuracy and timeliness, and this shift tests both.

In the news

Real sourceTwo Cents, PBS (YouTube)April 10, 2019

How Do Your Tax Dollars Get Spent?

Starts with a first paycheck that’s smaller than expected and explains FICA and income tax withholding.

Real sourceNPR, The Indicator from Planet MoneyJune 6, 2018

Social Insecurity

A short episode on the Social Security part of FICA and why it comes out of nearly every paycheck.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownCompare each piece of evidence with each claim and write supports, challenges or neither in each box. About 8 minutes.

Before calling it an error, sort the evidence. Which facts explain the smaller deposit, and which question is still worth asking payroll?

Evidence	Claim 1Payroll shorted Gia’s pay.	Claim 2The missing 3 hours belong on the next statement.
1 Shift log shows 18 hours; the statement shows 15	Supports	Neither
2 The period ended Friday the 12th; the 3-hour shift was Saturday the 13th	Challenges	Supports
3 Gross pay of $255.00 matches 15 × $17.00	Challenges	Neither
4 FICA and withholding lines account for the gap between gross and net	Challenges	Neither

Still open

Will the Saturday shift actually appear next time? Ask payroll.

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The payroll office is missing, and so is Gia’s W-4. I would ask how her W-4 affects the $8.40 line and when the Saturday hours will be paid.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Gia should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Gia’s deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out. What should she do first?

A Compare her deposit with Jordy’s.
B Check her hours and the pay period, then read each line of her statement.
C Treat the whole gap as taxes and let it go.

Why I chose it

B. Only Gia’s own records can separate timing from deductions. A compares workers with different shifts, and C treats part of the gap as all of it.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, my paycheck is wrong. 1 I worked way more hours than what I got paid for and also a lot of money was taken out for taxes which doesn’t seem right. I’ve been working really hard and picking up extra shifts so this is really frustrating. My friend Jordy works similar hours and got more than me. Can you fix it? 2 My account number is 4471-xxxx if you need it. Please let me know as soon as possible because I have bills. Thanks, Gia

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

My log shows 18 hours, the statement 15. My Saturday shift may fall after the cutoff.

Rewrite phrase 2

I can bring my shift log with dates and times to the office if that would help.

Lesson 5PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia just saw the deposit. What should she do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose comparing deposits with Jordy. Listen for: “Just ask Jordy what they got.” Then: Ask what Jordy’s deposit could prove about Gia’s hours. Jordy works different dates.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may start comparing their own pay or their family’s income.

Cool-down: Say: “We use only Gia’s and Jordy’s numbers today.” Return to the statement.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, I’m checking my pay statement for the period that ended Friday the 12th. My shift log shows 18 hours, and the statement shows 15. I think my Saturday shift on the 13th may fall after the cutoff. Can you confirm whether those 3 hours will appear on my next statement? I also want to understand the federal income-tax withholding line. Is it based on the W-4 I filled out when I started? I can bring my shift log with dates and times to the office if that would help. Thank you, Gia

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 120 minutes.

Team inquiry: “How should societies share the risks of old age, disability and illness?” Members research economics, history of Social Security, ethics and one other country’s social insurance, then present to classmates starting first jobs.

Use: The case plus educator-approved sources, including an SSA overview.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Read the team question: How should societies share the risks of old age, disability and illness?
Choose one lens: economics, history, ethics or another country’s social insurance.
Log your teacher-approved sources in the annotated bibliography.
Write your research question and your takeaway in the planner.
Draft your report’s opening, takeaway and limits in the Your draft boxes.
Write the full report, 800 to 1,000 words, on lined paper or in the workspace.
Rehearse your part of the team’s 8-minute presentation.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

How does the United States use payroll taxes to share the risks of old age, disability and illness, and who carries the cost?

Lesson 5Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 120 min.

Short on time: 110 min. Assign lenses and a starter source list instead of open searching.

Say this

“Each lens answers the same question differently. What will your lens notice that the others miss?” — Assign lenses before students search, so every lens is covered.

Watch for

Misconception: Students research a topic, not the question. Listen for: “I’m doing Social Security.” Then: Ask them to finish the sentence: “My lens asks ___ about sharing risk.”

Support

Lens assignments

Annotated bibliography

Audience analysis: first-time workers

Give each lens two starter sources from your approved list.

Stretch

Translate the research into one practical takeaway for a first paycheck.

Standards

AP Seminar: Question and Explore; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.2; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

My lens, and what it adds to the team

Economics. My teammates cover history, ethics and another country, so I explain who pays and who receives.

One takeaway for a first paycheck

Two lines on your first pay statement, Social Security and Medicare, are FICA. They fund benefits for people now and later.

Notes

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Report opening: question, lens and approach

Gia’s pay statement shows four tax lines. Two of them, Social Security tax and Medicare tax, connect her café paycheck to a national system. This report asks how the United States uses payroll taxes to share the risks of old age, disability and illness, and who carries the cost. I use an economics lens. My teammates examine history, ethics and one other country’s social insurance.

Takeaway for first-time workers

On your first pay statement, find the Social Security and Medicare lines. Together they are FICA. That money funds benefits for today’s retirees and people with disabilities, and it helps pay for your own future benefits. Federal income tax is a separate line.

Limits of this report

This report uses one pay statement with invented amounts, so it cannot predict anyone’s taxes. It covers employees in the United States, not self-employed workers. Where sources disagree about funding, I report the disagreement instead of settling it.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research accurate for your lens?
YesNo
Does your report present more than one perspective on social insurance?
YesNo
Does your conclusion bring the team’s lenses together?
YesNo
Is your takeaway accurate and practical for a first-time worker?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No specific numbers.	Mentions hours but no period.	Names hours, period and the line in question.	Cites own records and the statement side by side.
Reasoning	Assumes an error or theft.	Assumes all difference is tax.	Separates hours, deductions and period timing.	Explains which differences are expected and which need checking.
Audience & purpose	Shares private details or demands.	Polite but vague.	Clear question payroll can answer.	Clear, private, and offers the right document.
Revision	No change.	Removes one issue.	Adds period and line, removes private data.	Explains why each change helps payroll respond.

100

Lesson 5Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Students check the report only. Score the presentation yourself.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Circulate and ask for one added date or one removed private detail.

Watch for

Misconception: Students make surface edits only. Listen for: “I fixed the spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for one added line name or one removed private detail.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names hours, period and the line in question.

Reasoning: Separates hours, deductions and period timing.

Audience & purpose: Clear question payroll can answer.

Revision: Adds period and line, removes private data.

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I cut a claim I could not trace to a teacher-approved source and replaced it with one I could cite.

Notes

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Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 15 minutes.

1 What would Gia’s statement need to show for the missing hours to be a payroll mistake?

It would have to pay fewer than the 15 hours worked inside the period. It pays all 15, so the open question is whether the next statement includes the 13th.

2 Why might a new worker think that every missing dollar went to taxes?

The tax lines are real and visible, so they make an easy explanation. A worker who stops there misses the timing issue behind the three hours.

3 Before a first job, what would you want to know about how and when you will be paid?

When each pay period ends and when it is paid, where statements are posted, and who answers payroll questions in writing.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: pay-period timing and expected deductions explain the smaller deposit.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is the statement itself: 15 × $17.00 = $255.00, so the hours and rate match.

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Lesson 5Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Say this

“Answer with a line from the statement or the log, not a guess about payroll.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what a new worker should keep in their own records before the first payday, and why.

Going further: What does a new worker need to know before they feel ready to ask payroll a question? Explain the gap between gross pay and net pay without making taxes the answer to every missing dollar.

Going further: Write down your first guess about why Gia’s deposit was small. Then compare it with the line-by-line explanation. What changed?

Going further: Record a spoken walkthrough of Gia’s statement, and mark up a copy of the statement. Ask someone which version answers their question better.

Going further: Before a first job, ask how and when you will be paid and where to see your pay statement. Keep your own log of hours and shifts. Look up your state’s minimum wage on its labor department website, and bring pay questions to a supervisor or payroll in writing.

Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator’s public page to list what information it asks for (no personal data)

Research your state’s minimum wage and pay-statement requirements

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say expected deductions can still be wrong, so Gia should check them.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

The limit of the evidence is that no document shows Gia’s W-4 or when the Saturday shift will be paid.

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if payroll said the Saturday shift belonged to this pay period.

Notes

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Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?

In this case, Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she expected. Your student read a practice pay statement line by line and explained where the money went.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between gross pay and net pay?
Why might a bank deposit be less than the hours worked times the hourly rate?
Who at a workplace can answer questions about a pay statement?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

104

Lesson 6Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

Content note

This case is about private records. No student should share their own grades, forms, records or family finances, so keep the discussion on Rafa’s situation.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read about Rafa, an 18-year-old in his first year of college whose family wants to help pay tuition and asks for his login. They read an access form, a college FERPA notice and summaries of federal guidance, then sort billing access from access to grades. They then write the question Rafa could send the records office and the smallest access that would help his family.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

evaluate a source’s perspective and limits

build an argument from several sources

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a research question about family knowledge and young adult independence

evaluate legal, cultural and personal perspectives from a stimulus packet

Objectives, continued

write an original argument that synthesizes the sources

acknowledge the limits of the argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A and B

A stimulus packet: the FERPA FAQ, the American University guide, one article on family involvement in college and one cultural perspective on family and independence

A perspective map and an argument outline

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “How much should families know about a young adult’s life?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 105): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 106 and 107): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (pages 111 and 112): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 113 and 114): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip In the news. The stimulus packet covers the sources.

Sort the evidence (page 115): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 116): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 117 and 118): 90 min. Short on time: 80 min. Annotate two stimulus sources together as a class.

Your draft (page 119): 130 min. Short on time: 125 min. Students outline in class and draft the full argument at home.

Check your work (pages 120 and 121): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Students check the argument only. Give practice feedback yourself.

Questions to discuss (pages 122 and 123): 15 min. Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 124): at home.

Periods: full chapter 295 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze legal and cultural arguments.

Plan 6

Lesson 6Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 6 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students weigh family, student and institutional views.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students write an original argument.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice

Codes of ethics, continued

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Principles of professional ethics

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 105): Medium

Key terms (pages 106 and 107): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 111 and 112): Low

Key idea (pages 113 and 114): Low

Sort the evidence (page 115): Medium

Practice (page 116): Low

Your task (pages 117 and 118): Medium

Check your work (pages 120 and 121): Low

Try it at your school

Find your school’s records notice.

Search your school or district website for its FERPA or “student records” notice

Find out what counts as directory information and how families can opt out

Write one question about who can see a record, and ask the front office or counselor

If you’re heading to college, look up its parent-access and authorization forms early

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: School counselor, registrar or records office, front-office staff

Safety: Never post screenshots of grades, IDs or forms. Talk with a trusted adult about what to share and with whom.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is FERPA?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “What is an education record?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, “Student privacy questions,” No date listed

American University, AU Central, “FERPA and parent-access guide,” No date listed

Plan 6b

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a family-access form asks whether they should also get information about his grades.

On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa’s dad asks for in the family chat. About 5 minutes.

Rafa and Caio sit on a sofa and look at Rafa’s phone. Caio explains something with an open hand.

Your role: You’re the one who reads each box on the form before Rafa signs. New skill: Read a form section by section before you sign.

What happened

Rafa, 18, has just started college, and his parents help pay his tuition bill. He commutes from the next block and helps at his family’s shop after class. At the start of October, the college mailed Rafa a family-access form, but he has not opened the envelope yet.

On Sunday night, his parents ask about the form in the family group chat. His dad wants Rafa’s login so the family can handle everything. Rafa is glad to share the bill, but he wants to read the rest of the form first.

Caio, an older friend who rents a room on the block, reads the form with Rafa, not for him. The form has separate sections for billing and for grades. Rafa wants to check the billing box. He wants to talk with his family before he decides about grades.

Your question: What will this form let Rafa’s parents see, and what should he ask before he signs?

105

Lesson 6OpenerAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Say this

“Rafa’s dad asks for his login. What is his dad trying to help with?” — Hear two answers. Keep the talk about Rafa’s family, not students’ own.

Watch for

Misconception: Students assume paying tuition gives parents full access. Listen for: “They pay, so they get to see it.” Then: Write “paying” and “seeing” as two columns. Ask which document connects them.

Support

Read What happened aloud while students follow along.

Remind students that nobody shares their own records or family rules.

Heat check

Medium. Students may compare the case with their own family’s rules about grades.

Cool-down: Say: “We’re working with Rafa’s family.” Go straight to the form.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.

En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)

In this case: Rafa is 18 and in college, so under the general rule the FERPA rights to his records are his, not his parents’.

Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.

En español: expediente educativo

In this case: Rafa’s grades and schedule are education records. Section 2 of his form asks whether his parents may receive information about his grades.

Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

En español: consentimiento

In this case: Rafa’s form asks for consent in two separate sections, one for billing and one for grades. He can say yes to one and no to the other.

Who is involved

Rafa

First-year commuter with a family-access form

“My parents help with the bill. The college mailed this form, and the family chat already wants to know if I signed it. I haven’t even opened it.”

Caio

Reads the form with Rafa, not for him

“I can sit with Rafa while he asks. Being the older friend doesn’t make this my decision.”

106

Lesson 6Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which key term tells you whose rights these are?” — Wait for FERPA. Then ask when the rights transfer.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think FERPA protects only children. Listen for: “FERPA is for kids.” Then: Reread the key idea: the rights transfer to the student at 18 or on starting college.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Show a timeline: middle school, high school, 18 or college.

Cognates: consent (consentimiento), privacy (privacidad), authorization (autorización), exception (excepción), information (información), academic (académico), federal (federal), education (educación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Rafa’s parents are allowed to see?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the form decides it, because a college would not share grades without a signature.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Consent, one box at a time

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

FERPA: FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.
Education record: An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.
Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: Family support and a sealed envelope

Rafa, 18, is in his first weeks of college. He commutes from the next block and works at his family’s shop after class. His parents help with tuition, and they want to keep helping. At the start of October, the college mailed him a parent and family access form. He has not opened it.

On Sunday night, his parents bring it up in the family group chat. His mom asks whether the tuition form arrived so they can help with the bill. His dad proposes the simplest route from a parent’s point of view: send the login, and the family will take care of everything. Rafa answers that he can share the bill part and wants to read the rest first. His reply is honest and a little uncomfortable. It says yes to one kind of help and asks for time on another.

Caio, 24, the oldest in the crew, rents a room on the block and offers to sit with Rafa while he reads the form. He is careful about the limits of that help. Being the older friend does not make this his decision. When the conversation turns to exceptions in the law, Caio pushes for precision. Which exception, and does it even fit Rafa? Just saying “privacy law” will not answer his dad.

Your role in this case is to read each box on the form before Rafa signs.

Stop and think. Rafa says yes to one kind of help and asks for time on another. Why might that be harder than saying yes to everything?

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

A form is a set of separate decisions

The new skill in this case builds on Lesson 5. There, you read a pay statement line by line and matched each line to a record. Here, you read a form section by section and decide each part on its own. Section 1 would let a named person view account statements and make payments. Section 2 would let that person receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Section 3 says the authorization lasts until Rafa changes or withdraws it in writing. The first two sections each carry a separate yes-or-no box.

The college’s annual notice adds the legal frame. Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections and to consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent. The notice does not say which exceptions this college uses, and neither document says where Rafa sends a written change.

Two earlier terms sharpen the analysis. A decision-maker (Lesson 4) is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, and on this form that person is Rafa. A trade-off (also Lesson 4) exists in each section separately. Sharing billing costs little and gives his parents what they asked for. Sharing grades may strengthen family trust, or it may shift a conversation Rafa would rather have in person first. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, it is written and specifies which record, to whom and for what purpose. A shared login is the opposite of specific.

Stop and think. The notice lists rights and exceptions but not which exceptions this college uses. What should Rafa ask to fill that gap?

The federal rule and its exceptions

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps. Under the general rule, FERPA rights transfer from parents to the student at 18 or when the student enters college at any age, and the law calls that student an “eligible student” (U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, no date listed). Paying tuition does not, by itself, return those rights to a parent.

The exceptions are real and narrow. A college may disclose records to parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes, and it may disclose in a health or safety emergency. The Department of Education stresses that these disclosures are permitted, not required (U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, no date listed). That is why the practical step is a question to the records office, not an argument from the law alone. American University’s parent-access guide shows how one institution handles it, and it is one university’s process, not a national rule (American University, June 30, 2025).

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

The federal rule and its exceptions, continued

Records management is also a data security problem. A breach at PowerSchool exposed millions of student records (Education Week, January 9, 2025). The Markup has reported on how school software companies gain access to student data, and where FERPA’s protections run out (The Markup, January 15, 2022). Registrars’ own professional code asks them to “protect the legitimate privacy interests of all individuals” (AACRAO Ethics and Practice, 2010).

Stop and think. Why does Caio insist on naming the exact exception instead of saying “privacy law”?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

What is FERPA?

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?

Real sourceAmerican University, AU CentralJune 30, 2025

FERPA and parent-access guide

Real sourceEducation WeekJanuary 9, 2025

What Schools Should Know About the PowerSchool Data Breach

Real sourceThe MarkupJanuary 15, 2022

The Big Business of Tracking and Profiling Students

Real sourceAmerican Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)2010

AACRAO Ethics and Practice

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the form and the notice, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ACollege form

Parent and family access authorization, mailed to Rafa on October 5

Section 1, Billing and payments: allow the person named below to view account statements and make payments. Yes or No. Section 2, Academic records: allow the person named below to receive information about grades, enrollment and academic standing. Yes or No. Section 3: this authorization stays in effect until the student changes or withdraws it in writing.

Look closely: Which section covers billing, and which covers grades? Circle each yes-or-no box.

What it shows

Two separate consents. Section 3 lets Rafa change or withdraw either one in writing.

What it leaves out

The exceptions that allow sharing without consent, and whether any fit Rafa.

Evidence BCollege notice

Annual FERPA notice on the registrar’s page

Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections and to consent to disclosures, except where the law allows disclosure without consent. Questions go to the Office of the Registrar.

Look closely: Which phrase tells you the law has exceptions? Underline it.

What it shows

The rights sit with the student, and “except where the law allows” signals exceptions.

What it leaves out

Which exceptions apply here, such as tax dependency, and who decides at the registrar.

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Lesson 6Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Put one finger on the billing section and one on the grades section. Could Rafa say yes to one and no to the other?” — Wait for “yes, they are separate.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the notice as a promise of total privacy. Listen for: “So nobody can ever see his grades.” Then: Point to “except where the law allows disclosure without consent.”

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the section headings enlarged.

Read the notice aloud and pause at “except.”

Cognates: consent (consentimiento), privacy (privacidad), authorization (autorización), exception (excepción), information (información), academic (académico), federal (federal), education (educación).

Stretch

Ask what Section 3 lets Rafa do later, and why that matters for the choice he makes today.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Which exceptions the college uses and whether any fit Rafa, including tax dependency; what help his family wants; and where a written change goes.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: education records

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records. It gives parents, and later students, rights over those records. An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps. Grades, transcripts and schedules can be education records, on paper or stored digitally. Under the general rule, the rights transfer to the student at age 18 or when the student starts college, at any age. The law calls that student an “eligible student.”

Helping pay tuition does not, by itself, give those rights back to a parent. Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person. For college records, consent is written and says which record, to whom and for what purpose. Rafa’s form asks about billing and about grades in separate sections. He can say yes to one section and no to the other. He can also change his choice later in writing.

FERPA also has exceptions, which are situations in which a college may share records without the student’s consent. A college may share records with parents if the student is a dependent for federal tax purposes. It may also share them in a health or safety emergency. The U.S. Department of Education says this sharing is allowed, not required, so Rafa should ask his records office what his college does.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)

AACRAO Ethics and Practice: Standards of professional practice

“Protect the legitimate privacy interests of all individuals and maintain appropriate confidentiality of institutional and student education records”

In plain words: College registrars who belong to AACRAO agree to protect students' privacy and keep education records confidential.

Question: Rafa's form separates billing from grades. What would the registrar need before sharing his grades with his parents?

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

The registrar would need ___, unless ___.

The registrar would need Rafa’s consent in Section 2, unless a FERPA exception applies, such as tax dependency. Even then, sharing is allowed, not required.

In the news

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education (YouTube)November 7, 2013

Student Privacy 101: FERPA for Parents and Students

The Education Department’s own short explainer of FERPA rights and when they move from parents to students.

Real sourceU.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy OfficeNo date listed

Must postsecondary institutions provide a parent with access to an eligible student’s education records?

Answers the case question directly, including the exception for students claimed as tax dependents.

Notes

114

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides each question, which rule applies and who can ask. About 8 minutes.

Who actually decides each question: Rafa, the rule or the college? Mark where paying the bill and seeing grades split into two separate decisions.

Who may see Rafa’s grades?

Who decides

Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent

Under which rule

FERPA: rights transfer to the student at 18 or on entering college

Who lives with it

Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition

Your way in

The registrar or records office explains which form and which exceptions apply

Who may see and pay the tuition bill?

Who decides

Rafa, the eligible student, through written consent

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Rafa’s family, who help pay tuition

Your way in

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

His parents’ reasons are missing. The chat shows they want to help with the bill, but not why they asked for his login. I would ask what they need to see.

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose who holds Rafa’s rights and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Rafa is 18 and in college, and his parents help pay his tuition. Under the general FERPA rule, who holds the rights to his education records?

A Rafa does.
B His parents do, because they help pay the bill.
C His parents do, until Rafa signs a form that says otherwise.

Why I chose it

A. Under the general rule the rights are Rafa’s. B confuses paying with permission, and C reverses the rule: the form is how he shares, not how he gains rights.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Rafa, 1 your parents are paying so they can probably see everything, that’s how it works at most schools. My parents could always see my grades on the portal in high school. FERPA is a privacy law but it’s mostly for kids. 2 Once you’re 18 it doesn’t really matter anymore. If you want to keep your grades private you should just not give them your password. Honestly just ask your parents what they want to see. They’re helping you a lot so it’s probably fair for them to know how you’re doing.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Paying tuition doesn’t give access to grades. That needs consent in a separate section.

Rewrite phrase 2

At 18 or on starting college, FERPA rights transfer to you, though some exceptions apply.

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Lesson 6PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Rafa is 18 and in college. Who holds the rights to his records?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick the paying-parents option. Listen for: “They’re paying, so it’s theirs.” Then: Ask what the form would be for if his parents already held the rights.

Support

Read the options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Rafa, under the general FERPA rule, the rights to your education records are yours now, because you’re 18 and in college. Paying tuition doesn’t automatically give your family access to your grades. At schools like the one in the guide, parent access for paying the bill is separate from permission to see academic records. You can decide what to share. Talk with your family about what help you actually want, then ask the records office which form covers that, what it allows and how to change it later. There are exceptions, so ask them which ones your college uses.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 90 minutes.

Individual written argument on “How much should families know about a young adult’s life?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: the FERPA FAQ, the university guide, one article on family involvement in college and one cultural perspective on family and independence.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Read the stimulus packet and annotate each source for its perspective.
Write a research question in the planner.
Fill in the perspective map: legal, cultural and personal.
Write a thesis that answers your question with a clear position.
Draft your introduction, one body paragraph and your limits in the Your draft boxes.
Write the full argument, 1,200 to 1,500 words, on lined paper or in the workspace.
Check your argument with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

When a family helps pay for college, how much should they know about a young adult’s academic life, and who should decide?

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Lesson 6Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 90 min.

Short on time: 80 min. Annotate two stimulus sources together as a class.

Say this

“Label each source’s perspective before you use it. Whose view does it speak for?” — Model one label with the American University guide.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat one cultural source as the view of a whole group. Listen for: “In that culture, families always…” Then: Ask who wrote the source and whom it speaks for.

Support

Perspective map

Stimulus annotation guide

Argument outline

Stem: “This source speaks for ___, so it can show ___ but not ___.”

Stretch

Represent at least one cultural perspective respectfully without generalizing about any group.

Heat check

Medium. Talk about family and culture can lead students to describe their own homes.

Cool-down: Say: “Use the sources and Rafa. Nobody describes their own family.”

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Three perspectives

Legal: FERPA gives the rights to the student at 18 or in college. Cultural: families differ in how much they share. Personal: Rafa wants help with the bill and time to talk about grades.

My thesis

Families should know what the young adult chooses to share, and the law’s default rightly gives that choice to the student.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 130 minutes.

Introduction

Rafa’s parents help pay his tuition, and the family chat asks whether he has signed a form that could share his grades. His situation raises a wider question: when a family helps pay for college, how much should they know about a young adult’s academic life? The law gives one answer, and families give many others. I argue that the law’s default rightly leaves that choice to the student.

Body paragraph: the legal perspective

The legal perspective is the clearest. Under FERPA, the rights to education records transfer to the student at 18 or on starting college. Paying tuition does not transfer them back. American University’s guide applies this by separating parent billing access from permission to discuss academic records. The law does not forbid sharing. It makes sharing the student’s choice, with some exceptions.

Limits of my argument

This argument has limits. It relies on one federal law and one university’s process, and other colleges and countries may differ. The cultural source in my packet speaks for its authors, not for every family who shares its background.

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Is your research question clear and focused?
YesNo
Do you evaluate legal, cultural and personal perspectives?
YesNo
Is your argument your own synthesis, not a summary?
YesNo
Do you acknowledge the limits of your argument?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No source cited.	Refers to “privacy law” generally.	Cites the transfer rule and the separate-access guide.	Cites both and notes that exceptions exist.
Reasoning	States the rule backwards.	Gets the transfer right but merges billing and grades.	Separates paying from permission correctly.	Explains why least access is a reasonable choice.
Audience & purpose	Tells Rafa what to do.	Gives advice without a next step.	Leaves the decision with Rafa and names the records office.	Respects Rafa’s family relationship while protecting his choice.
Revision	No change.	Fixes one fact.	Fixes the rule and adds a next step.	Explains why each correction matters for Rafa’s decision.

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Lesson 6Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Students check the argument only. Give practice feedback yourself.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one corrected rule or one added question for the records office.

Watch for

Misconception: Students leave an absolute claim in place. Listen for: “Parents can never see grades.” Then: Point to the Evidence row. Ask them to add that exceptions exist.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites the transfer rule and the separate-access guide.

Reasoning: Separates paying from permission correctly.

Audience & purpose: Leaves the decision with Rafa and names the records office.

Revision: Fixes the rule and adds a next step.

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I cut a sentence that said all families from one culture share grades, because it generalized about a group.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 15 minutes.

1 What is the smallest amount of access that would give Rafa the help he wants from his family?

Section 1 alone. His family asked to help with the bill, and billing access covers that. Grades can wait until they talk.

2 Why might Rafa want to talk with his family before he checks the box for grades?

The form separates billing from grades, but his family may not know that. Talking first lets him explain the difference before he decides.

3 Someone says, “Parents can never see college records.” How would you revise that claim after reading this case?

Parents generally need an eligible student’s consent. The law allows, but does not require, sharing with parents of a tax dependent or in a health or safety emergency.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: the smallest access that still helps is billing only, with grades left for a family talk.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is Section 3, because it lets Rafa change his choice later in writing.

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Lesson 6Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the form or the notice, not from your own family.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what Rafa could share with his family in a conversation, without signing any form.

Going further: Compare FERPA’s general rule with American University’s parent-access process. Which parts come from the federal law, and which come from one university’s forms?

Going further: What might a student and a family member who pays the bill each misunderstand about access? Write wording that makes the separate permissions clear without promising total secrecy.

Going further: Draw two permission guides for a sample student: a flowchart and a short conversation. Test both with a reader who does not know this case.

Going further: Search your school or district website for its FERPA or “student records” notice. Then write one question about who can see a record, and ask the front office or a counselor. If you are heading to college, look up its parent-access and authorization forms early.

Find your own school’s FERPA notice and summarize what it says about directory information and opting out

Compare FERPA with your state’s student-privacy law, if it has one

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say a paying family has a fair claim to see results.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

The limit of the evidence is that we don’t know which exceptions Rafa’s college uses.

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if his family claims him as a tax dependent and the college shares on that basis.

Notes

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Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?

In this case, Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a form asks if they should also see his grades. Your student read the form and a federal privacy rule, then explained how paying the bill differs from seeing grades.

Questions to talk about

Under the general rule, when do students start to control who sees their school records?
Why might a college form keep paying a bill separate from seeing grades?
Who at a college could answer a question about records?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

124

Lesson 7Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

Overview

Students read a short story in which a group chat claims that one parent’s complaint got a novel “banned” from Anika’s school library. They compare the claim with the district’s reconsideration notice, the committee input form and the ALA’s example procedure. They map where the novel is in the review. They then write input to the review committee that is tied to the selection criteria.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

label a source’s viewpoint before using it

divide research among team members

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a question about who should decide what stays in a school library

research one lens and represent competing views fairly

synthesize the team’s lenses into a model process

explain what would give the process legitimacy with people who disagree

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Evidence A and B

The ALA toolkit and educator-approved sources that represent different views

A source tracker with viewpoint labels

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Who should decide what’s in a school library?” Members research librarians’ professional standards, parental rights views, state law trends and student perspectives, then present a model process.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 125): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud.

Key terms (pages 126 and 127): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (pages 131 and 132): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Key idea (pages 133 and 134): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip In the news. Teams will find their own sources.

Sort the evidence (page 135): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Practice (page 136): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 137 and 138): 120 min. Short on time: 110 min. Assign lenses and a starter source list instead of open searching.

Your draft (page 139): 150 min. Short on time: 145 min. Shorten team rehearsal to one full run-through.

Check your work (pages 140 and 141): 20 min. Short on time: 12 min. Students check the report only. Score the presentation yourself.

Questions to discuss (pages 142 and 143): 15 min. Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 144): at home.

Periods: full chapter 350 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Professional, parental, legal and student views are compared.

Plan 7

Lesson 7Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 7 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents a model process.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)

Code of Ethics of the Education Profession: Principle I: Commitment to the Student, item 2

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 125): Medium

Key terms (pages 126 and 127): Low

Look at the evidence (pages 131 and 132): Low

Key idea (pages 133 and 134): Medium

Sort the evidence (page 135): Medium

Practice (page 136): Low

Your task (pages 137 and 138): Medium

Check your work (pages 140 and 141): Low

Try it at your school

Find your library’s reconsideration policy.

Ask your school librarian how book challenges are handled

Find the written policy on the district website

Learn whether students can give input during a review

If a review is happening, read the whole book before commenting

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, public library staff, school board clerk

Safety: Don’t post names of people who filed a challenge or who spoke at a meeting. Disagree with ideas, not individuals.

Sources

Penguin, “Matilda by Roald Dahl: authorized extract,” No date listed

American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration,” No date listed

American Library Association, “Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: selection criteria,” No date listed

Plan 7b

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

A group chat says one parent’s complaint got a novel banned, so Mari and Gia check what the school library’s notice says.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the word in the group chat that may go too far. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who reads the library notice before anyone replies “banned.” New skill: Find what stage a process has reached.

Gia, Mari and Sami talk around a table on a rooftop terrace at sunset.

What happened

On Thursday night, a message about a novel in the library at Anika’s high school appears in a group chat. The message says one parent complained, so the novel is now banned and gone from the library. Gia replies that this is censorship.

On Friday, the school library posts a notice about the novel. Mari reads it and compares it with the group chat. Gia deletes her first reply, because she had not read the notice or the novel.

Mari works the counter at the neighborhood bookshop. She switches between print and audio, and she is halfway through the novel on audio. Gia is planning a discussion at the bookshop. First, both of them want to know what stage the library’s process has reached.

Your question: Is the novel really banned, and what can people who care about it do next?

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.

En español: impugnación

In this case: A parent’s request about a novel at Anika’s school started a review. The novel stays available while the committee reads it.

Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.

En español: política de reconsideración

In this case: The library’s notice follows district policy: a committee review, the selection criteria, written input by the 15th and an appeal.

Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.

En español: criterios de selección

In this case: The committee judges the whole novel against the district’s selection criteria. The input form asks which criteria your comment addresses.

Who is involved

Mari

Works the bookshop counter

“The chat says the book is gone from the library. The notice says it stays available during the review. Those can’t both be true.”

Gia

Planning a book discussion at the bookshop

“I called it censorship before I’d read the notice. Now I’m planning a discussion at the bookshop, so I’d better get this right.”

126

Lesson 7Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which key term names what the parent did, and which names what the committee will use?” — Wait for “challenge” and “selection criteria.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “challenge” as “ban.” Listen for: “A challenge means they took it.” Then: Reread the key idea: a challenge starts a review. On its own, it does not remove a book.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Show the process as a flowchart: request, review, decision, appeal.

Cognates: reconsideration (reconsideración), criteria (criterios), committee (comité), decision (decisión), appeal (apelación), process (proceso), novel (novela), district (distrito), censorship (censura).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think happened to the novel?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the school removed the book quickly, because the chat reports it as already banned.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Where is the book in the process?

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Challenge: A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.
Reconsideration policy: A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.
Selection criteria: Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

The story: Two messages, two days

On Thursday night, a claim about a novel in the library at Anika’s high school moves through a group chat. One parent complained, it says, so the novel has been banned and removed. Gia answers with the certainty of someone who cares about the freedom to read: “censorship, full stop.” The reply fits her values. It does not fit the evidence, because there is no evidence in the chat yet.

The evidence arrives Friday, when the school library posts a notice. Mari, who works the bookshop counter, reads it against the chat. She is dyslexic and moves between print and audiobooks, and she is halfway through this novel on audio. She points out the contradiction plainly. The chat says the book is gone. The notice says it remains available during the review. Both cannot be true.

Gia deletes her first reply. She had not read the notice or the book. She is now organizing a discussion at the bookshop and wants it to be useful, which means getting people to the input form before the 15th with something to say. She also sets a boundary that many online arguments skip. Nobody goes after the parent who asked for the review, because that parent used the process too.

Your role is to read the library notice before anyone replies “banned.”

Stop and think. The chat collapsed a complaint, a temporary change and a final decision into one word. Why is that collapse so common?

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Stages, not verdicts

The new skill in this case is finding what stage a process has reached. It depends on two earlier ones. From Lesson 1, you go to the original source, here the library’s notice. From Lesson 3, you know that a correction replaces wrong information with accurate information where people saw the mistake.

The notice describes a sequence. A request for reconsideration has been received. The title remains available during the review. A committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input is due by the 15th. The committee’s decision may be appealed. A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. It opens that sequence, but it does not end it. A reconsideration policy is a library’s written process for reviewing a challenge to a book, and selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.

With the sequence in view, the chat’s claim can be judged precisely. It collapses three different events into one: a complaint, a possible temporary change and a final decision. Only the first has happened. The notice also has gaps. It does not name the novel, list the committee members or quote the criteria, so a careful reply should not fill those in.

Mari’s approach to the input form shows how to join the process rather than just comment on it. The form asks whether you have read the entire work and which criteria your input addresses, with a 300-word limit. She is finishing the book first. Her experience with books like this explains why she cares, but it is not the policy, so she plans to connect the two.

Stop and think. What should a careful correction leave out, given what the notice does not say?

Professional guidance, state law and the courts

The American Library Association recommends that libraries adopt a formal reconsideration policy, and its model process has a committee read the whole work (American Library Association, updated January 2018). Its separate guidance on selection criteria explains how libraries evaluate resources (American Library Association, updated January 2018). That guidance is professional advice. Districts adopt their own policies, and states write their own laws. Colorado legislators advanced a bill to require clear reconsideration policies (Chalkbeat Colorado, February 10, 2025). In Tennessee, reporters found that a revised state law changed the review steps and that some books quietly left shelves (Chalkbeat Tennessee, September 17, 2024).

The constitutional question remains unsettled. A law-firm analysis explains that the Fifth Circuit treated public library book removals as government speech, creating a split with the Eighth Circuit (Cahill Gordon and Reindel, September 22, 2025). The answer to whether a removal is legal can depend on where you live.

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Professional guidance, state law and the courts, continued

Professional codes sit on both sides of Gia’s evolving view. The ALA code says, “We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources” (ALA Code of Ethics, 2021). The NCA credo asks communicators to “understand and respect other communicators’ intent before evaluating and responding to their messages” (NCA Credo for Ethical Communication, 2024). Holding both is the discipline this case asks for.

Stop and think. How can someone oppose removing a book and still respect the parent who filed the challenge?

Sources

Real sourceAmerican Library AssociationJanuary 2018

Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: formal reconsideration

Real sourceAmerican Library AssociationJanuary 2018

Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit: selection criteria

Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025

Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle

Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024

Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear

Real sourceCahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (law-firm client alert)September 22, 2025

Fifth Circuit Holds That Government Speech Doctrine Applies to Public Library Book Removals, Creating Circuit Split With Eighth Circuit

Real sourceAmerican Library Association (ALA)2021

ALA Code of Ethics

Real sourceNational Communication Association (NCA)2024

Credo for Ethical Communication

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead the notice and the input form, and fill in both boxes for each one. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ALibrary notice

Reconsideration notice, posted Friday by the school library

A request for reconsideration has been received for one title in the library collection. Under district policy, the title remains available during the review. A review committee will read the full work and evaluate it against the district’s selection criteria. Written input may be submitted by the 15th. The committee’s decision may be appealed.

Look closely: Which sentence tells you where the book is right now? Underline it.

What it shows

A request, not a decision: a committee reads the full work and judges it by criteria.

What it leaves out

The criteria themselves, the committee’s members and what the request objects to.

Evidence BInput form

Review committee input form, due the 15th

Name and role (student, parent, staff or community member). Have you read the entire work? Yes or No. Which selection criteria does your input address? Comments, 300 words maximum.

Look closely: Who can send input? What does the form ask before your comments?

What it shows

Input is capped at 300 words, and the form asks which criteria it addresses.

What it leaves out

How comments count in the decision, and the full list of criteria.

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Lesson 7Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Students fill in the Evidence A boxes only.

Say this

“Find the sentence that says where the book is now. Read it aloud.” — Wait for “the title remains available during the review.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat a review as a ban in slow motion. Listen for: “They’re reviewing it, so it’s basically banned.” Then: Ask what the notice says comes after the review: a decision, then a possible appeal.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key sentence enlarged.

Offer the notice as a read-aloud.

Cognates: reconsideration (reconsideración), criteria (criterios), committee (comité), decision (decisión), appeal (apelación), process (proceso), novel (novela), district (distrito), censorship (censura).

Stretch

Ask why the form asks whether you read the entire work, and what that suggests about the criteria.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

What is still missing from the evidence?

Which novel is under review and what the request says, who sits on the review committee, what the district’s selection criteria say in full, and what state law, if any, adds to the district policy.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: book challenges

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material. A challenge starts a review. On its own, it does not remove a book. A complaint, a temporary change and a final decision can happen at different times. Check which stage a process has reached before you repeat a claim.

A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book. The American Library Association (ALA) recommends that libraries adopt one, and its example has a committee read the whole work. Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include. ALA’s guidance is a professional recommendation, not a law. Each district’s adopted policy and the applicable law govern its own process.

Whether removing a book breaks the law is a harder question. Federal courts disagree about how the First Amendment applies when a library removes a book. The answer can depend on where you live. Right now, the notice at Anika’s school describes a review, and the novel is still available.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Library Association (ALA)

ALA Code of Ethics: Principle 2 (of 9)

“We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.”

In plain words: Library workers who follow the ALA code support people's freedom to read and oppose censorship of library materials.

Question: The district notice says the title stays available during review. Does that match the group chat's claim that it's “gone”?

Your answer

The notice says ___, so ___.

The notice says “the title remains available during the review,” so the chat skips from a request to a removal that has not happened.

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Lesson 7Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Skip In the news. Teams will find their own sources.

Say this

“ALA’s code says to resist efforts to censor library resources. Does keeping the book available during review fit that?” — Wait for evidence from the notice.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the ALA code as a law. Listen for: “The school is breaking the ALA law.” Then: Say: “ALA’s code is a framework for library workers. District policy and the applicable law govern the process.”

Support

Read the quotation aloud. Point out the label: a real source, quoted word for word.

Stretch

Use the NEA row. Ask how reading the whole work tests whether a reason to remove a book is reasonable.

Heat check

Medium. The word “censorship” can start a debate about real books or groups.

Cool-down: Keep the talk on this notice. Ask what the notice says, not which side is right.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceChalkbeat ColoradoFebruary 10, 2025

Colorado bill to curb school library book challenges clears first legislative hurdle

A state debated requiring clear reconsideration policies, showing a challenge is a process, not an instant ban.

Real sourceChalkbeat TennesseeSeptember 17, 2024

Under stricter Tennessee law, some school library books quietly disappear

A state law changed the review steps, so you have to check which rules and stage actually applied.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in the diagram to show who decides at each stage, which rules apply and where input goes. About 8 minutes.

Replace “banned” with the real chain of decisions. Who decides at each stage, which rules bind them, and where can a student’s input land?

Keep, restrict or remove the novel after review

Who decides

The school review committee, which reads the whole work and votes

District-level appeal and, finally, the school board

Under which rule

District reconsideration policy and selection criteria

State law and unsettled First Amendment case law (Pico had no majority opinion)

Who lives with it

Your way in

Written input on the committee form by the 15th

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The committee’s view is missing. I would ask how it will weigh written input against the selection criteria, and who decides an appeal.

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what to check first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

A group chat says, “One parent complained, so that novel is banned.” What should you check first?

A Find the library’s policy and where the review stands.
B Ask everyone in the chat whether they like the book.
C Read the passage people are upset about, then decide.

Why I chose it

A. Only the policy and the notice can show the stage. B confuses popularity with a decision, and C skips the whole-work standard.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

This is so messed up. One parent complains and 1 now the whole school can’t read the book?? That’s literally censorship and it’s illegal because of the First Amendment. 2 Whoever complained is a terrible person and should mind their own business. Everyone should go to the board meeting and yell at them until they put it back. Books like this are the only ones some of us actually finish. I read part of it last year and it was actually really good. I’m so done with this school honestly.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

The novel stays available while the committee judges the whole work.

Rewrite phrase 2

The parent used the policy. Our input should answer the criteria, not the person.

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Lesson 7PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The chat says one parent got the novel banned. What do you check first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose to read the disputed passage and decide. Listen for: “Just read the bad part.” Then: Point to the notice: the committee reads the full work.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Update on the novel: it isn’t banned. A parent filed a reconsideration request, which starts a review under the district’s policy. The book stays on the shelf while a committee reviews the whole work against the selection criteria, and there’s an appeal step after the decision. If you care about it, you can send written input to the committee by the 15th; the librarian has the form. Tie it to the criteria and your own reading, and please don’t go after the parent who asked. People are allowed to use the process too.

Other notes on the draft:

“it’s illegal because of the First Amendment” The law here is unsettled and varies. Don’t claim a verdict.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 120 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Who should decide what’s in a school library?” Members research librarians’ professional standards, parental rights views, state law trends and student perspectives, then present a model process.

Use: Case, ALA toolkit and educator-approved sources representing different views.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one lens: professional standards, parental rights, state law or student perspectives.
Log your sources in the tracker with a viewpoint label for each.
Write your research question in the planner.
Draft your report’s opening, one lens paragraph and the model process in the Your draft boxes.
Write the full report, 800 to 1,000 words, on lined paper or in the workspace.
Plan and rehearse your part of the team’s 8-minute presentation.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

Who should decide what stays in a school library, and what makes that decision legitimate?

My lens and its main source

Professional standards. Main source: ALA’s reconsideration toolkit, which is guidance, not law.

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Lesson 7Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 120 min.

Short on time: 110 min. Assign lenses and a starter source list instead of open searching.

Say this

“Label every source with its viewpoint before you quote it. Who published it, and what do they want?” — Model one label with the ALA toolkit.

Watch for

Misconception: Teams collect sources from one side only. Listen for: “All our sources agree.” Then: Ask which lens would disagree, and assign one source from that side.

Support

Lens assignments

Source tracker with viewpoint labels

Presentation storyboard

Assign lenses so each team covers all four.

Stretch

The process must be one that people with different views could accept as fair.

Heat check

Medium. Parental-rights and censorship sources can divide the room.

Cool-down: Say: “Every lens gets its strongest case.” Return to the tracker.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

What a fair process needs

Open input, a committee that reads the whole work, published criteria and an appeal

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Report opening

A group chat at Anika’s school said one parent’s complaint got a novel banned. The library’s notice described a review under district policy, with the title still available. That gap leads to our team’s question: who should decide what stays in a school library, and what makes that decision legitimate? I research professional standards, and my teammates cover the other three lenses.

Lens paragraph: professional standards

Librarians’ professional standards point toward process. ALA’s example procedure has a review committee read or view the entire work and evaluate it against the collection policy’s criteria. The challenged work stays available until a formal decision, and there is an appeal route. ALA presents this as guidance for libraries to adapt, not as law.

Our model process

Anyone may send written input. A committee reads the whole work against published criteria. The book stays available during review, and any decision can be appealed.

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research accurate for your lens?
YesNo
Are you fair to competing views?
YesNo
Does the team’s model process bring all four lenses together?
YesNo
Do you explain what makes the process legitimate?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Repeats “banned.”	Mentions a complaint without stage.	States the current stage from the policy.	States stage, next steps and input route.
Reasoning	Declares a legal verdict.	Treats outrage as the argument.	Separates complaint, review and decision.	Connects input to criteria and notes legal uncertainty.
Audience & purpose	Attacks people.	Rallies without direction.	Gives a useful participation route.	Invites participation while respecting other readers and the parent.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Corrects the stage and removes attacks.	Explains how each change helps the chat act accurately.

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Lesson 7Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Students check the report only. Score the presentation yourself.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one corrected stage or one removed attack.

Watch for

Misconception: Students keep a legal verdict in their reply. Listen for: “It’s illegal, period.” Then: Point to the Reasoning row: the law here is unsettled and varies.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: States the current stage from the policy.

Reasoning: Separates complaint, review and decision.

Audience & purpose: Gives a useful participation route.

Revision: Corrects the stage and removes attacks.

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I relabeled one source as advocacy instead of research, because its publisher argues for one side.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames below. About 15 minutes.

1 Whose reading experience is missing from the crew’s discussion of the novel?

Readers at Anika’s school are missing, including the family that filed the request. Mari and Gia are discussing a book neither of them has finished.

2 Gia says nobody should go after the parent who asked for the review. Why might that matter for her bookshop discussion?

Gia wants a discussion that helps people write input tied to the criteria. Attacking the parent adds a target but no reason the committee can weigh.

3 How does calling the same action a “review,” a “restriction” or a “ban” change what people think happened?

“Review” names a process, “restriction” a partial limit and “ban” a final removal. Only “review” matches the notice.

My take

My claim: ___.

My claim: the chat skipped three stages, so a reply should name the stage and the deadline.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The best evidence is the notice, because it describes a review, criteria, input and an appeal.

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Lesson 7Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Use question 2 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the notice or the form, not a feeling about the parent.” — Post the question numbers and hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask how Gia’s bookshop invitation could name the book, the stage and the deadline without naming the parent.

Going further: Find the institution, its written policy and the decision process before you make a claim about rights. Which of the three does the district notice tell you about?

Going further: What problem does a proposed restriction on a book claim to solve? Which readers’ experiences or other options are missing from that proposal?

Going further: Design a library notice that explains where a book review stands, and write a short guide for interviewing a librarian. Test whether a student can name the next document to ask for.

Going further: Ask your school librarian how book challenges are handled. Find the written policy on the district website, and learn whether students can give input during a review. If a review is happening, read the whole book before you comment.

Find your district’s reconsideration policy and summarize its stages

Research how your state’s laws about school library materials have changed recently

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Someone who disagrees might say a review can discourage reading while it runs.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

The limit of the evidence is that we don’t know the criteria or what the request says.

I would change my mind if ___.

I would change my mind if the district’s policy allowed removal during a review.

Notes

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Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?

In this case, a group chat claims one parent’s complaint got a novel banned from a school library. Your student compared that claim with the library’s notice and learned how a book review works.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between a book being reviewed and a book being removed?
Where could someone find out how a library decides which books to keep?
How can people disagree about a book without attacking each other?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 8Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which a publisher sends Gia a free novel to review. Her video tags the publisher but never says the copy was free. They compare the publisher’s email, the video script and Caio’s edit notes with the FTC’s disclosure guidance for social media. They then rewrite the video’s opening and caption so that a viewer watching with the sound off learns about the free copy.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

evaluate a source’s credibility and relevance

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research one lens on disclosure rules accurately

compare perspectives from several lenses

bring the lenses together in recommendations that work for small creators and large brands

address whether each recommendation is feasible

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B, C and D

Educator-approved sources, including the research studies in In the news

Lens assignments, an annotated bibliography template and a presentation storyboard

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Should influencer disclosure rules change?” Members research consumer psychology, FTC policy, creator economics and teen media use, then present recommendations.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 145): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 146 and 147): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (page 151): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Look at the evidence (page 152): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read Evidence D aloud; skip its boxes.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 153 and 154): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the second FTC row.

Sort the evidence (page 155): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 156): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 157 and 158): 75 min. Short on time: 70 min. Teams build one shared annotated bibliography.

Your draft (page 159): 140 min. Short on time: 140 min.

Check your work (pages 160 and 161): 45 min. Short on time: 45 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 162 and 163): 15 min. Short on time: 10 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the recommendations.

Talk about this case at home (page 164): at home.

Periods: full chapter 334 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Plan 8

Lesson 8Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 8 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Psychology, policy, economic and youth perspectives are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents recommendations.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections

Codes of ethics, continued

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.0 Purpose and definitions, paragraph (f)

PRSA Code of Ethics: Free Flow of Information

Heat map

Opener (page 145): Low

Key terms (pages 146 and 147): Low

Look at the evidence (page 151): Low

Look at the evidence (page 152): Low

Key idea (pages 153 and 154): Low

Sort the evidence (page 155): Low

Practice (page 156): Low

Your task (pages 157 and 158): Low

Your draft (page 159): Low

Check your work (pages 160 and 161): Low

Try it at your school

Check the relationship before you trust the review.

Next time you see a recommendation, look for a disclosure in the video itself

If you post reviews, practice a clear spoken line like “They sent me this for free”

Share a disclosure checklist with a school media club

Try it at your school, continued

Don’t accuse real creators; practice on your own sample posts

Who to ask: School media or journalism advisor, a librarian, a digital citizenship teacher

Safety: Don’t share personal information to get free products. Talk with a trusted adult before accepting any brand deal.

Sources

TikTok Newsroom, “BookTok and publishing,” September 2022

Federal Trade Commission, “Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers,” No date listed

Federal Trade Commission, “FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking,” No date listed

Federal Trade Commission, “FTC explanatory video,” No date listed

Plan 8b

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

Gia loves a novel that a publisher sent her for free, and her video review does not mention the free copy yet.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline what the publisher sent Gia and what it asked for. About 5 minutes.

Gia, Caio and Mari set up a camera in a bright studio.

Your role: You’re the viewer with the sound off who checks the first three seconds. New skill: Spot and disclose a material connection.

What happened

At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Caio finishes editing Gia’s short video review of a new novel. Gia made the review for BookTok, where people recommend books on TikTok. She stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish the novel, and she loves it.

Two weeks ago, the book’s publisher emailed Gia. The publicity team offered her a free copy of its spring novel for review. The email said she did not have to post, but it asked for a tag if she did. In the first cut, Gia never says the book was free. The only sign of the publisher is a tag in the caption below the video.

Caio wants to watch the cut the way a stranger would, on a phone with the sound off. He wants to know whether the first three seconds say the book was free. Gia wants to keep her honest opinion in the video. She also wants viewers to know how she got the book.

Your question: Do Gia’s viewers need to know the book was free, and how should she tell them?

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

En español: conexión material

In this case: The publisher sent Gia a free copy of its spring novel for review. That free copy is a material connection.

Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

En español: divulgación

In this case: Gia’s first cut has no disclosure. The tag in the caption names the publisher but never says the book was free.

Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.

En español: respaldo

In this case: Gia’s video review promotes the novel with her own opinion: she stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it.

Who is involved

Gia

Made the video review

“I stayed up till 2 a.m. finishing it. That part’s real. The publisher sending it free is also real, and right now it’s nowhere in the video.”

Caio

Editing Gia’s video

“The publisher’s email literally says ‘free copy for review.’ That’s the sentence. It’s just not in the video yet.”

146

Lesson 8Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which key term names the free copy? Which one names what Gia still has to add?” — Wait for material connection, then disclosure.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “material” as physical stuff, like paper. Listen for: “The material is the book.” Then: Reread the definition: a material connection is a relationship with a brand, such as a free product.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Cognates: connection (conexión), material (material), recommendation (recomendación), relationship (relación), product (producto), opinion (opinión), audience (audiencia), video (video).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, does Gia need to tell viewers the book was free?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that she should mention it, but the tag in the caption probably covers it.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Honest opinion, hidden relationship

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.
Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.
Endorsement: An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: The edit that is almost done

Gia’s review is sincere. She stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing the novel, and her video for BookTok, TikTok’s book-recommending community, captures that. Caio, who edits video and has a habit of checking before posting anything that involves someone else, finishes the cut at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Gia is ready to publish.

Caio asks for one more pass, done the way most viewers would watch: once, on a phone, with the sound off. He is looking at the first three seconds. The question he wants answered is whether a stranger could tell that the book was free.

It was. Two weeks earlier, the publisher’s publicity team emailed Gia to offer a free copy of its spring novel for review. The email said there was no obligation to post but asked for a tag if she did. The first cut opens with Gia saying she literally could not put the book down. There is no on-screen text, and the only trace of the publisher is “@publisher #booktok” in the caption below the video.

Gia’s first defense is the tag. Caio’s edit notes reply in four words: tag equals brand name, not relationship. Your role in this case is to be the viewer with the sound off who checks the first three seconds.

Stop and think. Why does the case insist that the free copy does not make Gia’s opinion false?

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Separating the opinion from the relationship

Three terms keep the analysis clean. An endorsement is a message that shares someone’s opinion or experience of a product to promote it. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. Gia’s review is an honest endorsement with an undisclosed material connection. The connection does not make her opinion false. It changes what a viewer needs to know to weigh it.

This is a framing problem, in the Lesson 1 sense of framing: choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward. The first cut brings forward enthusiasm and leaves the relationship in a caption that many viewers never open. Caio’s fix reorders the frame without deleting anything true. The video opens with a three-second line, “Quick heads-up, the publisher sent me this free,” spoken and on screen, followed by Gia’s hook.

The case also asks what a disclosure does not do. Gia had considered calling the novel the best book of the year and then asks herself, out of the ones she happened to read? She replaces the superlative with what she can support: two nights, could not put it down. A disclosure answers how she got the book. It does not make every claim in a review accurate.

Finally, the case tests the fix on an audience. Caio will show the cut to someone who did not help make it and ask whether the book was free. If they hesitate, the disclosure is not clear yet. A comment on another creator’s review shows the cost of late discovery: “wait was this sponsored?? kind of feels like an ad now.” The comment is about someone else, and nobody knows whether that review was sponsored, which is the point.

Stop and think. Apply the FTC’s “clear and conspicuous” definition to the caption tag. Does the tag meet it?

Rules, enforcement and evidence

The Federal Trade Commission’s Endorsement Guides explain how federal law against deceptive practices applies to endorsements. The current text says material connections “can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return” (16 CFR Part 255, as revised 2023). The same guides define “clear and conspicuous” as “difficult to miss (i.e., easily noticeable) and easily understandable by ordinary consumers.” FTC staff guidance for video says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen (Federal Trade Commission, updated December 3, 2024).

Enforcement has followed. In November 2023, the FTC warned two trade associations and a dozen influencers about posts promoting aspartame or sugar, stressing that disclosures belong in the video, not a caption (Federal Trade Commission, November 14, 2023).

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Rules, enforcement and evidence, continued

Trade coverage noted that sponsors share responsibility for clear disclosures (Food Dive, November 27, 2023).

Research on adolescents supports the rule’s purpose. A study of 3,149 high school students in Taiwan found that full sponsorship disclosure helped teens recognize a post as an ad (Lin et al., PLOS One, May 27, 2026). Earlier work examined whether disclosures help younger and older teens notice when an influencer is paid (van Reijmersdal and van Dam, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, January 18, 2020).

Stop and think. Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?

Sources

Real sourceFederal Trade Commission (FTC)2023

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255)

Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionDecember 3, 2024

Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers

Real sourceFederal Trade CommissionNovember 14, 2023

FTC Warns Two Trade Associations and a Dozen Influencers About Social Media Posts Promoting Consumption of Aspartame or Sugar

Real sourceFood DiveNovember 27, 2023

FTC crackdown could change influencer marketing for food and beverages

Real sourcePLOS One (Lin et al.)May 27, 2026

Effects of social media sponsorship disclosure on adolescents’ advertising literacy and purchase intention

Real sourceJournal of Youth and Adolescence (van Reijmersdal & van Dam)January 18, 2020

How Age and Disclosures of Sponsored Influencer Videos Affect Adolescents’ Knowledge of Persuasion and Persuasion

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Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence AEmail

The publisher’s email

“Hi Gia, we love your book reviews! We’d be glad to send you a free copy of our spring novel for review. There’s no obligation to post, but if you do, we’d appreciate a tag. Best, the publicity team”

Look closely: What did the publisher give, and what did it ask for?

What it shows

A free product with “no obligation to post,” and a request for a tag.

What it leaves out

Any other relationship between Gia and the publisher.

Evidence BVideo script and caption

Gia’s first cut

Spoken: “You guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!” On-screen text: none. Caption below the video: “@publisher #booktok

Look closely: Where in this video would a viewer learn about the free copy?

What it shows

A sincere endorsement. The only link to the publisher is a caption tag.

What it leaves out

The free copy. Nothing spoken or on screen names it.

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Lesson 8Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on the start of Gia’s script. Where does it say the book was free?” — Wait for “nowhere.” Then find the tag in the caption.

Watch for

Misconception: Students count the caption tag as a disclosure. Listen for: “She tagged them, so it’s disclosed.” Then: Ask what the tag tells a viewer. It names the publisher; it never says the book was free.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page, with the email’s key sentence enlarged.

Read Caio’s notes aloud. Explain that 0:00–0:03 means the first three seconds.

Cognates: connection (conexión), material (material), recommendation (recomendación), relationship (relación), product (producto), opinion (opinión), audience (audiencia), video (video).

Stretch

Ask why Caio tests the video on mute, and which viewers a spoken-only disclosure would miss.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CEdit notes

Caio’s edit notes

“Watch once as a stranger, phone on mute. 0:00–0:03: does anything say free copy? Caption sits below the video; most people won’t open it. Tag = brand name, not relationship.”

Look closely: What does Caio want to test before uploading, and why the first three seconds?

What it shows

A sound-off test, and the point that a tag names a brand, not a relationship.

What it leaves out

How many of Gia’s viewers watch on mute or open the caption.

Evidence DViewer comment

A comment on another creator’s review

wait was this sponsored?? kind of feels like an ad now

Look closely: When does this viewer start to wonder about a sponsorship?

What it shows

Suspicion that arrives after the video can lower trust in the review.

What it leaves out

Whether that review was sponsored. It is about another creator.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Any other relationship with the publisher, what label the platform would show, how many viewers watch on mute, and what supports her strongest claims.

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Lesson 8Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Read Evidence D aloud; skip its boxes.

Say this

“Put your finger on the start of Gia’s script. Where does it say the book was free?” — Wait for “nowhere.” Then find the tag in the caption.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page, with the email’s key sentence enlarged.

Read Caio’s notes aloud. Explain that 0:00–0:03 means the first three seconds.

Cognates: connection (conexión), material (material), recommendation (recomendación), relationship (relación), product (producto), opinion (opinión), audience (audiencia), video (video).

Stretch

Ask why Caio tests the video on mute, and which viewers a spoken-only disclosure would miss.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: material connections

On your ownRead the key idea and the FTC guide. Then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it. Gia’s video review is an endorsement, and her opinion in it is honest. A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. The free copy from the publisher is a material connection. Knowing about it gives viewers context, but it does not prove that Gia’s opinion is false.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a federal agency. Its Endorsement Guides explain how a federal law against deceptive practices applies to endorsements. A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know. For a video, the FTC says the disclosure belongs in the video itself, ideally both spoken and on screen. A tag in the caption only names the brand, and it sits below the video.

A disclosure answers one question: how did Gia get the book? Viewers can still ask what supports her claims about the book itself. A clear disclosure does not make every claim in a review accurate. Do not accuse a real creator of hiding a sponsorship based on a guess.

Professional standards

Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)

FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255): § 255.5 Disclosure of material connections

“They can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products … to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return.”

In plain words: The FTC says a free product can be a connection that reviewers must clearly disclose, even if the brand asked for nothing in return.

Question: The publisher's email says there is “no obligation to post.” Does that change whether Gia has a connection to disclose?

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Professional standards, continued

Your answer

The FTC text says ___, so ___.

The FTC text says free products count “regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return,” so Gia has a connection.

In the news

Real sourceNBC NewsNovember 15, 2023

Influencers warned by FTC over ‘inadequate’ disclosures of artificial sweetener promotions

Real creators were warned for not clearly saying they were paid, the exact question this case asks.

Real sourceABC NewsNovember 6, 2019

Popular YouTuber chimes in on federal product disclosure guide for influencers

A creator reacts to the FTC’s disclosure rules, showing how the guidance lands for people who actually post.

Notes

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Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each choice to its results. Then write whose view is missing. About 10 minutes.

Follow both choices forward. Which consequences can Gia control, which depend on viewers, and what test tells her the disclosure worked?

Post the first cut with only a brand tag in the caption

Sound-off viewers never learn the book was free
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the book

Disclose aloud and on screen in the first seconds

Viewers weigh the recommendation knowing the relationship
Who is affected
Viewers deciding whether to buy or borrow the book
Some viewers may discount the review as an ad
Who is affected

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The platform’s. I would ask what label the platform itself would show, and whether a viewer on mute would see it.

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Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the change that makes the relationship clearest. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 8 minutes.

Gia loves the novel the publisher sent her for free. Which change to her video makes the relationship clearest to viewers?

A Tag the publisher in the caption.
B Say and show at the start of the video that the publisher sent her the book for free.
C Leave the video as it is, since the email said there was no obligation to post.

Why I chose it

B. A names a brand, not a relationship, and C treats “no obligation” as no connection. Only B reaches a viewer on mute.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Okay you guys, I have to tell you about this book because I literally could not put it down!! 1 #ad #booktok @publisher. The characters are so real and the ending destroyed me. I stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing it and then just sat there staring at the wall. Everyone needs to read this, trust me, 2 it’s the best book of the year and you won’t regret it. Link is in my bio, go get it before everyone else does!

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Hashtags in a caption are easy to miss. Say and show the free copy at 0:00.

Rewrite phrase 2

Keep only what she knows: “I could not put this down.”

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Lesson 8PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia loves the book, and it was free. Which change makes that clearest?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because the email said there was no obligation. Listen for: “They didn’t make her post, so it’s fine.” Then: Reread the FTC quotation. A free product counts even when no post is required.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: On screen and said aloud: “Quick heads-up: the publisher sent me this book for free to review.” Then: “Okay, you guys, I could not put this down. The two sisters felt real to me, and the ending caught me completely off guard. If you like slow-burn family stories, this one’s for you. If you need a fast plot, maybe not. I finished it in two nights.” Caption: “Publisher sent me a free copy for review. #ad #booktok.” The disclosure is in the first three seconds, readable without sound, and the claim is about my own reading.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 75 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Should influencer disclosure rules change?” Members research consumer psychology, FTC policy, creator economics and teen media use, then present recommendations.

Use: Case plus educator-approved sources.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose your lens: consumer psychology, FTC policy, creator economics or teen media use.
Write your team’s research question and your own lens question in the planner.
Find and annotate at least three teacher-approved sources for your lens.
Write the core of your report on the Your draft page.
Write your full report of 800 to 1,000 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Build an 8-minute team presentation with recommendations that work for small creators like Gia.
Check your report with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team research question

Should influencer disclosure rules change?

My lens and my question

Teen media use: do disclosures help teens recognize a post as an ad?

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Lesson 8Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 75 min.

Short on time: 70 min. Teams build one shared annotated bibliography.

Say this

“Each lens answers a different part of the question. What can your lens tell the team that no other lens can?” — Assign lenses before research begins.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat one study as settling the question. Listen for: “Research proves disclosures work.” Then: Ask who was studied, where, and what the study did not test.

Support

Lens assignments

Annotated bibliography

Presentation storyboard

Stretch

Recommendations must work for small creators like Gia, not just big brands.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

AP Seminar: Question and Explore; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.2; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Source 1 and what it found

PLOS One, May 27, 2026: a study of 3,149 high school students in Taiwan. Full disclosure helped teens recognize a post as an ad.

Source 2 and what it asks

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, January 18, 2020: research on whether disclosures help younger and older teens notice paid posts.

What a recommendation needs to work for small creators

It must be simple enough for one person to follow alone, like Caio’s mute test before posting.

Notes

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Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 140 minutes.

Introduction and lens question

Should influencer disclosure rules change? My team split the question into four lenses: consumer psychology, FTC policy, creator economics and teen media use. I studied teen media use. My question was whether disclosures help teens recognize a post as an ad. The case of Gia, a reviewer who got a free novel from a publisher, shows why this matters. Her first cut tagged the publisher in the caption but never said the book was free.

One findings paragraph

The strongest evidence comes from a 2026 study in PLOS One of 3,149 high school students in Taiwan. It found that full sponsorship disclosure helped teens recognize a post as an ad. That supports clear rules over vague ones. It does not show whether the same result holds for U.S. teens, or for a video watched on mute. A 2020 article in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence asks a related question. Do disclosures help younger and older teens notice when an influencer is being paid? Together, these sources suggest that the form of a disclosure matters, not only its presence. For a small creator like Gia, that points to a rule she can follow alone: say it and show it in the first seconds.

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Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 45 minutes.

Is your research question focused and answerable?
YesNo
Do you report each source accurately and name its limits?
YesNo
Do your recommendations bring several perspectives together?
YesNo
Do your recommendations work for small creators like Gia?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No disclosure or claim support.	Tag only.	Names the relationship clearly.	Names the relationship and supports the product claim.
Reasoning	Treats opinion as a substitute for disclosure.	Discloses but can’t explain why.	Explains why placement and clarity matter.	Distinguishes opinion, relationship and product claim.
Audience & purpose	Ignores viewers.	Assumes viewers read captions.	Works for sound-off viewers.	Works across channels with consistent wording.
Revision	No change.	Adds a hashtag.	Adds spoken and on-screen disclosure.	Explains each placement choice for different viewers.

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Lesson 8Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 45 min.

Short on time: 45 min.

Say this

“Teams present for 8 minutes each. The audience asks one question about whether each recommendation could work.” — Score with the rubric you adapted from Performance Task 1.

Watch for

Misconception: Presentations list findings without recommendations. Listen for: “So those are our four lenses.” Then: Ask each team for one recommendation and who would carry it out.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names the relationship clearly.

Reasoning: Explains why placement and clarity matter.

Audience & purpose: Works for sound-off viewers.

Revision: Adds spoken and on-screen disclosure.

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added where the study took place, Taiwan, because my first draft made the finding sound like it covered all teens.

Notes

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Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 15 minutes.

1 Would knowing the book was free change how much you trust Gia’s review? Why or why not?

It lowers trust only if she hides it. Said up front, the free copy is context. Found later, as in the viewer comment, it looks like concealment.

2 Some viewers may treat a review with a disclosure as just an ad. How could Gia keep their trust?

By separating the relationship from the claim. An early disclosure plus claims she can support, like finishing it in two nights, answers both questions viewers have.

3 Who should make sure disclosures are clear: creators, brands or platforms?

Mostly creators, because they control what viewers see first. The FTC guides apply to endorsers and advertisers, so brands share the duty.

My take

My claim: ___.

Gia should disclose the free copy at 0:00, spoken and on screen, and cut claims she cannot support.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The FTC text, because it counts a free product even when no post is required.

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Lesson 8Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the recommendations.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not with a real creator you follow.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what a disclosure checklist for a school media club would include, and who would check it.

Going further: What does a viewer need to know about how Gia got the book? Plan one way to check that viewers understood the disclosure. A view count cannot tell you that.

Going further: Design two versions of a sponsored post, with the disclosure in a different place in each. Keep the relationship equally clear in both versions.

Going further: Find the line in the evidence that shows the book was free. Before you call any real post sponsored, look for that kind of evidence. Do not accuse a real creator based on a guess.

Going further: The next time you see a recommendation, look for a disclosure in the video itself. Talk with a trusted adult before you accept any brand deal. If you post reviews, practice a clear spoken line, such as “They sent me this for free.”

Analyze three real posts from brands’ own accounts (not individual creators) for disclosure

Compare FTC guidance with another country’s advertising standards body

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A disclosure makes an honest review look like an ad.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows how many of her viewers watch on mute.

I would change my mind if ___.

The publisher had not sent the book for free.

Notes

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Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?

In this case, a publisher sends Gia a free novel, and her video review does not say the book was free. Your student read the email and the video script, then rewrote the opening so viewers learn about the free copy.

Questions to talk about

How can you tell when a video review is also an ad?
Where in a video would you look for a note that a product was free?
Why might a review still be honest if the reviewer got the product for free?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 9Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Dec, who turns 18 in October, looks past the headline race on his sample ballot. He finds a school board race, a city council race and a transit bond. They compare the ballot with a creator’s voter guide that mixes facts with picks, and they read Vote.gov’s guidance for people 18 and under. They then write a personal checklist of official sources for registration, deadlines and their own sample ballot.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

evaluate a source’s credibility and relevance

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research one lens on youth turnout accurately

compare data, legal, educational and youth perspectives

bring the lenses together in nonpartisan recommendations

Objectives, continued

keep every recommendation legal and feasible for students under 18

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B, C and D

Educator-approved sources on youth turnout, including the In the news sources

Lens assignments, a data tracker and a presentation storyboard

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Why do young people vote less in local elections, and what would change that?” Members research turnout data, registration rules, civic education and youth-led efforts, then present to student council.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 165): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 166 and 167): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Look at the evidence (page 171): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (page 172): 6 min. Short on time: 5 min. Read Evidence D aloud; skip its boxes.

Key idea (pages 173 and 174): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the NCA row.

Sort the evidence (pages 175 and 176): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 177): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 178 and 179): 75 min. Short on time: 70 min. Teams build one shared annotated bibliography.

Your draft (page 180): 140 min. Short on time: 140 min.

Check your work (pages 181 and 182): 45 min. Short on time: 45 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 183 and 184): 15 min. Short on time: 10 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the recommendations.

Talk about this case at home (page 185): at home.

Periods: full chapter 334 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Plan 9

Lesson 9Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 9 plan, continued

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Data, legal, educational and youth perspectives are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents to student council.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Opening statement (before the guiding principles)

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 165): Low

Key terms (pages 166 and 167): Low

Look at the evidence (page 171): Low

Look at the evidence (page 172): Low

Key idea (pages 173 and 174): Low

Sort the evidence (pages 175 and 176): Medium

Practice (page 177): Low

Your task (pages 178 and 179): Medium

Your draft (page 180): Medium

Check your work (pages 181 and 182): Low

Try it at your school

Find your official election information.

With a trusted adult, visit vote.gov and choose your state or territory

Try it at your school, continued

Check eligibility, preregistration and registration rules for your age

Find a sample ballot for your address and circle one local office

Learn what that office does before researching candidates

Who to ask: Your county or local election office, a civics teacher, a school librarian

Safety: Never share your address, birthdate or voter information in group chats. Use official government sites (.gov) for registration.

Sources

Vote.gov, “Your state or territory’s voting information,” No date listed

Vote.gov, “Preparing to vote: age 18 and under,” No date listed

USAGov, “Sample ballots and voter guides,” No date listed

National Constitution Center, “The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” No date listed

Plan 9b

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

Dec turns 18 before the election on November 3, 2026, and his feed covers only one race on his ballot.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the contests Mateo finds below the big race. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who finds Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote. New skill: Check an official source for your own area.

Mateo and Gia work in a notebook at a café table.

What happened

It is Sunday at the library desk. Dec turns 18 in October, before the general election on November 3, 2026. His feed is full of posts about one big race. Mateo and Gia are helping him find out what else is on his ballot.

They look at a sample ballot for the November election. The front shows the big race from Dec’s feed. The second page has more: a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T, a transit bond. Mateo notices that nobody is posting about Measure T.

A creator’s voter guide is also going around. It says registration closes “the 14th,” but it never names a state. It also tells people how to vote on the school board race and Measure T. Gia is writing a reminder for the group chat.

Mateo has his own problem. He may still be registered at his mom’s address in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Dec says he does not need anyone to pick for him. He needs to know what is on his ballot and whether he is registered in time.

Your question: What is on Dec’s ballot, and where should he check his own information?

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Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.

En español: boleta de muestra

In this case: Dec’s sample ballot lists a school board race, a city council seat and Measure T below the big race from his feed.

Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.

En español: guía para votantes

In this case: A creator’s voter guide mixes one deadline with two picks: “vote Candidate B” and “Measure T: yes, obviously.”

Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.

En español: inscripción electoral

In this case: Dec turns 18 in October and needs to know whether he is registered in time. The guide’s deadline names no state.

Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

En español: jurisdicción

In this case: Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford, Massachusetts. A different place can mean a different ballot and a different deadline.

Who is involved

Mateo

Helping Dec read the sample ballot

“Dec’s feed is all the big race. Then you flip the sample ballot: school board, city council, a transit bond. Nobody’s posting about Measure T.”

Gia

Writing the group-chat reminder

“The creator’s guide says ‘registration closes the 14th.’ Whose 14th? It doesn’t even say which state.”

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Lesson 9Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which key term explains why Mateo’s ballot might not match Dec’s?” — Wait for jurisdiction.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat a voter guide and a sample ballot as the same document. Listen for: “The guide is the ballot.” Then: Ask which one lists the contests for an address and which one tells you how to vote.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Many election offices publish Spanish materials. Show where to find them.

Cognates: election (elección), candidate (candidato), jurisdiction (jurisdicción), official (oficial), district (distrito), amendment (enmienda), constitution (constitución), vote (voto).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think is on Dec’s ballot?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is the big race plus a few local offices, but I would not know which ones without his address.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Down the ballot and back to the source

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.

Words to know

Sample ballot: A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.
Voter guide: A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.
Registration: Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.
Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Material connection: A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

The story: One race in the feed, five on the ballot

Dec, a high school senior who drums on weekends and helps build theater sets, turns 18 in October. The general election is November 3, 2026. His social feed treats it as a single contest, one big race covered from every angle. On Sunday, at the library desk, Mateo and Gia help him find out what the feed leaves out.

The sample ballot for November is organized by level of government. Federal: U.S. Representative. State: State Senator and a Superior Court judge up for retention. Local: two seats on the Board of Education in District 3 and a City Council seat in Ward 5. And one measure: Measure T, a transit improvements bond. Mateo notices that the lower half of the ballot has almost no online presence. Nobody is posting about Measure T.

What is circulating instead is a creator’s voter guide. It promises “all you need for November,” announces that registration closes “the 14th” and tells readers to vote for Candidate B for school board and “yes, obviously” on Measure T. Dec’s response sets the terms for the case. He does not need anyone picking for him. He needs to know what is on his ballot and whether he is registered in time.

Mateo has a problem of his own. He moved from New Bedford, Massachusetts, for college and may still be registered at his mom’s address there. Different state, different ballot, different deadline. Your role is to find Dec’s official sample ballot before anyone tells him how to vote.

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Stop and think. Why does the lower half of a ballot get so little attention online?

Separating information from advocacy

A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The distinction matters because the two serve different purposes. The sample ballot tells you what you will decide. A guide tells you what someone thinks you should decide, and sometimes also what the choices mean.

The new skill here builds on two earlier ones. From Lesson 1, you go to the original source and treat each statement as a claim that can be checked. The guide’s deadline is a claim with no jurisdiction attached, so it cannot be verified and should not be repeated. From Lesson 8, you ask about a material connection, a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect. Here, the guide leaves out who wrote and who funds it. That missing information does not make its picks wrong. It does mean they should be read as advocacy from an unnamed source.

A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. Your address determines which contests appear on your ballot, which is why Mateo cannot assume his ballot matches Dec’s. Jurisdiction also shapes research. A school board and a city council have different powers, so a voter who cares about buses should learn which body runs them before comparing candidates. Mateo starts Measure T with two questions: what it would pay for, and who runs the buses.

Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Because rules and deadlines vary by state, Gia’s group-chat reminder deliberately contains no deadline. It sends everyone to Vote.gov for their own registration and sample ballot, and it asks people not to post their addresses.

Stop and think. The guide’s picks are not labeled as advocacy. How would labeling them change how Dec reads the guide?

The constitutional floor and the state rules

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right of citizens 18 and older to vote (National Constitution Center, no date listed). The National WWII Museum traces its origins to the wartime argument that people old enough to fight were old enough to vote (The National WWII Museum, October 27, 2020). Above that floor, states set the details. Most allow preregistration before 18, and some let 17-year-olds vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election (Ballotpedia News, September 26, 2025). NPR has reported on state efforts to raise youth registration, including preregistration (NPR, August 6, 2023).

Turnout data show both engagement and variation. CIRCLE estimates that about 47 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2024, with large differences by state (CIRCLE, April 14, 2025).

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The constitutional floor and the state rules, continued

Journalism codes draw the same line the case draws. The SPJ code tells journalists to “label advocacy and commentary” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). The RTDNA code says journalism “empowers viewers, listeners and readers to make more informed decisions for themselves; it does not tell people what to believe or how to feel” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). A nonpartisan guide for Dec should meet that second standard.

Stop and think. Anika is 16. How can she take part in this election before she can vote?

Sources

Real sourceVote.govNo date listed

Your state or territory’s voting information

Real sourceNational Constitution CenterNo date listed

The 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

Real sourceThe National WWII MuseumOctober 27, 2020

“Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote”: The WWII Roots of the 26th Amendment

Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025

Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries

Real sourceNPRAugust 6, 2023

Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing

Real sourceCIRCLE (Tufts University)April 14, 2025

New Data: Nearly Half of Youth Voted in 2024

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014

SPJ Code of Ethics

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015

RTDNA Code of Ethics

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ASample ballot

Sample ballot for the November general election

Federal: U.S. Representative. State: State Senator; Superior Court judge (retention). Local: Board of Education, District 3 (vote for two); City Council, Ward 5. Measures: Measure T, transit improvements bond.

Look closely: Which contests sit below the big race, and which one touches Dec’s school?

What it shows

A layered ballot: federal, state and local contests and one bond measure.

What it leaves out

The address it covers and what each office is responsible for.

Evidence BVoter guide post

A creator’s voter guide

All you need for November!! Registration closes the 14th. School board: vote Candidate B, the only one who cares about students. Measure T: yes, obviously.

Look closely: Which line could you check, and which lines tell you how to vote?

What it shows

One fact and two picks it never labels as opinion.

What it leaves out

The deadline’s state, and the guide’s author and funder.

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Lesson 9Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put one finger on a line you could check and one on a line that tells you how to vote.” — Use two highlighter colors if you have them.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the guide’s picks as facts because the guide sounds sure. Listen for: “It says obviously, so it’s true.” Then: Ask what source could prove “Measure T: yes.” None can; it is a pick.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the sample ballot aloud, one level of government at a time.

Cognates: election (elección), candidate (candidato), jurisdiction (jurisdicción), official (oficial), district (distrito), amendment (enmienda), constitution (constitución), vote (voto).

Stretch

Ask why Gia’s reminder leaves out a deadline on purpose, and what each reader has to do instead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CGroup-chat draft

Gia’s reminder

Check your registration and your own sample ballot at vote.gov. Deadlines depend on your state. Please don’t post your address here.

Look closely: What does Gia share, and what does she ask friends to keep private?

What it shows

A route to official information instead of a copied deadline.

What it leaves out

Dates, on purpose: each reader looks up their own state.

Evidence DStatement

What Dec needs

“I turn 18 in October. I don’t need someone picking for me. I need to know what’s on my ballot and whether I’m registered in time for November.”

Look closely: What two questions does Dec need answered, and which source answers each?

What it shows

A first-time voter asking for information, not recommendations.

What it leaves out

His state, whether he is registered and his deadline.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Dec’s state, status and deadline, his own sample ballot, what each local office controls where he lives, and who wrote and funds the guide.

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Lesson 9Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Read Evidence D aloud; skip its boxes.

Say this

“Put one finger on a line you could check and one on a line that tells you how to vote.” — Use two highlighter colors if you have them.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the sample ballot aloud, one level of government at a time.

Cognates: election (elección), candidate (candidato), jurisdiction (jurisdicción), official (oficial), district (distrito), amendment (enmienda), constitution (constitución), vote (voto).

Stretch

Ask why Gia’s reminder leaves out a deadline on purpose, and what each reader has to do instead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: sample ballots

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot. A measure is a question that voters decide directly, such as Measure T. A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election. The two have different purposes. Start with the ballot for your address, and then check a guide’s facts apart from its picks.

Your address decides which contests appear on your ballot. A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority. A friend two districts over may see different local races. A school board and a city council have different jobs, so each one makes different decisions. Before you research candidates, find out which office has power over the issue you care about.

Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote. Rules and deadlines vary by state, so do not copy a friend’s deadline. The Twenty-Sixth Amendment protects the right to vote for citizens 18 and older. Most states let people preregister before they turn 18. Several states let 17-year-olds vote in a primary if they will be 18 by the general election.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

“Label advocacy and commentary.”

In plain words: Journalists who follow the SPJ code mark opinions and recommendations so readers can tell them apart from facts.

Question: The creator's guide mixes a registration deadline with “vote Candidate B.” Which lines are checkable facts, and which are picks?

Your answer

The checkable fact is ___; the picks are ___.

The checkable fact is the deadline, but it names no state. The picks are the school board and Measure T lines, and nothing labels them as opinion.

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In the news

Real sourceNPRAugust 6, 2023

Some states are trying to boost youth voter registration. Here's what they're doing

Explains preregistration and other state steps that let teens sign up before they turn 18.

Real sourceBallotpedia NewsSeptember 26, 2025

Most states allow teenagers to pre-register to vote before turning 18, and some let them vote in primaries

Rules differ by state, so where you live decides when you can register and what you vote on.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each of Dec’s questions to the rule or office that answers it. Then write whose view is missing. About 10 minutes.

Separate the two questions Dec has: what is on his ballot, and can he vote. Which rules and offices answer each, and which source should he check first?

Which contests and measures appear on Dec’s ballot

Who decides

His address and district lines, drawn through redistricting

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Your way in

Vote.gov, which links to his state or local election office

Whether Dec can register and vote in November

Who decides

Under which rule

Twenty-Sixth Amendment: the vote at 18 cannot be denied on account of age

State rules on preregistration, deadlines and 17-year-old primary voting

Who lives with it

Your way in

Vote.gov, which links to his state or local election office

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Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The school board’s. I would ask what the board decides, so Dec can judge the race before he researches candidates.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what you would do with a friend’s sample ballot. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 8 minutes.

You live at a new address. A friend sends their sample ballot and says, “Just use this one.” What should you do?

A Use it, because you and your friend live in the same state.
B Check your registration and find the official sample ballot for your address.
C Use a creator’s voter guide instead, since it covers the whole election.

Why I chose it

B. Jurisdiction decides the ballot, so A can miss local contests, and C puts picks before facts. B checks the address, the election and the deadlines.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Guys the election is coming up and it’s a big one!! 1 Registration closes on the 14th so do it now. Here’s the voter guide I use, it tells you exactly who to vote for so you don’t have to research. Also 2 drop your addresses and I’ll check if you’re registered for you. Only the big race really matters anyway, the rest is small stuff. My cousin in another state said the same deadline works for her too, so just use mine. Let’s go vote!!

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

That is my state’s deadline. Yours may differ, so check vote.gov.

Rewrite phrase 2

Share the official lookup link instead, so nobody posts an address.

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Lesson 9PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“A friend sends their sample ballot and says, “Just use this one.” What do you do?” — Take a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because the friend lives in the same state. Listen for: “Same state, same ballot.” Then: Point to the key idea: a friend two districts over may see different local races.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Election reminder: registration deadlines and voting options depend on your state, so check yours at vote.gov, which links to your state’s election office. You can also look up your sample ballot for your own address there. It shows everything you’ll vote on, including school board and local measures, not just the big race. If you use a voter guide, check the facts it gives and remember its picks are someone’s opinion. Under 18? Many states let you preregister, and some let 17-year-olds vote in primaries. Check your state’s rules. No need to share your address here.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 75 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Why do young people vote less in local elections, and what would change that?” Members research turnout data, registration rules, civic education and youth-led efforts, then present to student council.

Use: Case plus educator-approved sources on youth turnout.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose your lens: turnout data, registration rules, civic education or youth-led efforts.
Write your team’s research question and your own lens question in the planner.
Find and annotate at least three teacher-approved sources for your lens.
Write the core of your report on the Your draft page.
Write your full report of 800 to 1,000 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Build an 8-minute team presentation for student council with nonpartisan recommendations.
Check your report with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team research question

Why do young people vote less in local elections, and what would change that?

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Lesson 9Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 75 min.

Short on time: 70 min. Teams build one shared annotated bibliography.

Say this

“Your question is about local elections. Which of your sources measures local turnout?” — Most will not. Have students note that limit early.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat national turnout data as local data. Listen for: “47% of young people vote in local elections.” Then: Point to the source: the figure is for 2024 overall, not local contests.

Support

Lens assignments

Data tracker

Presentation storyboard

Stretch

Recommendations must be nonpartisan and legal for students under 18.

Heat check

Medium. Students may add picks for candidates or measures they support.

Cool-down: Remind students the product is nonpartisan. Replace any pick with where to check the facts.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

My lens and my question

Registration rules: what do states let young people do before 18?

Source 1 and what it reports

Ballotpedia News, September 26, 2025: most states let teenagers preregister, and some let them vote in primaries.

Source 2 and what it reports

CIRCLE, April 14, 2025: about 47% of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2024, with big differences by state.

A limit of my sources

None of them measures local turnout directly. CIRCLE’s figure covers 2024 overall.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 140 minutes.

Introduction and lens question

Why do young people vote less in local elections, and what would change that? My team divided the question into four lenses: turnout data, registration rules, civic education and youth-led efforts. I studied registration rules. The case of Dec shows why they matter. He turns 18 in October, and his sample ballot has a school board race and a transit measure that his feed never mentions.

One findings paragraph

Ballotpedia reported on September 26, 2025, that most states let teenagers preregister before 18 and that some let them vote in primaries. NPR reported in 2023 that some states are trying to boost youth registration. CIRCLE found that about 47% of 18- to 29-year-olds voted in 2024, with big differences by state. None of these sources measures local turnout directly, so my team cannot claim that preregistration raises local turnout. What the sources support is narrower: rules differ by state, and so does youth participation. A recommendation for student council has to fit that. It should share official, state-specific information, stay nonpartisan and never ask anyone to post an address.

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Lesson 9Your draftAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 140 min.

Short on time: 140 min.

Say this

“Name the limit of your best source in the same paragraph as its finding.” — Check each findings paragraph for one stated limit.

Watch for

Misconception: Recommendations favor a party or candidate. Listen for: “Register people who agree with us.” Then: Every recommendation has to help any eligible student, whatever their views.

Heat check

Medium. Students may add picks for candidates or measures they support.

Cool-down: Remind students the product is nonpartisan. Replace any pick with where to check the facts.

Answer key

What to notice in the sample:

Frames the team inquiry and places one lens within it.

Names the limit of the evidence before recommending.

A recommendation that is legal, nonpartisan and feasible for students.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 45 minutes.

Is your research question focused and answerable?
YesNo
Do you report each source’s data accurately, with its limits?
YesNo
Are your recommendations nonpartisan?
YesNo
Are your recommendations legal and feasible for students under 18?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Copies one person’s deadlines.	Mentions official sources vaguely.	Points to official sources for each person’s state.	Points to official sources and explains why rules differ.
Reasoning	Treats a guide as the ballot.	Mentions the ballot but not local contests.	Separates ballot, guide and registration.	Explains why local offices matter to the audience.
Audience & purpose	Collects private info.	Generic hype.	Useful, private, nonpartisan.	Includes people not yet eligible.
Revision	No change.	Adds a link.	Replaces copied deadlines with official routes.	Explains how each change helps friends in different situations.

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Lesson 9Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 45 min.

Short on time: 45 min.

Say this

“Teams present to the class as student council for 8 minutes each. The audience asks one question about feasibility.” — Score with the rubric you adapted from Performance Task 1.

Watch for

Misconception: A recommendation asks students under 18 to do something the law does not allow. Listen for: “Everyone should vote in the primary.” Then: Ask which students that applies to in your state, and how you know.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Points to official sources for each person’s state.

Reasoning: Separates ballot, guide and registration.

Audience & purpose: Useful, private, nonpartisan.

Revision: Replaces copied deadlines with official routes.

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I removed a claim that preregistration raises local turnout, because none of my sources measured local turnout.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 15 minutes.

1 Which contest on the sample ballot could affect Dec’s school or his bus?

The school board race and Measure T. A voter guide that covered only the big race would skip both.

2 Mateo may still be registered in New Bedford. Why might his ballot differ from Dec’s?

Jurisdiction follows the registration address. A New Bedford registration puts Mateo in a different state, with different contests and deadlines.

3 Anika is 16. How can she be part of this election before she can vote?

Preregistration, if her state allows it, and learning what the board decides. She can also help friends find official information without sharing anyone’s address.

4 When could a voter guide that recommends choices help a first-time voter?

When it names its author and labels its picks as advocacy. Then a first-time voter can use it as one view, after checking the ballot and deadlines.

My take

My claim: ___.

A nonpartisan guide for Dec should send him to official sources and keep facts apart from picks.

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Lesson 9Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the recommendations.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a candidate or party you like.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

Ask what one local office on the ballot decides, and how a student could learn that before researching candidates.

Going further: Which election office covers your address? Find it through Vote.gov. If you live away from home for school, write one question asking that office which address and rules apply to you.

Going further: Plan an election reminder for your own group chat. Who might a group chat miss? Link to an official source so nobody has to trust a screenshot.

Going further: Record a one-minute audio guide that tells listeners how to find their own sample ballot. Then write the same steps as a checklist. Check that both lead to the same official page.

Going further: With a trusted adult, go to Vote.gov and choose your state or territory. Check the registration rules for your age, then find the sample ballot for your address. Never share your address or birthdate in a group chat.

Find your county’s sample ballot for the next election

Research the history of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The creator’s guide, because its one fact names no state and its picks carry no label.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Picks help first-time voters who have no time to research.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document tells us Dec’s state, so we cannot give him a deadline.

I would change my mind if ___.

Dec had asked for recommendations instead of information.

Notes

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Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?

In this case, a teen about to turn 18 finds local races on his ballot that his feed never mentions. Your student compared a sample ballot with a voter guide, then wrote a guide that points to official sources without telling anyone how to vote.

Questions to talk about

What offices appear on a local ballot, besides the big races?
Where can someone find official information about registering to vote?
How can you tell a fact in a voter guide from a recommendation?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 10Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

Content note

This case involves disability access on a city route. No student should share their own disability or health information, so keep the discussion on Sami’s trip.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which construction blocks the curb ramp on Sami’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. They examine the sign, the route map and the workshop flyer. They use the Department of Justice’s Title II guide to see which part of the ADA applies. They then audit the whole trip and write a message to the city’s ADA coordinator.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

annotate a source for its claim, evidence and perspective

build an argument that answers a counterargument

Objectives

Students will be able to:

write a focused research question from a stimulus packet

Objectives, continued

compare the perspectives of the city, residents, contractors and taxpayers

synthesize an original argument that treats people with disabilities as decision-makers

name the limits of the evidence and the argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Evidence A, B and C

The stimulus packet: the Department of Justice Title II page, one universal-design source and one article on transit access

A perspective map and an argument outline

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Who is responsible for an accessible city?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 186): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Students read What happened on their own.

Key terms (pages 187 and 188): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (page 192): 10 min. Short on time: 9 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Look at the evidence (page 193): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read the flyer aloud. Students fill in only its What it shows box.

Key idea (pages 194 and 195): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip the In the news section; the stimulus packet replaces it.

Sort the evidence (page 196): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 197): 6 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 198 and 199): 60 min. Short on time: 55 min. Annotate the stimulus packet as homework before this session.

Your draft (page 200): 150 min. Short on time: 150 min.

Check your work (pages 201 and 202): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 203 and 204): 10 min. Short on time: 5 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the argument.

Talk about this case at home (page 205): at home.

Periods: full chapter 281 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Plan 10

Lesson 10Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 10 plan, continued

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze arguments about responsibility.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: City, resident and taxpayer views are compared.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students build an original argument.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists: Code of Ethics, standard 3

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Heat map

Opener (page 186): Medium

Key terms (pages 187 and 188): Low

Look at the evidence (page 192): Low

Look at the evidence (page 193): Low

Key idea (pages 194 and 195): Low

Sort the evidence (page 196): Medium

Practice (page 197): Medium

Your task (pages 198 and 199): Low

Your draft (page 200): Low

Check your work (pages 201 and 202): Low

Try it at your school

Find your city’s ADA contact.

With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility”

Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp (often 311 or a public works page)

Try it at your school, continued

If you notice a barrier, note the location, date and time

Ask the person affected what they want before reporting on their behalf

Who to ask: City ADA coordinator, 311 or public works, school transportation office for school routes

Safety: Don’t film or post people with disabilities without clear permission. Stay out of construction zones.

Sources

HISTORY, “When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act,” July 24, 2020

Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, “The Capitol Crawl,” No date listed

U.S. Department of Justice, “The ADA and City Governments,” No date listed

Plan 10b

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

A construction detour sends Sami toward stairs on her way to a city workshop, and her bus comes in 12 minutes.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline where the detour sign points. About 5 minutes.

Your role: You’re the one who writes down the corner, the time and the sign before Mateo posts. New skill: Report a problem to the office responsible.

Sami, Jordy and Mateo plan with picture cards on a whiteboard.

What happened

It is Tuesday, 4:05 p.m., at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue. Sami is on her way to a free community workshop run by the city’s parks department. It starts at 5. Sami uses a manual wheelchair, and her bus comes in 12 minutes. Mateo is with her.

The curb ramp on the northeast corner is blocked by construction fencing. A sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. That detour does not work for Sami.

Mateo already has the sign on video, and his first idea is to post it. Sami asks whether the video gets her on the bus. It does not, so Mateo puts the camera down. He checks the other corners for a ramp while Sami looks up the next bus stop.

Later, they want to report the corner to the city. Mateo wonders whether the city is breaking the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). First, they need to know what one video can show and which office is responsible.

Your question: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route, and what should Sami and Mateo tell the city?

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.

En español: acceso a los programas

In this case: The city runs the workshop. Program access asks whether Sami can reach and join the workshop, not only whether one ramp is open.

Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

En español: barrera

In this case: Fencing blocks the curb ramp at Elm Street and 4th Avenue, and the detour points to stairs. The flyer gives no way to request access.

ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.

En español: coordinador de la ADA

In this case: Mateo plans to send the city’s ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the sign and one question, if Sami agrees.

Who is involved

Sami

Trying to catch her bus to the workshop

“The sign says detour. The detour starts with stairs. So, no. Twelve minutes.”

Mateo

Filmed the detour sign

“I had the sign on video before I even thought about it. Sami asked if that gets her on the bus. Fair. Camera down.”

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Lesson 10Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip Who is involved.

Say this

“Which key term explains why the whole trip matters, not only the ramp?” — Wait for program access.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think program access means every door needs a ramp. Listen for: “Every building needs a ramp.” Then: Reread the key idea: the program as a whole must be accessible. A city can move a service to an accessible place.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Spanish words from the case: ruta, barrera, rampa, desvío.

Cognates: access (acceso), barrier (barrera), program (programa), route (ruta), ramp (rampa), coordinator (coordinador), construction (construcción), observation (observación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, whose job do you think it is to fix Sami’s route?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is the city, because the sidewalk and the workshop both belong to the city.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

A barrier, a bus and the right office

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.

Words to know

Program access: Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.
Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.
ADA coordinator: An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Jurisdiction: A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

The story: The next twelve minutes

Sami studies design and photographs things most people walk past. She also uses a manual wheelchair and wants access planned before an event, not offered as an apology afterward. At 4:05 p.m. on a Tuesday, at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue, she is on her way to a free parks department workshop that starts at 5. Her bus comes in 12 minutes.

The northeast curb ramp is fenced off for construction. The posted detour, “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR,” points to a path that begins with stairs. Sami says it without drama. The sign says detour, the detour starts with stairs, so no.

Mateo is with Sami, and his reflex is a filmmaker’s. He has the sign on video before he has thought about what the video is for. When he offers to post it, Sami asks whether that gets her on the bus. It does not. Mateo puts the camera down and checks the other corners for a ramp while Sami looks up the next stop. The order of priorities is the first lesson of the case. The person facing the barrier decides what the moment needs and what gets said about her. The report can wait an hour.

Your role is to write down the corner, the time and the sign before anyone posts, so that the later report rests on a clean record.

Stop and think. Why does the case put Sami’s bus ahead of Mateo’s video?

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Evidence, barriers and program access

Mateo’s next question is whether the city is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. That is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence, and Lesson 1 taught you to match a claim to what the evidence can support. Mateo draws the limit himself. His video shows one fenced ramp and one sign at 4:05. It cannot show whether another way around exists, so he cannot call the whole route illegal.

The route map widens the frame. Sami’s trip has five stages: home to the corner, the northeast ramp, the bus stop, the ride to the parks department building and the workshop entrance and room. The last stage has not been checked. The flyer adds a different kind of gap. It invites everyone, lists a front desk number and says nothing about accessible entrances or how to request access.

A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. The fenced ramp is a physical barrier. The flyer’s silence may be an informational one. Program access is an ADA rule that a city’s services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. The standard applies to the program, not to each building separately. It generally does not require every older building to be accessible, and a city can relocate a service to an accessible place. Existing buildings and new construction have different requirements. Access still covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving.

The last question is who can fix it. Lesson 9’s term jurisdiction, the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority, points to the city, which both runs the workshop and manages the street. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. Mateo’s planned report is short: the corner, the time, the sign and one question. Is there an accessible detour, and how long will the ramp be blocked? It goes out only if Sami agrees.

Stop and think. Program access applies to the program as a whole. How does that change what a report should ask?

The law’s origins and its limits

The Justice Department’s guide for cities explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local programs, including keeping curb ramps usable during street work (U.S. Department of Justice, updated February 24, 2020). The law’s history explains its focus on steps and routes. On March 12, 1990, activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access, and the ADA was signed that July (HISTORY, July 24, 2020). Minnesota’s disability council notes that the protest involved ADAPT, which began as Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit (Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, March 1, 2015).

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The law’s origins and its limits, continued

Enforcement is uneven. In New York, a North Bronx subway station is set to get elevators nearly a decade after an ADA lawsuit (THE CITY, October 3, 2025). Federal auditors found gaps in checking whether paratransit services for disabled riders actually work (GAO, November 15, 2012).

Professional codes speak to both people at the corner. The ASPA code asks public servants to “respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations” (ASPA Code of Ethics, 2013). The NPPA code asks visual journalists to “be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects” (NPPA Code of Ethics, no date listed).

Stop and think. What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of JusticeFebruary 24, 2020

The ADA and City Governments

Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020

When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act

Real sourceMinnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental DisabilitiesMarch 1, 2015

The Capitol Crawl

Real sourceTHE CITYOctober 3, 2025

North Bronx Subway Station to Get Elevators, Nearly a Decade After ADA Lawsuit

Real sourceU.S. Government Accountability OfficeNovember 15, 2012

ADA Paratransit Services: Demand Has Increased, but Little Is Known About Compliance (GAO-13-17)

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)2013

ASPA Code of Ethics

Real sourceNational Press Photographers Association (NPPA)No date listed

NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence AConstruction sign

The detour sign

The sign reads “SIDEWALK CLOSED AHEAD. PEDESTRIAN DETOUR.” Its arrow points to a path that begins with a flight of stairs. The sign went up on Monday. Mateo recorded it on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m.

Look closely: Where does the arrow point? Who could not use that path?

What it shows

The only posted detour starts with stairs. It went up Monday.

What it leaves out

Whether another accessible route exists, and how long the closure will last.

Evidence BRoute map

Sami and Mateo’s route map

1. Home to the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue: sidewalk clear. 2. Northeast curb ramp: blocked by construction fencing. 3. Bus stop: next bus in 12 minutes. 4. Bus to the parks department building. 5. Workshop entrance and room: not yet checked.

Look closely: Which stage is blocked, and which stage has nobody checked?

What it shows

Access as a whole trip: one blocked stage and one unchecked stage.

What it leaves out

Stage 5, the workshop entrance and room, which nobody has checked yet.

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Lesson 10Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 9 min. Students fill in only the What it shows boxes.

Say this

“Find the stage on the route map that nobody has checked. Why does it matter?” — Wait for stage 5, the workshop entrance and room.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the video as proof about the whole route. Listen for: “The video proves the city is breaking the law.” Then: Ask which stage the video shows. It shows stage 2, at one time.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Provide a printed route map with the five stages labeled.

Cognates: access (acceso), barrier (barrera), program (programa), route (ruta), ramp (rampa), coordinator (coordinador), construction (construcción), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which barrier on the trip is about information, not concrete, and which document shows it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CFlyer

The workshop flyer

The flyer reads “Free Community Workshop Series. Tuesdays, 5–7 p.m., Parks Department Annex. All welcome! Questions? Call the front desk.” It gives no information about accessible entrances or how to request access.

Look closely: What does the flyer tell someone who needs to request access?

What it shows

A city program that invites everyone but gives no access information.

What it leaves out

How to request access. “Call the front desk” is its only contact.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether an accessible detour exists, how long the closure lasts, whether the workshop entrance and room are accessible, and who the ADA coordinator is.

Notes

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Lesson 10Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 4 min. Read the flyer aloud. Students fill in only its What it shows box.

Say this

“Find the stage on the route map that nobody has checked. Why does it matter?” — Wait for stage 5, the workshop entrance and room.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Provide a printed route map with the five stages labeled.

Cognates: access (acceso), barrier (barrera), program (programa), route (ruta), ramp (rampa), coordinator (coordinador), construction (construcción), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which barrier on the trip is about information, not concrete, and which document shows it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: program access

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice explains that Title II of the ADA covers state and local government programs and services. Program access generally does not require every older building to be accessible. For example, a city can relocate a service to an accessible place. Existing buildings and new construction have different requirements.

Access covers the whole visit: finding the information, getting there, going in, taking part and leaving. A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part. Sami meets one barrier at the curb ramp. The workshop flyer could be another, because it gives no way to request access. The Justice Department’s guide for cities also covers curb ramps during street work.

One video of one corner cannot show whether a city is following the law. It can show what happened, where and when. An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints. That office can say whether an accessible detour exists. Before you report a barrier someone else faces, ask them what they want said.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation

“respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations”

In plain words: ASPA members in public service agree to help every person use public programs and services.

Question: The parks flyer says “All welcome!” with no access information. What should it add so Sami can request access?

Your answer

The flyer should add ___, so that ___.

The flyer should add a contact for access requests and information about the entrance, so that Sami can plan the whole trip before she leaves.

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Lesson 10Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Skip the In the news section; the stimulus packet replaces it.

Say this

“The ASPA code asks public servants to assist all persons. What would that look like on this flyer?” — Accept any addition that tells Sami how to request access.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the ASPA code as a law. Listen for: “The city broke the ASPA rule.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its own members. Here, the ADA is the law.”

Support

Read the quotation aloud. Point out the label: a real source, quoted word for word.

Draw two boxes: Title II for city programs and sidewalks, Title III for private businesses.

Stretch

Use the NPPA row: which stages of Sami’s route does Mateo’s photo leave out?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceHISTORYJuly 24, 2020

When the ‘Capitol Crawl’ Dramatized the Need for Americans with Disabilities Act

A throwback to March 12, 1990, when activists climbed the Capitol steps to show what stairs do to access. The ADA was signed that July.

Real sourceTHE CITYOctober 3, 2025

North Bronx Subway Station to Get Elevators, Nearly a Decade After ADA Lawsuit

A lawsuit pushed a transit agency to add elevators, showing how the ADA makes access a public duty.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMark whether each piece of evidence supports or narrows each claim. Then write whose view is missing. About 8 minutes.

Sort what the evidence supports. Which claim can you make today, which one needs more facts, and who can supply them?

Evidence	Claim 1The city is breaking the ADA.	Claim 2On Tuesday, the posted detour did not work for a wheelchair user.
1 Photo: the northeast curb ramp blocked by fencing on Tuesday at 4:05 p.m.	Narrows	Supports
2 Detour sign points to a path that starts with stairs	Neither	Supports
3 DOJ: Title II requires program access, not every facility to be accessible	Narrows	Neither

Still open

Is there another accessible route to the bus and the workshop? Ask the ADA coordinator.

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The parks department’s. I would ask how people request access to the workshop and whether the entrance and room are accessible.

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Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Mateo should do and explain why. Then fix the two marked phrases. About 6 minutes.

Mateo wants people to know about the blocked corner. What should he do?

A Post the video with a caption saying the city is breaking the ADA.
B Send the ADA coordinator the corner, the time, the detour sign and one question, if Sami agrees.
C Skip the report if Sami finds another bus stop that works today.

Why I chose it

B. A claims more than one video can show and uses Sami without asking. C solves today but leaves the detour in place. B asks the office that can answer.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

1 The city is breaking the ADA. There is construction blocking the ramp and a wheelchair user I know couldn’t get to the bus. We were standing there for like ten minutes trying to figure out another way and the sign just pointed to stairs. My friend almost missed her workshop because of it. This is discrimination and completely illegal. Nobody even cares about this. You need to 2 fix every ramp in the neighborhood right away or we will post the photos everywhere.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

We saw one blocked ramp and a detour sign that points to stairs.

Rewrite phrase 2

Could you tell us whether an accessible detour exists and how it is marked?

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Lesson 10PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 6 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Mateo has the video. What should he do with it?” — Vote before discussing.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose A because posting gets attention. Listen for: “Post it, then they’ll fix it.” Then: Ask whether Sami agreed. Point to her line: “Me, ask first.”

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may bring up real viral videos of disabled people.

Cool-down: Keep it about Mateo’s video. Ask what Sami wants.

Answer key

A revised version: Hello, I’m writing about the construction at the corner of Elm Street and 4th Avenue, by the bus stop. On Tuesday at about 4 p.m., the curb ramp on the northeast corner was blocked, and the detour sign pointed to a route with stairs. My friend, who uses a wheelchair and agreed to be mentioned, could not reach the bus stop that way. Could you tell us whether there is an accessible detour during construction, how it’s marked and how long the ramp will be blocked? We’d also like to know how to report this if it happens again. Thank you.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 60 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Who is responsible for an accessible city?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: the case, DOJ Title II page, one universal-design source and one article on transit access.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each stimulus source: its claim, its evidence and whose perspective it gives.
Fill in the perspective map: city, residents, contractors and taxpayers.
Write a research question about who is responsible for an accessible city.
Draft your introduction and one body section on the Your draft page.
Write your full argument of 1,200 to 1,500 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Check your argument with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

Who should be responsible for keeping a city route usable while it is under construction?

City

Runs the workshop and the sidewalk. Title II requires its program as a whole to be accessible.

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Lesson 10Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 60 min.

Short on time: 55 min. Annotate the stimulus packet as homework before this session.

Say this

“Whose perspective is easiest to leave out of this question?” — Push toward residents with disabilities as decision-makers.

Watch for

Misconception: Students write about disabled residents only as people to help. Listen for: “We need to help them.” Then: Ask who decides what a working route looks like. Put residents in that role in the outline.

Support

Stimulus annotation

Perspective map: city, residents, contractors, taxpayers

Argument outline

Stretch

Center the perspective of people with disabilities as decision-makers, not subjects.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

AP Seminar: Understand and Analyze; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.2; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Residents with disabilities

Know which stages of a trip fail. Sami decides what is said about her trip.

Contractors

May set up fencing and detours. They work under schedules and budgets.

Taxpayers

Pay for repairs and for accessible detours, and want both done well.

Notes

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Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Introduction

Who should be responsible for keeping a city route usable during construction? The question sounds technical, but it decides who can reach public life. In a case, a detour sign at Elm Street and 4th Avenue pointed Sami, who uses a wheelchair, toward a flight of stairs. The curb ramp was fenced off, and her bus was 12 minutes away. The city, its contractors, taxpayers and residents like Sami each hold part of the answer. This argument claims that the city must hold final responsibility. Residents with disabilities should help set and test the standards it uses.

One body section

The legal perspective starts with the Department of Justice. Its guide explains that under Title II, a city’s programs as a whole must be accessible, although not every older facility must be. The guide also covers curb ramps during street and sidewalk work. That places the duty on the city, even when a contractor does the work. A transit perspective shows what happens when a duty is enforced late. THE CITY reported in 2025 that a North Bronx subway station would get elevators nearly a decade after an ADA lawsuit. A lawsuit can force a fix, but it arrives years later. A design perspective asks whose trip a route was planned for. Sami’s route map answers part of that: stage 2 was blocked, and stage 5 had never been checked.

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Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 10 minutes.

Is your research question clear and focused?
YesNo
Do you compare several perspectives fairly?
YesNo
Is your argument an original synthesis, not a summary of sources?
YesNo
Do you name the limits of your evidence?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No location or time.	General description.	Specific location, time and observation.	Specific observation plus what remains unknown.
Reasoning	Declares a violation.	Mixes observation and conclusion.	Separates observation from legal question.	Connects observation to program access and asks the right office.
Audience & purpose	Threatening or vague.	Polite but no clear request.	Specific, answerable request to the right office.	Request plus how to report future issues.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion.	Explains how each change helps the city act and respects Sami.

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Lesson 10Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one added detail or one removed legal conclusion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students keep a sentence that declares a violation. Listen for: “The city is clearly violating the ADA.” Then: Point to the Reasoning row. Replace the sentence with a question for the coordinator.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Specific location, time and observation.

Reasoning: Separates observation from legal question.

Audience & purpose: Specific, answerable request to the right office.

Revision: Adds specifics and removes the legal conclusion.

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I narrowed my claim about the Bronx station to what the article reports, because one station cannot speak for every city.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then finish My take. About 10 minutes.

1 Which barrier on Sami’s trip would a photo miss?

The unchecked workshop entrance and the flyer with no access information. Both sit outside the frame, and the flyer is a barrier in information, not concrete.

2 What is the difference between recording a barrier and making Sami the content?

Recording documents the barrier for the office that can act. Making Sami the content puts her in public view without consent, and she said, “Me, ask first.”

3 Construction is temporary, but the detour affects people now. What should a city do to keep routes usable during repairs?

Plan an accessible detour as part of the construction, mark it on the sign and post a contact. The cost is time and money at each work site.

My take

My claim: ___.

The city is responsible for the route to its own program, so the report should go to its ADA coordinator.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The route map, because it shows access as a whole trip and marks what nobody has checked.

203

Lesson 10Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the argument.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a story about someone you know.” — Post the question numbers and take one answer per question.

Stretch

With an adult, find your city’s ADA coordinator page and summarize how it takes complaints.

Going further: Write a first description of Sami’s trip. Then check one stage you skipped, such as the workshop entrance. Rewrite your description and note what changed.

Going further: Suppose someone says the fix is to install a ramp. What problem does that fix assume? List two barriers from Sami’s trip that a new ramp would not remove.

Going further: Make a route guide for Sami’s trip in two forms, such as a map and a numbered list. Check that each form works without color or a picture.

Going further: With a trusted adult, search your city’s website for “ADA coordinator” or “accessibility” pages. Save how to report a blocked sidewalk or curb ramp, often through 311 or a public works page. Ask the person affected before you report for them, and stay out of construction zones.

Find your city’s ADA coordinator page and summarize its complaint process

Research how your city communicates construction detours

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Whoever put up the fence should fix it, not the city.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows whether an accessible detour exists.

I would change my mind if ___.

The city showed that an accessible detour was marked and working that day.

Notes

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Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?

In this case, construction blocks a curb ramp on a young woman’s route to a city workshop, and the detour points to stairs. Your student studied what one video can show, then wrote a question for the city office responsible for access.

Questions to talk about

Who in our town takes care of sidewalks and curb ramps?
What details make a report to the city easy to act on?
Why should you ask someone before you post a video of them?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

205

Lesson 11Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Jordy and Gia work the same Saturday event. Jordy is paid $16.50 an hour, and Gia is paid $18.00. They compare the pay statements and the crew schedule, which lists Gia as shift lead, with federal pages on pay discrimination and on discussing wages. They then draft Jordy’s message to the supervisor asking how the rates were set.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a source for its argument, evidence and perspective

compare perspectives without ranking the people who hold them

write an argument with a clear line of reasoning

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a focused argument on whether pay transparency would make workplaces fairer

compare worker, employer and historical perspectives from the stimulus packet

Objectives, continued

keep the 2020 ruling, the players’ argument and the 2022 settlement distinct

synthesize the sources into an original argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The stimulus packet: the EEOC page, an article on pay-range laws, an employer perspective and NPR’s soccer reporting

A perspective map and an argument outline

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Would pay transparency make workplaces fairer?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 206): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 207 and 208): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 212): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 213): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 214 and 215): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Sort the evidence (page 216): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 217): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 218 and 219): 60 min. Short on time: 60 min.

Your draft (page 220): 150 min. Short on time: 150 min.

Check your work (pages 221 and 222): 15 min. Short on time: 13 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Students answer the four questions.

Questions to discuss (pages 223 and 224): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 225): at home.

Periods: full chapter 282 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze arguments about transparency.

Plan 11

Lesson 11Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 11 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Worker, employer and historical perspectives are compared.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students build an original argument.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice

SHRM Code of Ethics: Use of Information

Codes of ethics, continued

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I protect confidential information”

Heat map

Opener (page 206): Medium

Key terms (pages 207 and 208): Low

Look at the evidence (page 212): Low

Look at the evidence (page 213): Low

Key idea (pages 214 and 215): Low

Sort the evidence (page 216): Low

Practice (page 217): Medium

Your task (pages 218 and 219): Low

Check your work (pages 221 and 222): Low

Try it at your school

Know how pay decisions are made where you work.

Ask for your pay rate and how it’s set in writing when you start a job

Keep your own record of hours and duties

Talk with a trusted adult or counselor if something seems off

Look up your state labor department’s pay-equity page

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: Supervisor or HR, school counselor, state labor department, the EEOC’s public information line

Safety: Don’t share coworkers’ pay information without their permission. Deadlines apply to formal complaints, so ask a qualified adviser early if you think there’s a legal issue.

Sources

NPR, “The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement,” February 22, 2022

NPR, “Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim,” May 2, 2020

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “Pay Discrimination,” No date listed

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), “Your Right to Discuss Wages,” No date listed

Plan 11b

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

Jordy and Gia worked the same Saturday event, but Gia’s pay rate is $1.50 an hour higher, and Jordy wants to know why.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the two pay rates and the job title on the schedule. About 5 minutes.

Mateo attaches an arrival notice at the Common Room entrance. Gia points to the doorway, and Jordy checks what a visitor will see.

Your role: You’re the one who lines up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana. New skill: Compare two cases on the same terms.

What happened

Jordy and Gia work event shifts for the same company. They both worked a Saturday event from 3 to 11 p.m. Both helped with setup and closing, and Jordy also ran the caption and audio check.

They were paid the following Friday. On Sunday afternoon, Jordy and Gia compare pay statements. Jordy’s lists eight hours at $16.50 an hour. Gia’s lists $18.00 an hour for the same event.

The crew schedule lists Gia as “shift lead,” but it does not say what that job includes. That day, Gia opened up and handled one guest issue. She does not know if that explains the $1.50 difference. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate. But she does not want her statement posted.

Jordy wants to ask Dana, the supervisor, how rates are set. Jordy will not post anything before Dana answers.

Your question: Why is Gia paid more than Jordy for the same event, and how should Jordy ask about it?

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess about the pay difference. About 5 minutes.

Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

En español: compensación

In this case: Jordy’s statement shows eight hours at $16.50 an hour, and Gia’s shows $18.00. The statements show the rates but not how they were set.

Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.

En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial

In this case: The Equal Pay Act covers pay differences based on sex, not every difference. Different job duties, such as a real shift-lead role, can be a lawful reason.

Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

En español: Título VII

In this case: Title VII covers pay decisions based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. No document shows how Jordy’s rate was set.

Who is involved

Jordy

Worked setup through close

“Three to eleven, setup to close, and I ran the caption and audio check. $16.50 an hour. Gia’s says $18.00.”

Gia

Listed as shift lead

“I only found out I make more because Jordy showed me theirs. The schedule calls me shift lead. Nobody told me what that pays for.”

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Lesson 11Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Compensation is more than the hourly rate. What else could count?” — Listen for overtime, bonuses and benefits.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the Equal Pay Act covers every pay difference. Listen for: “Any pay gap breaks the Equal Pay Act.” Then: Reread the definition. The law is about men and women doing substantially equal work.

Support

Preteach “rate” and “gross pay” with Jordy’s statement: 8 hours × $16.50 = $132.00.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think Gia is paid more than Jordy?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the company treats them unfairly, because they worked the same hours at the same event.

Notes

208

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

A pay gap is a question, not a finding

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.
Equal Pay Act: The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.
Title VII: Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Gross pay: Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

The story: Two statements on a Sunday

Jordy is Black, nonbinary and hard of hearing, studies part time and works event shifts. Gia studies communication and works café shifts, and she also picks up event work for the same company as Jordy. On Saturday, they both worked a 3 to 11 p.m. event. The crew schedule shows the division of labor. Everyone did setup from 3 to 5 and closing from 10 to 11. Jordy ran the caption and audio check. Gia is listed as “shift lead,” with no description of what that means.

On Sunday, Jordy shares a pay statement with Gia: eight hours at $16.50. Gia’s says $18.00. Her first reaction is a guess, that the difference must be the shift lead title. Her second is honesty. She opened up and handled one guest issue, and she does not know whether that is why she is paid $1.50 more. Gia only found out because Jordy showed her.

The friends agree on the facts and on a boundary. Gia is fine with Jordy knowing her rate but does not want her statement posted. Jordy will not post anything before asking Dana, the supervisor, how rates are set. Asked whether this is discrimination, Gia says she does not know yet. Maybe shift lead pays more. Ask Dana what it covers first.

Your role is to line up both shifts side by side before Jordy writes to Dana.

Stop and think. Gia’s first guess and her honest answer differ. Why is the honest answer more useful to Jordy?

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Comparing on the same terms

The skill in this case is comparing two situations on the same terms before calling a difference unfair. It builds on Lesson 5, where you read a pay statement line by line. Jordy’s statement shows 8.0 hours at $16.50 and gross pay of $132.00, the money earned before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

A fair comparison lists every dimension the evidence covers. Hours, setup and closing are identical. Jordy had a technical duty, the caption and audio check. Gia had a title and two tasks attached to it. The documents leave three things unknown: what “shift lead” formally includes, whether it carries a set rate and how rates are set in general. Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can lawfully explain a difference. So can a mistake. The comparison does not reveal which.

That is why the case turns on a question rather than a verdict. Lesson 10’s skill, reporting to the office responsible, points to Dana, who sets rates. Jordy’s message can state the observation, list what Jordy knows for sure and ask what shift lead includes and how rates are set. It does not need to name Gia’s rate. Jordy keeps the next decision too. If the answer does not make sense, Jordy decides what to do.

Stop and think. The judge and the players disagreed about what to compare. How would each approach apply to Jordy and Gia?

The legal frame and the soccer comparison

Two federal laws limit the reasons employers can use to set pay. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The EEOC enforces both. Its youth pages list the kinds of compensation the laws cover and the ban on retaliation (EEOC, no date listed). The NLRB adds that most private-sector workers may discuss pay with coworkers, with or without a union (NLRB, no date listed). That right does not make Gia’s statement Jordy’s to share.

The U.S. women’s national soccer team’s case shows how much depends on the comparison. In 2020, a federal judge dismissed their equal pay claim, pointing to differences in contract structure (NPR, May 2, 2020). The players appealed, arguing that he had not compared rates of pay. In February 2022, they settled for $24 million with a promise of equal pay rates (NPR, February 22, 2022), and the new terms were later written into signed contracts (PBS NewsHour, September 6, 2022). The settlement was an agreement between the parties, not a court finding.

Policy is moving toward more visible pay. New salary transparency laws put pay ranges in job ads, which makes differences easier to notice and ask about (NPR, January 3, 2023). HR professionals have their own standard.

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

The legal frame and the soccer comparison, continued

The SHRM code asks members to “foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all” (SHRM Code of Ethics, April 24, 2023).

Stop and think. Why does the case treat Jordy’s choice to wait for Dana as belonging to Jordy alone?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)No date listed

Pay Discrimination

Real sourceNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB)No date listed

Your Right to Discuss Wages

Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020

Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022

The U.S. national women’s soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)September 6, 2022

U.S. men's and women's soccer teams formally sign equal pay agreements

Real sourceNPRJanuary 3, 2023

The impact that new salary transparency laws could have

Real sourceSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM)2023

SHRM Code of Ethics

Notes

211

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APay statement

Jordy’s pay statement

Event crew, Saturday. Hours: 8.0 at $16.50. Gross pay for the event: $132.00.

Look closely: Multiply the hours by the rate. Does it match the gross pay?

What it shows

Jordy’s own record: 8.0 hours at $16.50, and $132.00 gross, which adds up.

What it leaves out

The criteria behind the rate, and any comparison with other crew members.

Evidence BWork schedule

The crew schedule

Saturday event, 3:00–11:00 p.m. Crew: Gia (shift lead), Jordy and two other crew members. Setup, 3:00–5:00: all crew. Caption and audio check: Jordy. Closing, 10:00–11:00: all crew.

Look closely: Circle “shift lead.” Does the schedule say what that job includes?

What it shows

A title difference (shift lead) and shared duties (setup, closing) at one event.

What it leaves out

A job description for shift lead, and any written link between title and pay.

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Lesson 11Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on “shift lead.” What would you need to know about that title?” — Wait for “what the job includes” and “whether it pays more.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat Gia’s pay statement as Jordy’s to share. Listen for: “Jordy can show everyone Gia’s statement.” Then: Point to Evidence C. Gia agreed to let Jordy know her rate, not to post her statement.

Support

Give students a four-column table: duties, hours, title, rate.

Read the text messages aloud with two voices.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Stretch

Ask which duty on the schedule belongs only to Jordy, and whether it could matter as much as shift lead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CText messages

Jordy and Gia compare notes

Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Gia: I’m fine with you knowing my rate. I just don’t want my statement posted anywhere.

Jordy: Got it. Did you do anything different as shift lead?

Gia: I opened up and handled one guest issue. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s why. Let’s ask Dana.

Look closely: What does Gia agree to share, and what does she ask Jordy not to do?

What it shows

Consent with limits: Jordy may know Gia’s rate, but her statement stays unposted.

What it leaves out

Whether one opening and one guest issue explain the rate, and what Dana may see.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What the shift-lead role officially involves and how rates are set, whether Gia’s higher rate reflects experience or other criteria, how other crew members are paid, and whether the company has any written pay policy.

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Lesson 11Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on “shift lead.” What would you need to know about that title?” — Wait for “what the job includes” and “whether it pays more.”

Watch for

Support

Give students a four-column table: duties, hours, title, rate.

Read the text messages aloud with two voices.

Cognates: compensation (compensación), discrimination (discriminación), supervisor (supervisor), evidence (evidencia), criteria (criterios), difference (diferencia), information (información), private (privado), legitimate (legítimo).

Stretch

Ask which duty on the schedule belongs only to Jordy, and whether it could matter as much as shift lead.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: equal pay

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics. Then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

Before you can say why Jordy is paid less, you need to know what each job included. Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime. A job title, extra duties or more experience can explain a pay difference. So can a mistake. The pay statements show the rates, but they do not show how the rates were set.

Federal laws limit the reasons an employer can use to set pay. The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work. Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Both laws apply to covered employers, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces them. A legitimate reason, such as different job duties, can lawfully explain a pay difference.

Talking about pay is protected too. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) says most private-sector workers have a right to discuss pay with coworkers. That right holds with or without a union. It does not make Gia’s pay statement Jordy’s to share. Jordy can ask Dana how rates are set without naming Gia’s rate.

Professional standards

Real sourceSociety for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

SHRM Code of Ethics: Fairness and Justice

“Develop, administer, and advocate policies and procedures that foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all.”

In plain words: HR professionals who belong to SHRM agree to use workplace policies that treat workers fairly and consistently.

Question: The schedule lists Gia as shift lead. What written policy would show whether that title explains the higher rate?

Your answer

The policy would need to state ___, so that ___.

The policy would need to state the shift-lead duties, how someone qualifies and each role’s rate, so that one rule applies to the whole crew.

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Lesson 11Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Say this

“The Equal Pay Act and Title VII limit the reasons for a pay gap. Which reason could be lawful here?” — Wait for “different job duties.”

“The SHRM code asks for fair, consistent policies. What written policy would help Jordy?” — Accept “a job description” or “a pay chart.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the SHRM code as a law. Listen for: “The company broke the SHRM code, so it’s illegal.” Then: Say: “SHRM’s code binds its members, who are HR professionals. The laws here are the Equal Pay Act and Title VII.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out its label: a quotation from a real source.

Stretch

Use the second SHRM card: what should a complete answer from Dana include?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRFebruary 22, 2022

The U.S. national women's soccer team wins $24 million in equal pay settlement

A real ‘same work, different pay’ dispute that ended in a settlement and a promise of equal rates.

Real sourceNPRMay 2, 2020

Federal Judge Dismisses U.S. Women’s Soccer Team’s Equal Pay Claim

Why the claim was first dismissed: the judge compared how the contracts were structured. What you compare shapes the answer.

Notes

215

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownLine up the accounts in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 8 minutes.

Line up the accounts. Where do they agree, where do they differ, and which difference could be a legitimate factor? What would you need to find out before calling it unfair?

Account 1

Jordy’s record: 8 hours, setup, caption and audio check, closing, $16.50

Account 2

Gia’s account: same hours, setup and closing, opened up and handled one guest issue, $18.00

Account 3

The schedule: Gia listed as shift lead, with no description of the role

Where they agree

Both worked the same event, the same hours, and setup and closing.

Where they differ

Title and rate: shift lead at $18.00 versus crew at $16.50

Check: Ask the supervisor how rates are set and what the shift-lead role requires

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The two other crew members on the schedule are missing. Their rates could show the usual crew rate, but they choose whether to share.

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Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Jordy should do first and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Jordy’s statement shows $16.50 an hour. Gia’s shows $18.00 for the same Saturday event, and the schedule lists her as “shift lead.” What should Jordy do first?

A Tell the rest of the crew that Gia is paid more for the same work.
B Compare what each of them did, find out what “shift lead” means and ask Dana how rates are set.
C Let it go, because an employer can set any pay rate it chooses.

Why I chose it

B. A treats an unexplained difference as a finding and exposes Gia’s pay. C assumes employers face no limits, which the EEOC and NLRB pages contradict. B gathers the facts first.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, I found out Gia makes more than me and we did the exact same work so 1 this is discrimination. I know it’s because of who I am. I want the same rate as her starting now or I’m going to post about it everywhere so people know how this company treats workers. 2 I have her pay stub as proof. I’ve worked here longer than some people and I always show up on time. Let me know by tomorrow. Jordy

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

I noticed a difference in rates, and I would like to understand the criteria.

Rewrite phrase 2

My statement shows $16.50 an hour. Another worker on my shift was paid a higher rate.

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Lesson 11PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Jordy has just seen Gia’s rate. What should Jordy do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because employers can pay what they want. Listen for: “It’s their company, they decide.” Then: Ask what the key idea says. Employers set rates, but federal laws limit the reasons.

Support

Read the options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Students may share their own pay or a boss’s treatment.

Cool-down: Return to Jordy: “What does Jordy know for sure?” No one needs to describe their own job.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi Dana, I have a question about my pay rate for the Saturday event. I worked setup and closing, from 3 to 11 p.m., and ran the caption and audio check. My statement shows $16.50 an hour. I understand another worker on the same shift was paid a higher rate. Could you explain how rates are set for event crew, including what the shift-lead role involves and how someone qualifies? If there are criteria I haven’t met, I’d like to know what they are. I’d appreciate a reply this week. Thanks, Jordy

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 60 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Would pay transparency make workplaces fairer?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: EEOC page, one article on pay-range laws, one employer perspective and NPR’s reporting on the U.S. women’s soccer equal-pay case.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each stimulus source for its claim, its evidence and its perspective.
Fill in the perspective map: worker, employer and historical.
Write your research question and a one-sentence thesis in the planner.
Outline your argument, including the strongest counterargument.
Draft your introduction and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
Write the full argument of 1,200 to 1,500 words in the online workspace or on paper.
Check your argument with the questions on the Check your work page.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Research question

Would pay transparency make workplaces fairer for hourly workers like Jordy?

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Your task, continued

Worker perspective

Clear criteria let workers like Jordy check whether a gap reflects duties or bias.

Employer perspective

Publishing rates costs time and can limit flexibility in setting pay.

Historical perspective

The soccer dispute shows that what is compared, contract structure or rates of pay, can decide whether pay looks fair.

Thesis

Pay transparency makes workplaces fairer when it publishes criteria along with rates, because workers need to know what is compared.

Notes

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Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Introduction, about 100 words

In a case, an event worker named Jordy finds a $1.50 difference in pay for the same Saturday event. The only clue is a title on the schedule: “shift lead.” Questions like Jordy’s lead many people to ask whether pay transparency would make workplaces fairer. The EEOC explains that federal laws limit the reasons employers can use to set pay. The NLRB says most private-sector workers may discuss pay with coworkers. This argument claims that transparency makes workplaces fairer only when employers publish the criteria behind each rate.

One body paragraph, about 100 words

The U.S. women’s soccer dispute shows why criteria matter. In May 2020, a federal judge dismissed the players’ equal-pay claim, pointing to differences in how the two teams’ contracts were structured. The players appealed, arguing that he had not looked at rates of pay. In February 2022, the two sides reached a $24 million settlement that included a promise of equal pay rates. A settlement is an agreement, not a court finding. The dispute turned on what to compare, so publishing pay alone would not have settled it.

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Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Is your research question clear and focused?
YesNo
Do you represent the worker, employer and historical perspectives fairly?
YesNo
Do you keep the 2020 ruling, the players’ argument and the 2022 settlement separate?
YesNo
Do you label Jordy’s case as and the soccer case as real?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on assumption.	Mentions the gap only.	Cites duties, hours and rate.	Cites records and acknowledges what isn’t known.
Reasoning	Declares discrimination.	Assumes the reason.	Asks for criteria before concluding.	Identifies possible legitimate factors to test.
Audience & purpose	Threatens or exposes coworkers.	Polite but vague.	Specific question to the right person.	Specific question that protects coworkers’ privacy.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Replaces conclusion with a question.	Explains how changes protect Jordy and get an answer.

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Lesson 11Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 13 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Students answer the four questions.

Say this

“Read your message as Dana. Could you answer it in one reply?” — Partners swap and underline the question.

Watch for

Misconception: Students revise tone only. Listen for: “I made it nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask them to replace a conclusion with a question.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Cites duties, hours and rate.

Reasoning: Asks for criteria before concluding.

Audience & purpose: Specific question to the right person.

Revision: Replaces conclusion with a question.

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added “in a case” before Jordy’s story, because my argument mixes an invented example with real reporting.

Notes

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Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 10 minutes.

1 What information could explain the $1.50 difference, and what might challenge that explanation?

Lead duties or more experience could be a legitimate factor, and a mistake is possible too. The explanation weakens if shift lead has no written duties, or if other crew earn more without the title.

2 Whose choice is it to make Jordy’s pay public, and why?

It is Jordy’s choice, because the NLRB says most private-sector workers may discuss their own pay. Gia agreed to share her rate with Jordy, not to have her statement posted.

3 What answer from Dana would satisfy Jordy, and what answer would not?

An answer that names specific criteria and applies them to both roles. An answer that cites “experience” with no detail, or refuses to explain, leaves Jordy’s question open.

4 In the soccer case, the judge looked at contract structures, and the players wanted him to compare rates of pay. Why does that choice matter?

The comparison shapes the answer. Contract structure and totals can make pay look fair while rates differ. The settlement did not decide which comparison was right.

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Lesson 11Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a guess about the company.” — Hear one answer per question, then ask who disagrees.

Stretch

Draft the pay-policy page the company could share: each role, its duties, its rate and how to qualify.

Going further: Read the EEOC page on pay discrimination. Which law could apply to Jordy’s question? Which facts would you need before saying the law was broken?

Going further: What might make it hard for a worker like Jordy to ask about pay? Write one sentence that names Jordy’s concern without claiming more than Jordy knows.

Going further: Draw a timeline of the evidence, from the posted schedule to Jordy’s question for Dana. Mark each open question on it. Then compare it with your message: which one makes the open questions easier to follow?

Going further: When you start a job, ask for your pay rate and how it is set, in writing. Keep your own record of hours and duties. If something seems off, talk with a trusted adult or a school counselor.

Find your state labor department’s page on pay equity

Research the EEOC’s filing deadlines and how they vary by state

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?AP Seminar student edition

My take

My claim: ___.

Jordy should ask Dana for the criteria behind both rates and keep Gia’s statement out of it.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The schedule, because it shows a title difference but no duties, so the title may or may not explain the gap.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Asking first delays a formal complaint, and deadlines apply to formal complaints.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

We have one statement and one schedule. We don’t know the other crew members’ rates or any pay policy.

I would change my mind if ___.

Dana could not name any criteria, or a written policy showed shift lead pays the same as crew.

Notes

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Talk about this case at home

Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?

In this case, two friends who worked the same event find out one is paid $1.50 more an hour. Your student compared their records and wrote a respectful message asking a supervisor how pay rates are set.

Questions to talk about

What questions could someone ask about pay when starting a new job?
Why might a person want to keep their pay private?
What makes a question to a boss sound respectful?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 12Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

Content note

The news sources include 2026 student walkouts against federal immigration enforcement, which grew after federal agents fatally shot two people in Minneapolis. Preview them, and keep discussion on the legal questions in Anika’s case.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read about Anika, a high school junior whose poster asks students to wear blue Thursday to keep the library open at lunch. They compare her poster, a posting policy and a group chat about a walkout with a summary of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). They then compare the fact patterns and write two questions for a school contact about the posting policy.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

track sources and judge their credibility

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a question about where schools should draw the line on student expression

Objectives, continued

research one lens accurately: U.S. law, school climate, adolescent development or another country

synthesize the team’s lenses into a model expression policy

treat walkouts separately from quiet expression

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Tinker and Mahanoy summaries

Educator-approved outside sources

A lens assignment sheet, a source tracker and a policy-drafting template

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Where should schools draw the line on student expression?” Members research one lens each (U.S. law, education research on school climate, adolescent development, one other country’s approach) and present a model expression policy.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 226): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Pacing, continued

Key terms (pages 227 and 228): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 232): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 233): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 234 and 235): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Sort the evidence (page 236): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 237): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 238 and 239): 90 min. Short on time: 90 min.

Your draft (page 240): 150 min. Short on time: 150 min.

Check your work (pages 241 and 242): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 243 and 244): 15 min. Short on time: 13 min. Use questions 1 and 2 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 245): at home.

Periods: full chapter 322 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Plan 12

Lesson 12Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 12 plan, continued

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Legal, developmental and international lenses are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents a model policy.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor

PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to the public

Heat map

Opener (page 226): Medium

Key terms (pages 227 and 228): Low

Look at the evidence (page 232): Low

Look at the evidence (page 233): Low

Key idea (pages 234 and 235): Medium

Sort the evidence (page 236): Low

Practice (page 237): Medium

Your task (pages 238 and 239): Medium

Check your work (pages 241 and 242): Low

Try it at your school

Read your school’s expression policy before you print.

Find your student handbook’s section on posting, dress or expression

Write down which spaces allow student posters and whether approval is needed

Try it at your school, continued

Make student-made materials clearly student-made, with no school logo

Bring questions to student council or an advisor before planning an action

Who to ask: Student council advisor, a civics or government teacher, an assistant principal

Safety: Don’t pressure classmates to join a protest or skip class. Talk with a trusted adult before any action that could lead to discipline.

Sources

U.S. Courts, “Facts and Case Summary: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed

U.S. Courts, “Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines,” No date listed

Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969),” 1969

Plan 12b

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

Anika’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and now someone in her group chat suggests a walkout.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline each plan: the poster, wearing blue and the walkout. About 5 minutes.

Anika records a voice memo while Mateo listens beside a phone on a small tripod.

Your role: You’re the one who compares Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.” New skill: Apply a precedent by comparing fact patterns.

What happened

Anika is a junior at a public high school. She wants the school library to stay open at lunch. On Tuesday afternoon, she prints a poster that says “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.”

Mateo did the photo and layout. He put a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. The poster does not name Anika or any student group. The student handbook says posters need approval from the main office and the name of the student or group responsible.

On Wednesday night, someone in the group chat suggests a walkout if the school takes the poster down. The message says a 1969 Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, means the school “can’t touch us.” Anika never suggested a walkout.

Your question: How far does Tinker cover the poster, the wear-blue plan and the walkout, and what facts are missing?

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Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.

En español: precedente

In this case: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) guides Anika’s case only as far as the facts match: quiet expression at a public school.

Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.

En español: conjunto de hechos

In this case: Anika lists each plan’s action, place, timing and rule: the poster on a school board, wearing blue on Thursday and leaving class.

Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.

En español: alteración sustancial

In this case: Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. Leaving class is conduct under the attendance rule, which Tinker does not settle.

Who is involved

Anika

Made the poster

“My poster says keep the library open at lunch, and wear blue Thursday. Now the chat says we walk out. I never said walk out.”

Mateo

Did the photo and layout

“I put the school sign across the top because it looked good. Now it reads like the school is announcing it. It isn’t.”

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Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, can the school do anything about the poster or the walkout?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the school can remove the poster, because it breaks the posting rule.

Notes

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Reading passage

Reasoning from precedent

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Precedent: A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.
Fact pattern: A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.
Substantial disruption: Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Framing: Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

The story: Three actions, one slogan

Anika is a junior at a public high school who helps with theater sets and likes solving a problem herself before anyone jumps in. The problem she wants solved now is small and concrete. She wants the school library open at lunch. On Tuesday at 3:15 p.m., she prints a poster: “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” Mateo designed it and, for visual impact, put a photo of the school’s sign and logo across the top. The poster names no student or group.

On Wednesday at 9:02 p.m., the group chat escalates. Someone writes, “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.” Another person asks whether the plan is to wear blue and walk out. Anika answers that she never asked anyone to leave class.

Then both friends look at their own part. Anika checks page 14 of the handbook. Students may post on the boards outside the cafeteria and the library if the main office approves and the material shows the responsible student’s or group’s name. Her poster has no name, and she says that part is on her. Mateo realizes his photo changed the poster’s apparent author. With the school’s sign on top, it reads like an official announcement. Before reprinting, he plans to get office approval, add Anika’s name or her group’s and leave off the logo.

Your role is to compare Tinker with each action before anyone says “can’t touch us.”

Stop and think. Why does a precedent’s reach depend on how closely the facts match?

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From precedent to fact pattern

A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. The chat’s precedent is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). Public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. They were suspended, and the Supreme Court ruled for them. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. The Court held that a mere fear of disruption was not enough.

Precedent works by analogy, so its reach depends on how closely a new situation matches. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. The skill here extends Lesson 11, where you compared two jobs on the same terms. Build a fact pattern for each action and set it beside Tinker’s. The wear-blue plan is silent, symbolic and done while attending class, which closely tracks the armbands. The walkout involves leaving class, so a separate attendance rule governs the conduct regardless of the message. The poster raises a question Tinker does not reach. With the school’s logo and no student name, it may look like school speech, and schools have more control over speech that appears to come from the school.

Lesson 1’s vocabulary sharpens the analysis. “Tinker says they can’t touch us” is a claim that stretches a narrow holding into a blanket immunity. The logo is framing, choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward, and it brings the institution forward as the speaker. Mateo’s redesign corrects the frame.

Stop and think. Build a fact pattern for the walkout. Which fact moves it furthest from Tinker?

Courts, classrooms and current events

The Tinker majority wrote that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate” (Legal Information Institute, 1969). The federal judiciary’s own teaching materials pair that holding with a walkout scenario, separating the message from the act of leaving class and noting the usual attendance consequences (U.S. Courts, no date listed).

The Court revisited student expression in Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L., the case of a cheerleader’s off-campus Snapchat post. The 8 to 1 decision protected the student but said schools may still regulate some off-campus speech, such as threats (Supreme Court of the United States, June 23, 2021). Analysts noted how one changed fact pattern changed the answer (EdSurge, June 23, 2021).

Recent walkouts show the attendance question in practice. In early 2026, students in Indiana and other states walked out to protest federal immigration enforcement. Some Indianapolis-area schools treated it as an unexcused absence, and one high school issued one-day suspensions (Chalkbeat Indiana, February 11, 2026). An Indiana public media guide separated speech rights, attendance rules and discipline in the same way this case does (WFYI, February 1, 2026).

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Courts, classrooms and current events, continued

Designers carry a related duty. The AIGA standards ask designers to “represent messages in a clear manner” and to avoid “false, misleading and deceptive promotion” (AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, no date listed). Mateo’s logo was not a lie, but it misled about the speaker.

Stop and think. Mateo’s logo did not state anything false. Why can it still mislead?

Sources

Real sourceLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School1969

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969)

Real sourceU.S. CourtsNo date listed

Fictional Scenario: Tinker v. Des Moines

Real sourceSupreme Court of the United StatesJune 23, 2021

Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L. (opinion)

Real sourceEdSurgeJune 23, 2021

In a Win for Student Speech, Supreme Court Rules in Favor of the ‘Snapchat Cheerleader’

Real sourceChalkbeat IndianaFebruary 11, 2026

How schools in Marion County responded to anti-ICE student protests

Real sourceWFYI Indianapolis Public MediaFebruary 1, 2026

A guide to your rights at Indiana protests, in the streets, and at school

Real sourceAIGA, the professional association for designNo date listed

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice

Notes

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Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APoster

Anika’s poster, first version

Printed Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. The poster reads “KEEP OUR LIBRARY OPEN AT LUNCH. Wear blue Thursday.” A photo of the school’s sign and logo runs across the top. No student name or group appears anywhere on the poster.

Look closely: Cover the logo photo with your hand. Who seems to be speaking now?

What it shows

A student message framed by the school’s own sign and logo, with no byline.

What it leaves out

Whether the office approved it, and whether anyone at school has objected.

Evidence BHandbook policy

Student handbook, page 14

Students may post materials on the student bulletin boards outside the cafeteria and the library. Materials must be approved by the main office and must show the name of the student or group responsible.

Look closely: Underline the two requirements for every poster.

What it shows

A rule about place and approval: two boards, office approval, a named sponsor.

What it leaves out

The penalty for breaking it, and what the attendance policy says about walkouts.

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Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“The handbook names two requirements for every poster. Which one is missing from Anika’s poster?” — Wait for “the name of the student or group responsible.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students say the handbook bans the poster’s message. Listen for: “The school can’t allow a poster about the library.” Then: Point to Evidence B. The rule covers where posters go, approval and a name. It says nothing about topics.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the chat messages aloud and name who is speaking in each.

Cognates: precedent (precedente), constitutional (constitucional), expression (expresión), protest (protesta), suspension (suspensión), decision (decisión), logo (logotipo), conduct (conducta).

Stretch

Ask what the walkout message assumes about Tinker, and which document would test that assumption.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CGroup chat

The walkout message

Wednesday, 9:02 p.m.

First message: “If they take the poster down we walk out Thursday. Tinker says they can’t touch us.

Reply: “Wait, wear blue AND walk out??

Look closely: Which part is a message, and which part is leaving class?

What it shows

A claim that Tinker bars any response, and a reply that mixes two plans.

What it leaves out

The attendance policy, and whether the school has done anything to the poster.

What is still missing from the evidence?

The attendance policy on leaving class is missing. So is whether the office approved the first version, whether the school has objected and what process comes before discipline.

Notes

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Lesson 12Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“The handbook names two requirements for every poster. Which one is missing from Anika’s poster?” — Wait for “the name of the student or group responsible.”

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the chat messages aloud and name who is speaking in each.

Cognates: precedent (precedente), constitutional (constitucional), expression (expresión), protest (protesta), suspension (suspensión), decision (decisión), logo (logotipo), conduct (conducta).

Stretch

Ask what the walkout message assumes about Tinker, and which document would test that assumption.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: precedent

On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases. In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), public-school students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them, and the Supreme Court ruled for the students. The Court wrote that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” It also said a mere fear of disruption was not enough to limit their expression.

A precedent guides a new case only as far as the facts match. Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities. Wearing blue on Thursday is quiet, like the armbands. A walkout is different, because students leave class. The school’s attendance rule covers that conduct, and Tinker does not settle it.

The poster raises another question. It shows the school’s sign and logo but no student name, so it may look like the school is speaking. Schools have more control over speech that looks like it comes from the school. A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to. Write a fact pattern for each action before you decide whether Tinker fits it.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 2.1 Advisor

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: in representing a client, a lawyer must use independent professional judgment and give candid advice. A lawyer may refer to moral, economic, social and political factors as well as the law.

In plain words: Lawyers must give their clients honest, independent advice, even when the client would rather hear something else.

Question: The chat says “Tinker says they can't touch us.” What would candid advice say about the walkout and attendance policy?

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Lesson 12Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Say this

“Tinker protected quiet armbands. Which of the three plans looks most like that?” — Wait for the wear-blue plan.

“Rule 2.1 asks lawyers for candid advice. What would candid advice tell the group chat?” — Accept “Tinker doesn’t cover leaving class.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students read “schoolhouse gate” as meaning schools can never limit speech. Listen for: “Students can say anything at school.” Then: Read the next idea aloud: a school may limit speech that would substantially disrupt school.

Support

Read the two In the news cards aloud. Both are about Mahanoy, a 2021 case about a student’s off-campus post.

Stretch

Use the PRSA card: who would a reader think is behind the first poster?

Heat check

Medium. The In the news cards cover a cheerleader punished for an off-campus Snapchat post. Students may bring up their own posts.

Cool-down: Keep to what the Court decided. Nobody needs to describe their own posts or discipline.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Candid advice would say ___, even though ___.

Candid advice would say Tinker protects quiet expression, not leaving class, even though the chat wants to hear that the school “can’t touch us.”

In the news

Real sourcePBS NewsHourApril 28, 2021

Student free speech makes it to the Supreme Court in former high school cheerleader's case

Explains the Snapchat case the Court used to ask when a school can punish off-campus student speech.

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (Associated Press)June 23, 2021

Supreme Court rules in favor of cheerleader who published critical social media post in First Amendment case

The 8-1 ruling protected the student but said schools may still act on some off-campus speech, like threats.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownLink each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges. Then name one missing view. About 8 minutes.

Test the slogan against the facts. Which evidence supports each claim, which challenges it, and which fact would you still need?

Evidence	Claim 1Tinker means nobody can face consequences for walking out.	Claim 2The wear-blue plan closely matches Tinker’s facts.	Claim 3The poster should carry a student byline instead of the school logo.
1 Tinker’s facts: silent armbands, no substantial disruption, a public school	Narrows	Supports	Neither
2 A walkout means leaving class, which falls under the attendance rule	Challenges	Neither	Neither
3 The logo photo makes the poster look like school-sponsored speech	Neither	Neither	Supports

Still open

What does the attendance policy say, and what process follows?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The person who suggested the walkout is missing. I would ask what a walkout adds to the poster, and whether they read the attendance policy.

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Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the best reply to the group chat and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

Someone in Anika’s group chat says, “Tinker means nobody can get in trouble for walking out of class.” How should you respond?

A Agree, because Tinker protected students who protested at school.
B Disagree, because schools can make any rule they want about student speech.
C Say that the message and leaving class are separate questions, then check the attendance rule.

Why I chose it

C. A and B each turn Tinker into a slogan. C treats the message and the walkout as separate fact patterns and names the rule that governs the second one.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

No, the school can’t take it down because of Tinker v. Des Moines. In that case 1 the Supreme Court said students have free speech at school. The poster is just saying the library should stay open at lunch which is not hurting anybody. We even used a nice photo of the school sign so it looks professional. The principal would be breaking the law if he took it down. This is America and students have rights. Everyone should wear blue Thursday and 2 walk out if they try.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Tinker protects speech unless it substantially disrupts school or invades others’ rights.

Rewrite phrase 2

Wear blue Thursday. A walkout is a separate question under the attendance rule.

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Lesson 12PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Someone says Tinker means nobody gets in trouble. What do you reply?” — Vote first, then discuss.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick B: schools set the rules. Listen for: “Schools can do whatever they want.” Then: Point to the schoolhouse-gate sentence.

Support

Read the options aloud.

Heat check

Medium. Talk may turn to real protests at school.

Cool-down: Ask which fact in Anika’s case decides it. Keep real students’ names out.

Answer key

A revised version: Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) says public-school students keep free-speech rights at school, unless their expression would substantially disrupt school or invade others’ rights. Anika’s message, keep the library open at lunch, and the plan to wear blue Thursday are quiet and look a lot like the armbands in Tinker. But two facts matter. The poster uses a school-logo photo, so it may look like an official announcement, which schools can regulate more. And walking out of class is conduct under an attendance rule, a different question. I’d remove the logo and ask the office which posting policy applies.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 90 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Where should schools draw the line on student expression?” Members research one lens each (U.S. law, education research on school climate, adolescent development, one other country’s approach) and present a model expression policy.

Use: Tinker and Mahanoy summaries plus educator-approved outside sources.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one lens with your team: U.S. law, school climate, adolescent development or another country.
Log each source in the tracker with its author, date and credibility.
Write your lens’s answer to the team question in two sentences.
Draft your report’s findings and limits on the Your draft page.
Write the full report of 800 to 1,000 words on your own.
Draft the model policy with your team. Treat walkouts separately from quiet expression.
Present the policy as a team in 8 minutes.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team question

Where should schools draw the line on student expression?

My lens

U.S. law

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Lesson 12Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 90 min.

Short on time: 90 min.

Say this

“Each lens answers the same question differently. What does yours add that the others cannot?” — Have each student say it in one sentence before research starts.

Watch for

Misconception: Teams write a policy that treats every protest the same. Listen for: “Protests are allowed, period.” Then: Ask where the policy handles leaving class. It needs its own line.

Support

Lens assignment sheet

Source tracker

Policy-drafting template

Source tracker columns: author, date, lens, claim, credibility.

Stretch

The model policy must address walkouts separately from quiet expression.

Heat check

Medium. Research on recent walkouts can turn to immigration enforcement and the two deaths.

Cool-down: Keep sources to how schools responded. Students do not share views on immigration or personal ties.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

My lens’s answer, two sentences

U.S. law protects quiet student expression unless it would substantially disrupt school. Schools have more control over school-sponsored speech.

One line for the model policy

Students may wear symbols of a cause; leaving class is handled under the attendance policy.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Findings from my lens, about 130 words

Under U.S. law, the starting point for public schools is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). Students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War were suspended, and the Supreme Court ruled for them. The Court said a mere fear of disruption was not enough to limit their expression. Schools have more control over speech that looks like it comes from the school. In Mahanoy (2021), the Court ruled 8–1 for a student’s off-campus post. It noted that schools may still act on some off-campus speech, such as threats. For our policy, the law suggests three lines: protect quiet expression, require student bylines on posters and treat leaving class as an attendance question.

Limits of my lens, about 40 words

My lens describes what public schools may do, not what they should do. It cannot tell us how a rule affects school climate. The other lenses on our team answer those questions.

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research question focused?
YesNo
Is your lens researched accurately, with credible sources?
YesNo
Does the model policy draw on every lens?
YesNo
Does the policy treat walkouts separately from quiet expression?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No case facts.	Names Tinker without its rule.	States Tinker’s facts and substantial-disruption test.	Adds a second precedent or the walkout exercise accurately.
Reasoning	Treats a slogan as the answer.	Applies Tinker to everything.	Compares facts and separates speech from conduct.	Varies facts to show where the precedent stops fitting.
Audience & purpose	Tells others to break rules.	Argues for one side only.	Recommends a clear next question for the school.	Balances effective expression with respect for process.
Revision	No change.	Softens tone only.	Adds the rule’s limit and removes a legal conclusion.	Explains how each edit makes the argument more precise.

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Lesson 12Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Find the sentence where you separate the message from leaving class.” — If it is missing, that is the revision.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone and call it revision. Listen for: “I made it sound nicer.” Then: Point to the Revision row: add the rule’s limit or remove a legal conclusion.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: States Tinker’s facts and substantial-disruption test.

Reasoning: Compares facts and separates speech from conduct.

Audience & purpose: Recommends a clear next question for the school.

Revision: Adds the rule’s limit and removes a legal conclusion.

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added “for public schools” to my findings, because Tinker does not bind private schools the same way.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 15 minutes.

1 Which changed fact would make Tinker a weaker comparison for the wear-blue plan?

A private school, since Tinker limits public schools. Or evidence of a substantial disruption, since Tinker’s protection depends on its absence.

2 Why might it matter whether a poster looks like it comes from the school?

Speech that looks school-sponsored gives the school more control (Hazelwood, 1988), so the logo could weaken Tinker’s protection. It also misleads readers about who made it.

3 If the poster had Anika’s name and no school logo, what would change?

The poster would read as Anika’s own expression, closer to Tinker than to school-sponsored speech. It would still need office approval, and the walkout question would not change.

My take

My claim: ___.

Tinker fits the wear-blue plan, the poster needs a byline, and the walkout is a separate conduct question.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

Tinker’s rule, because it protects expression unless it would substantially disrupt school.

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Lesson 12Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 13 min. Use questions 1 and 2 only.

Say this

“Change one fact at a time. Say which fact you changed before you answer.” — Hear one answer per question.

Stretch

Rewrite the walkout message so it says only what the chat knows for sure.

Going further: Read the U.S. Courts summary of Tinker. List two facts from Tinker and two facts from Anika’s situation. Which difference matters most, and why?

Going further: Write two headlines about the same walkout, one using the words “a protest” and one using “leaving class” instead. What does each headline make readers think the dispute is about?

Going further: Write a short dialogue in which Anika explains to a friend why Tinker fits the wear-blue plan better than the walkout. Ask a reader to explain the difference back to you.

Going further: Find the section of your student handbook on posting, dress or expression. Write down which spaces allow student posters and whether you need approval. Bring questions to a student council advisor before you plan any action.

Read about Bethel v. Fraser (1986) and Morse v. Frederick (2007) and add them to the comparison

Find your district’s student expression or posting policy and compare it with Tinker

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The logo makes the poster school speech, so the school can remove it.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

We don’t know the attendance policy or whether the school has objected to the poster yet.

I would change my mind if ___.

The school removed the wear-blue poster because of its message, not the posting rule.

Notes

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Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?

In this case, a student’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and someone in a group chat suggests a walkout. Your student compared a 1969 Supreme Court case with each plan and wrote a short analysis.

Questions to talk about

What rules do schools often have about posters or flyers?
Why might a school treat wearing a color differently from leaving class?
How can a reader tell who made a poster?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 13Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

Overview

Students read a story in which Dec’s box of replacement parts arrives half full of packaging. The crew’s “recyclable” cups turn out to be on the city’s not-accepted list. They place items from the supply list on EPA’s waste hierarchy and check them against the city’s accepted-materials list. They then fill in an event materials sheet and propose one change with a way to measure it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a source for its argument and perspective

compare environmental, economic and equity perspectives

write an argument with a clear line of reasoning

Objectives

Students will be able to:

frame a focused argument on charging households by the amount of trash

compare environmental, economic and equity perspectives from the stimulus packet

address effects on lower-income households

synthesize the sources into an original argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The stimulus packet: the EPA hierarchy, a pay-as-you-throw study, an equity critique and one city’s program description

A perspective map and an argument outline

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Should cities charge by how much trash households produce?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 246): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 247 and 248): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Look at the evidence (page 252): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 253): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 254 and 255): 12 min. Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Sort the evidence (pages 256 and 257): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Practice (page 258): 5 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (pages 259 and 260): 60 min. Short on time: 60 min.

Your draft (page 261): 150 min. Short on time: 150 min.

Check your work (pages 262 and 263): 15 min. Short on time: 13 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Students answer the four questions.

Questions to discuss (pages 264 and 265): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Talk about this case at home (page 266): at home.

Periods: full chapter 282 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze studies of waste pricing.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Environmental, economic and equity perspectives are compared.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students build an original argument.

Plan 13

Lesson 13Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 13 plan, continued

Standards, continued

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to society and the environment

IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators: “I do not guarantee results”

Heat map

Opener (page 246): Low

Key terms (pages 247 and 248): Low

Heat map, continued

Look at the evidence (page 252): Low

Look at the evidence (page 253): Low

Key idea (pages 254 and 255): Medium

Sort the evidence (pages 256 and 257): Low

Practice (page 258): Medium

Your task (pages 259 and 260): Low

Check your work (pages 262 and 263): Low

Try it at your school

Change one thing before the next event.

Pick one repeated item at a school event: cups, flyers, plates

Count how many were used last time

Check your city’s recycling list and propose one reduction or reuse option

Count again after the event and share results with the organizers

Who to ask: Student council, custodial or facilities staff, a science teacher, your city’s sanitation or recycling office

Safety: Don’t sort through trash with your hands; unsafe items can be hidden. Make sure changes don’t leave out people who need disposable items.

Sources

NPR, “Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020,” July 9, 2018

NPR, “Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible,” July 11, 2018

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy,” No date listed

Plan 13b

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

The last Common Room screening used about 120 cups the city won’t recycle, and a box of parts arrived half full of packaging.

On your ownRead What happened. Underline the number of cups and what the city list says about them. About 5 minutes.

Anika, Dec and Sami react to a round of their tabletop game.

Your role: You’re the one who counts the cups before and after the change. New skill: Count a starting point before you claim a change works.

What happened

It is Tuesday in the theater shop. Dec opens a box of replacement parts. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. About half of the box is plastic air pillows and foam.

The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows a second problem. The crew used about 120 single-use cups. The cups are plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” But the city’s recycling list does not take plastic-lined paper cups.

Dec wants to fix how they order parts before anyone redoes the recycling sign. Anika tracks the parts and the budget. She agrees with Dec, but she wants numbers before anyone says a change saves money. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so any plan has to work for them too.

Your question: What could the crew change before the next screening, and how would they know it worked?

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example. Then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.

En español: reducción en la fuente

In this case: Dec wants to combine the parts orders so less packaging arrives in the first place.

Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.

En español: reutilización

In this case: Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is reuse. Washing uses water and someone’s time.

Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.

En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad

In this case: The cups say “recyclable,” but the crew’s city does not accept plastic-lined paper cups.

Who is involved

Dec

Opened the parts order

“Three orders of tiny connectors in one week. One big box, and half of it’s packaging.”

Anika

Tracks the parts and the budget

“I’m in. But if anyone says it saves money, I want the numbers. Right now we have one box and a guess.”

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Lesson 13Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Source reduction happens before the waste exists. Which item in the story could the crew stop buying?” — Listen for the packaging and the cups.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat reuse and recycling as the same. Listen for: “Reusing is recycling.” Then: Reuse means using the same item again, like a washable cup. Recycling depends on what the city list accepts.

Support

Use picture cards: a washable cup, a paper cup and a recycling bin.

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what is the best way for the crew to cut waste?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is to switch to compostable cups, because they sound better than plastic-lined ones.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

A claim as small as the evidence

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Source reduction: Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.
Reuse: Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.
Local acceptance: Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

The story: Following waste upstream

Dec is a high school senior who drums, builds sets and is considering an electrical apprenticeship. He tends to follow a problem into the small places where it starts. On Tuesday, that place is the theater shop. Three orders of LED connectors and switches, placed separately over one week, have arrived together in one box. About half the box is plastic air pillows and foam.

Anika, a junior who tracks the crew’s parts and budget, brings the second data point. The supply list from last Friday’s screening at the Common Room shows about 120 single-use cups, plastic-lined paper and labeled “recyclable.” The same list includes 80 paper plates, 150 printed flyers and 40 paper straws given out on request. The crew’s first instinct might be a better recycling sign. Dec wants to start earlier, at the order form. Order parts together rather than each time one breaks, and ask the supplier about packaging.

Anika agrees and sets a standard. Nobody gets to say a change saves money without numbers, and right now the evidence is one box and a guess. She also sets a boundary. Some people need a disposable cup or a straw, so a plan that works only for most people does not work.

Your role is to count the cups before and after the change.

Stop and think. Why is a claim about one counted screening more trustworthy than a claim about “saving money”?

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Hierarchy, labels and baselines

Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Both sit upstream of the bin. Dec’s combined orders are source reduction, and borrowing the bookshop’s washable cups is reuse.

The cup label raises a verification problem that Lesson 9 prepared you for. There, you learned to check the official source for your own area rather than a general claim. Here, the official source is the city’s recycling list. It accepts metal cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers and flattened cardboard. It excludes plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam and items labeled compostable. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city’s recycling or compost program actually takes. By that standard, the crew’s “recyclable” cups are trash, and a switch to compostable cups would be too.

The new skill is counting a starting point before claiming a change works. The baseline is about 120 cups from one screening. The intervention is washable cups at the next one. The measurement includes cups used and left over, plus the costs reuse adds, water and someone’s washing time. Lesson 4 supplies the frame for presenting the result. The plan is a proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet, and every option is a trade-off, a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Anika’s rule keeps the eventual claim honest. Whatever the crew reports should be as small as one counted screening.

Stop and think. How does the Green Guides standard apply to the crew’s cups?

Evidence from agencies, reporters and schools

The EPA’s materials management hierarchy ranks source reduction and reuse first, followed by recycling and composting, energy recovery, and treatment and disposal. It also notes that no single approach suits every material or situation (EPA, updated December 19, 2025). For food, the EPA’s Wasted Food Scale likewise ranks prevention above composting or recycling (EPA, updated September 16, 2026). An NPR investigation reported that less than 10 percent of plastic has ever been recycled (NPR, September 11, 2020).

Labels are regulated for a reason. The FTC’s Green Guides say a product or package “should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program” (16 CFR Part 260, 2012).

Access belongs in the same analysis. When Starbucks announced its straw phase-out in 2018, it said a sippable lid could mean a billion fewer straws a year (NPR, July 9, 2018). Two days later, NPR reported that some people with disabilities need flexible plastic straws and that advocates saw little awareness of the exemption in Seattle’s ban (NPR, July 11, 2018). Schools offer models that measure first.

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Evidence from agencies, reporters and schools, continued

New Jersey schools have used waste audits, share tables and reusable trays to cut waste before it reaches the bin (New Jersey School Boards Association, October 15, 2025). Each of those programs starts the way Anika does, by counting what is thrown away now.

Stop and think. How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)December 19, 2025

Sustainable Materials Management: Non-Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Hierarchy

Real sourceU.S. Environmental Protection AgencySeptember 16, 2026

Wasted Food Scale

Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020

How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled

Real sourceFederal Trade Commission (FTC)2012

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260)

Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018

Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020

Real sourceNPRJuly 11, 2018

Why People With Disabilities Want Bans On Plastic Straws To Be More Flexible

Real sourceNew Jersey School Boards AssociationOctober 15, 2025

How New Jersey Schools Are Tackling Food Waste—One Tray at a Time

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document. For each one, fill in both boxes. About 8 minutes.

Evidence ASupply list

Screening supply list, last Friday

Single-use cups (plastic-lined paper, labeled “recyclable”): about 120. Paper plates: 80. Printed flyers: 150. Paper straws, on request: 40. Folding chairs: borrowed from the bookshop.

Look closely: Which item did the crew use the most? Could it be reused?

What it shows

A baseline: about 120 cups, 80 plates, 150 flyers, 40 straws; chairs were borrowed.

What it leaves out

Where each item ended up, and what each item cost.

Evidence BDelivery

The parts order

Delivered Tuesday to the theater shop. Three separate orders of small LED connectors and switches, placed over one week, arrived together. They came in one full box, about half of it plastic air pillows and foam around tiny parts.

Look closely: How many orders came in this one box? Why does that matter?

What it shows

Waste made upstream: three orders in a week, one box, about half air pillows and foam.

What it leaves out

Whether the supplier would ship less packaging for a combined order.

252

Lesson 13Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Put the supply list next to the city list. Which item appears on both?” — Wait for the plastic-lined paper cups.

Watch for

Misconception: Students say the cup label is a lie. Listen for: “The label is fake.” Then: Ask what the city list tells us: this city does not accept them. Other places are not in the evidence.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the city list aloud, pausing after “Not accepted.”

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Stretch

Ask which document shows waste made before the event and which shows what happens after it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CSanitation guide

City recycling list

Accepted in recycling: metal cans, glass bottles and jars, rigid plastic bottles and containers, flattened cardboard. Not accepted: plastic-lined paper cups, plastic bags and film, foam, items labeled compostable.

Look closely: Find the plastic-lined paper cups. Which list are they on?

What it shows

Local acceptance beats the label: the “recyclable” cups are on the not-accepted list.

What it leaves out

Where rejected items go, and whether a neighboring city accepts them.

What is still missing from the evidence?

The evidence leaves out how many cups reuse would replace and what washing costs in water and volunteer time. It also leaves out where the city’s trash goes after pickup.

Notes

253

Lesson 13Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Put the supply list next to the city list. Which item appears on both?” — Wait for the plastic-lined paper cups.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the city list aloud, pausing after “Not accepted.”

Cognates: reduction (reducción), recycle (reciclar), plastic (plástico), material (material), accessible (accesible), alternative (alternativa), container (contenedor), quantity (cantidad).

Stretch

Ask which document shows waste made before the event and which shows what happens after it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: source reduction

On your ownRead the key idea and the Professional standards card. Then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks ways to handle waste. Source reduction and reuse come first. Recycling and composting come next, then energy recovery, then treatment and disposal. The EPA also notes that no single approach fits every item or situation.

Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use. Borrowing washable cups from the bookshop is one example. Reuse has costs too. Washing takes water and someone’s time, so a fair comparison counts those costs along with the cups.

A “recyclable” label does not tell you where an item will go. Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes. The crew’s cups say “recyclable,” but their city’s list does not take plastic-lined paper cups. The list does not take items labeled compostable either. So the crew has to check the list before choosing any new cup.

Professional standards

Real sourceLaw or regulationFederal Trade Commission (FTC)

FTC Green Guides (16 CFR Part 260): § 260.12 Recyclable claims

“A product or package should not be marketed as recyclable unless it can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the waste stream through an established recycling program”

In plain words: FTC guidance says a company should call a product recyclable only when recycling programs can collect and process it.

Question: The crew's city rejects plastic-lined paper cups. What else must you know before saying the “recyclable” label breaks the guide?

Your answer

I would need to know ___, because the guide ___.

I would need to know whether established programs collect these cups and who put the label on them, because the guide is written for marketers.

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Lesson 13Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Skip the code of ethics.

Say this

“The EPA ranks source reduction and reuse first. Where on that list is Dec trying to act?” — Wait for “source reduction.”

“This card is FTC guidance, not an ethics code. Who does it apply to?” — Marketers who call a product recyclable.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the EPA ranking as a rule for every item. Listen for: “Reuse is always better.” Then: Reread the key idea: no single approach fits every item. Washing has costs too.

Support

Draw the ranking as a staircase, with source reduction and reuse on the top step.

Stretch

Use the AIGA card: what could the next parts order change before anything reaches the shop?

Heat check

Medium. The straw story raises disability access, and students may describe their own needs or others’.

Cool-down: Keep the talk to the NPR report. No one needs to say what they or anyone they know needs.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRJuly 9, 2018

Starbucks To Eliminate Plastic Straws In Its Stores By 2020

A throwback to a company cutting waste at the counter, before anything reached a bin.

Real sourceNPRSeptember 11, 2020

How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled

Investigation finding less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled, which is why reduction comes first.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each choice to its consequences in the diagram. Then name one view that is missing. About 8 minutes.

Follow each choice to its consequences, including new costs. Which consequence would you measure first, and what would count as success?

Keep buying “recyclable” single-use cups

About 120 cups go to the trash because the city does not accept them
Who is affected
The city collection service and the neighborhoods near where waste ends up

Borrow washable cups and run a wash station

Fewer cups in the trash, if people use the washable ones
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time
New costs: water, washing time and volunteers
Who is affected
Check: Count cups and bags after the next event and compare with last time

Combine parts orders into one shipment

Less packaging arrives before anything reaches a bin
Who is affected

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Guests who need disposable cups or straws are missing. I would ask them privately what works, because a plan that forgets them can fail.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the plan the crew should try and explain why. Then fix the two marked lines. About 5 minutes.

The last screening used about 120 single-use cups, and the city’s recycling list does not take that type. Which plan should the crew try for the next screening?

A Compare a washable-cup option, washing time, cost, access and the city list, then test one change.
B Buy a different cup labeled “recyclable” and put up a clearer recycling sign.
C Stop offering disposable cups and straws, and ask everyone to bring their own.

Why I chose it

A. B trusts a label the city list already contradicts, and C turns one goal into a rule that ignores access. A weighs those limits before testing one change.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We should make the screening zero waste. Everyone should bring their own cup and we’ll 1 ban all plastic. We can also put up posters that say “save the planet” so people remember to recycle. Recycling is the best thing you can do for the environment. This will be easy and 2 it will save money too. Last screening there were cups everywhere and the bins were overflowing by the end of the night. People will love it once they get used to it. Let’s start next week!

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

We will test washable cups and keep single-use cups and flexible straws on request.

Rewrite phrase 2

We will compare cup counts and washing costs after the event before we claim any savings.

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Lesson 13PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“You are planning the next screening. Which plan would you try first?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because a ban cuts the most waste. Listen for: “Just ban them all.” Then: Ask who at the screening might need a disposable cup or a straw. Point to the straw story.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Medium. Talk about bans can turn to who “really” needs a straw.

Cool-down: Say: “Nobody has to prove a need.” Keep the focus on how the plan offers items on request.

Answer key

A revised version: For the next screening, we propose one change: cups. Last time we used about 120 single-use cups, and our city’s recycling list doesn’t accept that type. We’ll borrow 60 washable cups from the bookshop, keep 40 compostable cups for anyone who needs one, and ask Rafa and Jordy to run a quick wash station. Flexible straws and single-use cups stay available on request. We’ll count cups used and leftover supplies after the event and compare with last time before deciding whether to keep the change. We’re not claiming it saves money yet.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps. Fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 60 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Should cities charge by how much trash households produce?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: EPA hierarchy, one pay-as-you-throw study, one equity critique and one city’s program description.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each stimulus source for its claim, evidence and perspective.
Fill in the perspective map: environmental, economic and equity.
Write your research question and a one-sentence thesis in the planner.
Outline your argument, including the equity objection.
Draft your introduction and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
Write the full argument of 1,200 to 1,500 words in the online workspace or on paper.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Research question

Should cities charge households by how much trash they produce?

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Lesson 13Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 60 min.

Short on time: 60 min.

Say this

“Your packet has three perspectives. Which one would a city council hear least?” — Push students to name the equity critique before they outline.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the case’s cups as evidence about city fees. Listen for: “The crew proves fees work.” Then: The crew is and paid no fee. Use the case to frame the question and the stimulus to answer it.

Support

Stimulus annotation

Perspective map

Argument outline

Perspective map columns: perspective, source, claim, evidence, who is affected.

Stretch

Address effects on low-income households.

Heat check

Low.

Standards

AP Seminar: Understand and Analyze; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.1; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Environmental perspective

Charging by volume can push households to cut waste before it reaches the curb.

Economic perspective

A fee makes the cost of collection visible to each household.

Equity perspective

Fees can fall hardest on households with the least room to change.

Thesis

Cities should charge by volume only with protections for lower-income households, because an efficient fee can still be unfair.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes. Use your planner from the page before. About 150 minutes.

Introduction, about 100 words

Cities spend public money collecting and managing waste, and the costs of landfills and pollution do not land evenly on every neighborhood. One proposed answer is to charge each household by how much trash it throws out. Supporters argue that a visible fee pushes people to reduce waste before it reaches the curb. Critics argue that the fee falls hardest on households with the least room to change. This argument claims that cities should charge by volume only when the program protects lower-income households.

One body paragraph, about 90 words

The equity objection is the strongest challenge to volume-based fees. Larger or lower-income households may produce more trash and have less money to absorb a new charge. A fee that cuts total waste could still shift costs onto those households. There is also a measurement problem. Less trash at the curb could mean less waste, or it could mean trash moved elsewhere through illegal dumping. A city that adopts the fee should track both outcomes, so it can tell reduced waste from displaced waste.

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions and mark your level in each rubric row. Then write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Is your research question clear and focused?
YesNo
Do you represent environmental, economic and equity perspectives fairly?
YesNo
Do you address effects on lower-income households?
YesNo
Does your argument go beyond summarizing the sources?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No data.	General claims about recycling.	Uses quantities and local rules.	Uses quantities, local rules and a before/after plan.
Reasoning	Treats one fix as solving everything.	Ignores trade-offs.	Applies the hierarchy and names a trade-off.	Weighs trade-offs including access and cost with a measurement boundary.
Audience & purpose	Commands people.	Relies on slogans.	Specific change organizers can do.	Specific, inclusive change with roles assigned.
Revision	No change.	Wording only.	Narrows to a measurable change.	Explains how narrowing makes success testable.

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Lesson 13Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 13 min. Skip the rubric self-score. Students answer the four questions.

Say this

“Find the sentence that says what you will count. Is there a number in it?” — If not, that is the revision.

Watch for

Misconception: Proposals still promise savings. Listen for: “It will definitely save money.” Then: Ask what the crew has counted so far. Replace the promise with the count.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses quantities and local rules.

Reasoning: Applies the hierarchy and names a trade-off.

Audience & purpose: Specific change organizers can do.

Revision: Narrows to a measurable change.

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added a sentence on illegal dumping, because less trash at the curb does not prove less waste.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question. Then complete each sentence frame below the questions. About 10 minutes.

1 Could a change that reduces waste create an access problem for someone, and how would you find out?

Yes. The straw stories show that a waste rule can leave out people with disabilities, and that an exemption helps only if people know about it. The crew could offer items on request and say so.

2 How does “add more bins” define the problem differently from “order less packaging”?

More bins assume the waste is unavoidable and needs better sorting, but the city would still reject the cups. Less packaging places the problem at the order form, where source reduction happens.

3 What would the crew need to count before saying a change saves money?

A before-and-after count of cups, the cost of borrowing and washing, and a stated boundary. Without a boundary, a savings claim can hide costs nobody counted.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should try one reuse change, keep disposables on request and report only what it counted.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The city list, because it shows a label cannot tell you what the local program accepts.

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Lesson 13Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Use a number or a document in every answer.” — Hear one answer per question, then ask for a different view.

Stretch

Design the count sheet for the next screening: items, numbers before and after, and new costs.

Going further: Compare two plans for the theater shop: order all the parts at once, or keep ordering when a part breaks. What problem does each plan solve? What new problem could each one create?

Going further: List who would have to change a routine if the crew switched to washable cups. Write a two-sentence note to them. Say what the crew will count to show whether the change worked.

Going further: Write two event plans for the next screening and a small test for each. After the tests, explain which plan you would improve and which you would drop.

Going further: Pick one item that appears at many school events, such as cups, flyers or plates. Count how many were used last time, and check your city’s recycling list. Do not sort through trash with your hands.

Find your city’s recycling rules and compare with a neighboring city

Research where your area’s trash goes after pickup

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Combining parts orders would cut more waste than changing cups.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

We have one supply list and one box. We don’t know washing costs or where the city’s trash goes.

I would change my mind if ___.

A count showed that washable cups added more cost than the cups they replaced.

Notes

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Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?

In this case, a group of friends learns that the cups from their movie night can’t be recycled in their city. Your student planned one change to cut waste before the next event and a way to count whether it worked.

Questions to talk about

How could someone find out what their city or town recycles?
What is one item people often throw away after a party or event?
Why might a rule to cut waste need an exception for some people?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 14Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which Caio’s film recap uses a sampled track and a six-second TikTok clip. Mateo wants to post it tonight with a credit in the caption. They separate attribution, permission and fair use, then apply the U.S. Copyright Office’s four fair-use factors to the crew’s planned use. They then complete a rights log and propose a licensed or original alternative.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

evaluate a source’s credibility

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research one lens on copyright and young creators

represent artists’ and remixers’ perspectives fairly

synthesize U.S.-specific guidance for student filmmakers

state the limits of that guidance without promising legal outcomes

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Educator-approved sources for each lens

The lens assignments and bibliography planner on the task page

Presentation tools your school allows

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “Does copyright help or hurt young creators?” Members research artists’ income, remix culture, platform licensing and legal doctrine, then present guidance for student filmmakers.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 267): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 268 and 269): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Look at the evidence (page 273): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Look at the evidence (page 274): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key idea (pages 275 and 276): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Sort the evidence (page 277): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Practice (pages 278 and 279): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 280 and 281): 110 min. Short on time: 110 min.

Your draft (page 282): 110 min. Short on time: 110 min.

Check your work (pages 283 and 284): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 285 and 286): 15 min. Short on time: 10 min. Discuss question 3 only; it leads into the presentation.

Talk about this case at home (page 287): at home.

Periods: full chapter 313 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Artist, remixer, platform and legal views are compared.

Plan 14

Lesson 14Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 14 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents guidance.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Independence and transparency

PRSA Code of Ethics: Competition

Heat map

Opener (page 267): Low

Key terms (pages 268 and 269): Low

Look at the evidence (page 273): Low

Look at the evidence (page 274): Low

Key idea (pages 275 and 276): Low

Sort the evidence (page 277): Low

Practice (pages 278 and 279): Low

Check your work (pages 283 and 284): Low

Try it at your school

Start a rights log for your next project.

List every outside clip, image, sound and quote before you edit

Record the source and the license or permission for each

Use your school’s licensed media or openly licensed libraries when you can

Ask your media teacher or librarian about uses you’re unsure of

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, a media or film teacher, a college library’s copyright help page

Safety: Don’t share other people’s creative work as your own. If you get a takedown notice, talk with a trusted adult before responding.

Sources

NPR, “TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift,” February 1, 2024

U.S. Copyright Office, “Fair Use Index,” No date listed

Plan 14b

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

Mateo wants to post the crew’s film tonight and credit the song’s artist, but Caio wants to check the license first.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two pieces of the film that the crew did not make. About 5 minutes.

Caio, Mateo and Rafa laugh as they look at photos on a small digital camera.

Your role: You’re the one who fills in the rights log before the film goes up. New skill: Check permission, not just credit.

What happened

It is Friday night, and Caio, 24, is editing the crew’s festival film. The film is a short recap made from crew footage and interviews. At 9:40 p.m., he saves a rough cut. For 20 seconds, a released song plays under the setup montage. Caio pitched the song up slightly, and the song sets the mood for the whole scene.

The cut borrows one more piece. From 1:40 to 1:46, it shows a six-second clip downloaded from a TikTok post. That post used Stitch, TikTok’s remix tool. The crew did not make the song or the clip.

At 10:02 p.m., Mateo texts the crew chat: “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” He wants the film online tonight. Caio asks what the credit gets them, and Mateo does not have an answer. Caio wants to check the license before they post.

Your question: Does a credit give the crew permission to use the song, and what should they do before they post?

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.

En español: atribución

In this case: Mateo’s plan, “We’ll credit them in the caption,” would name the artist. It answers who made the song, not whether the crew may use it.

License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.

En español: licencia

In this case: The rights log says “permission unknown” for both borrowed pieces. A license from each owner would fill in that column.

Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.

En español: uso justo

In this case: The crew would weigh the four factors for 20 seconds of a released song used as background mood. No number of seconds settles it.

Who is involved

Caio

Editing the crew’s festival film

“Twenty seconds of that song carries the whole montage. That’s exactly why I can’t just borrow it and hope.”

Mateo

Wanted the film online tonight

“I really texted ‘we’ll credit them, post tonight?’ Then Caio asked what the credit gets us. I didn’t have an answer.”

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Lesson 14Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will check it against the evidence later.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students hear “fair use” as any use that seems fair. Listen for: “It’s fair because they aren’t making money.” Then: Point to “judged case by case on four factors.” Everyday fairness does not decide it.

Support

Draw three boxes: credit, permission, fair use. Students add one detail from the case to each box.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, do you think a credit in the caption lets the crew use the song?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that it depends on the license, because naming an artist does not show that the owner agreed.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Four factors and a rights log

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Attribution: Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.
License: A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.
Fair use: Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.
Disclosure: A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

The story: Post tonight, or check first?

At 9:40 on a Friday night, Caio, 24, saves a rough cut of the crew’s festival film. The recap mixes crew footage and interviews, and one choice makes it work. From 0:18 to 0:38, a released song, pitched up slightly, plays under the setup montage. A second borrowed element sits later in the timeline. From 1:40 to 1:46, the cut includes six seconds downloaded from a TikTok post that used Stitch, the app’s remix tool. Neither piece belongs to the crew.

Mateo, who likes turning “we should” into a plan, wants the film online that night. At 10:02 p.m., he proposes a solution that feels responsible: credit the artists in the caption and post. Caio’s answer is a single question. What does the credit get them? Mateo admits he does not know.

By the next day, Mateo has worked out why his instinct was wrong. He remembers when Universal Music Group’s deal with TikTok ran out and videos went silent. Nobody had forgotten to credit Taylor Swift. He also rethinks the clip. He had figured Stitch covered it, but Stitch is for TikTok, and this is a festival film.

Your role is to fill in the rights log before the film goes up.

Stop and think. Mateo’s first plan felt responsible. What did it get right, and what did it miss?

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Separating attribution, license and fair use

Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms. The two answer different questions, “Who made this?” and “Did the owner say yes to this use?” A caption credit supplies the first and not the second. Lesson 8’s disclosure, a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know, is a useful comparison. Like attribution, disclosure makes a post more honest. Neither one grants rights.

The rights log applies the Lesson 1 skill of tracing material to its source. For each element, it records who made it, where it came from, the permission or license and the date. Both current rows read “permission unknown.” The log also shows what the crew does not yet know, including what the TikTok creator agreed to when posting.

Without a license, the remaining path is fair use, a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The factors are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market. The analysis resembles Lesson 12’s reasoning from precedent: you set the facts of your use against a standard and weigh each factor, rather than looking for a single rule. For the song, the purpose is setting a mood in a recap, the original is a released creative recording, the amount is 20 seconds and the effect on the market is uncertain. Caio’s pitch change does not transform the purpose. No duration is automatically safe, and a short excerpt can weigh heavily if it is the most recognizable part.

Caio’s backup plans take the question off the table: a library track with clear terms, or a drum loop that Dec records and the crew owns. The film goes up Sunday instead of Friday.

Stop and think. Apply the four fair-use factors to the six-second TikTok clip. Which factor is hardest to judge?

Licensing, courts and professional norms

The UMG and TikTok dispute showed how platform licenses work. When the deal expired in February 2024, videos using UMG artists’ songs went silent (NPR, February 1, 2024). Researchers later studied what the roughly three-month blackout meant for creators, artists and the platform (Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, March 5, 2025).

The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in the Warhol case shows how the purpose factor works. The Court ruled against the Andy Warhol Foundation, finding that Warhol’s version of a photograph was not fair use when it served the same purpose as the original (NPR, May 18, 2023). The Copyright Office publishes a one-page summary of the facts and holding (U.S. Copyright Office, 2023). Its Fair Use Index stresses that fair use is decided case by case and that a use for education is not automatically fair (U.S. Copyright Office, updated July 2026).

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Licensing, courts and professional norms, continued

News organizations treat the issue as an ethical one too. The RTDNA code states, “Using someone else’s work without attribution or permission is plagiarism” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015).

Stop and think. Why might a platform’s license for a clip not follow the clip to a festival screening?

Sources

Real sourceNPRFebruary 1, 2024

TikTok removes music from UMG artists, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift

Real sourceHarvard Business School Working KnowledgeMarch 5, 2025

What Happened When TikTok Songs Went Silent for Three Months

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023

Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case

Real sourceU.S. Copyright Office2023

Andy Warhol Found. for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith (Fair Use Index summary)

Real sourceU.S. Copyright OfficeJuly 2026

Fair Use Index

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015

RTDNA Code of Ethics

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 10 minutes.

Evidence AEdit timeline

Caio’s rough cut, Friday, 9:40 p.m.

0:00–0:18 crew footage, no music. 0:18–0:38 sampled track, pitched up slightly, under the setup montage. 0:38–1:52 crew footage and interviews. 1:40–1:46 a 6-second clip downloaded from a stitched TikTok post.

Look closely: Which two parts of the cut did the crew not make?

What it shows

Two borrowed pieces: 20 seconds of a pitched-up song and a stitched TikTok clip.

What it leaves out

The owners, any license terms and which part of the song the 20 seconds use.

Evidence BGroup-chat message

Mateo’s message, Friday, 10:02 p.m.

We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?

Look closely: Which question does the caption answer? Which question does it skip?

What it shows

Mateo treats a caption credit as enough to post the film tonight.

What it leaves out

Any sign that the song’s owner gave permission for this use.

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Lesson 14Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on each row of the rights log. Which column says “unknown”?” — Wait for “permission or license” in both rows.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the pitch change makes the song the crew’s own. Listen for: “They changed it, so it’s theirs now.” Then: Ask what the change added. The song is still recognizable, and nobody gave permission.

Support

Reduce the work to one element, the song, for students who need it.

Read the timeline aloud and list each borrowed piece on the board.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Stretch

Ask why Stitch permission inside TikTok may not cover the same clip in a festival film.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CRights log

Rights log, started Saturday morning

Columns: element, who made it, where it came from, permission or license and date. Row 1: setup-montage music, the recording artist, a streaming download, permission unknown. Row 2: 6-second clip, a TikTok creator, downloaded from TikTok, permission unknown.

Look closely: Which column says “unknown” in both rows?

What it shows

A record of each borrowed piece, its maker and where the crew got it.

What it leaves out

Any license, and what the TikTok creator agreed to when posting.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether the track has any license that covers this use, which part of the song the 20 seconds come from, where the film will be shown, and what the TikTok creator agreed to when the clip was posted.

Notes

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Lesson 14Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Put your finger on each row of the rights log. Which column says “unknown”?” — Wait for “permission or license” in both rows.

Watch for

Support

Reduce the work to one element, the song, for students who need it.

Read the timeline aloud and list each borrowed piece on the board.

Cognates: attribution (atribución), license (licencia), permission (permiso), credit (crédito), music (música), original (original), factor (factor), purpose (propósito), market (mercado).

Stretch

Ask why Stitch permission inside TikTok may not cover the same clip in a festival film.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: fair use

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

Credit and permission answer different questions. Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video. It answers the question “Who made this?” A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms. It answers another question: “Did the owner say yes to this use?” Mateo’s caption would give attribution. It would not give the crew a license.

Without a license, the crew could ask whether the use is fair use. Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors. The U.S. Copyright Office names the four factors. They are the purpose of the use, the nature of the original work, the amount used and the effect on the original’s market. No number of seconds is automatically safe. Even a short part can count against fair use if it is the most recognizable part of the song.

Platform tools come with their own limits. Stitch lets people remix another person’s video inside TikTok. That permission does not automatically cover a downloaded clip in a film shown somewhere else. Using music the crew records, or a track with a clear license, can avoid the fair-use question. Caio’s two backup plans follow this idea: a library track with clear terms, or a drum loop that Dec records.

Professional standards

Real sourceAIGA, the professional association for design

AIGA Standards of Professional Practice: The designer’s responsibility to other designers

“A professional designer shall not accept instructions from a client that involve infringement of another person’s property rights without permission”

In plain words: Designers who belong to AIGA agree not to use other people's creative work without permission, even when a client asks.

Question: The rights log says “permission unknown” for the track and the TikTok clip. What does Caio need for each row?

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Lesson 14Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Credit answers one question and a license answers another. Which question does each answer?” — Accept “who made it” and “did the owner say yes.”

“The AIGA code says not to use someone’s work without permission. What would Caio need?” — Wait for “a license for each row.”

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the AIGA code as a law. Listen for: “The crew could get arrested for breaking it.” Then: Say: “A code of ethics is a standard a profession sets for its members. AIGA’s code binds its members, not the crew.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out the label: it is a real source, quoted word for word.

Stretch

Compare the RTDNA line, which calls using work without attribution or permission plagiarism. Why does it name both?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Caio needs ___, because ___.

Caio needs a license or permission from each owner, with its terms and date, because a credit line fills neither column.

In the news

Real sourceCrashCourse (YouTube)May 7, 2015

Explains why giving credit is not the same as permission, and how fair use is weighed.

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2023

Supreme Court sides against Andy Warhol Foundation in copyright infringement case

Even a famous artist’s new version wasn’t fair use when it served the same purpose as the original.

Notes

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Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports, challenges or narrows. About 10 minutes.

Test the crew’s two assumptions against the sources. Which evidence knocks each one down, and what single check could still make the plan work?

Evidence	Claim 1Crediting the artist makes the use okay.	Claim 2Twenty seconds is short enough to be fair use.
1 Credit names the creator but grants no permission	Challenges	Neither
2 Copyright Office: no formula makes a set amount safe; the heart of a work matters	Neither	Challenges
3 The sample is background mood, not commentary on the song	Neither	Challenges
4 Stitch permission applies inside TikTok, not to a downloaded clip in another film	Narrows	Neither

Still open

Does any license cover this use? Check before posting.

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The owners of the song and the clip. I would ask each one what their terms allow outside TikTok, such as a festival screening.

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Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the plan you would pick and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.

Caio’s cut uses about 20 seconds of a released song as background mood for the crew’s festival film. Mateo texts, “We’ll credit them in the caption. Post tonight?” Which plan should the crew choose?

A Credit the artist in the caption and post tonight.
B Pause the upload. Check the track’s license, and swap in licensed or original music if the license does not cover this use.
C Cut the song to ten seconds, since short clips are fair use.

Why I chose it

B. A answers only who made the song, and C rests on a myth about seconds. B checks the license and plans licensed or original music if it fails.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We’re good to post! 1 We only used like 20 seconds of the song and we’re putting the artist’s name in the caption so they get credit. Plus it’s not like we’re making money off it, it’s just for our page. 2 Everyone uses songs like this on TikTok anyway so it’s fine. We even changed the pitch a little so it’s basically our own version now, and the whole cut is under two minutes. If they don’t like it they can just ask us to take it down.

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Improve a draft, continued

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

We used 20 seconds for mood, with no commentary. Length alone does not decide fair use.

Rewrite phrase 2

In-app licenses cover in-app sounds, not a downloaded track at a festival.

Notes

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Lesson 14PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

This page continues page 278.

Answer key

A revised version: Plan: we’re pausing the upload tonight. We used about 20 seconds of the song as background mood, which isn’t commentary on the song, and crediting the artist doesn’t give us permission. We’ll try two options. First, Caio will check whether the track has a license that covers this use. If not, we’ll swap in a track from a library with a clear license, or Dec will record a short drum loop we own. We’ll keep a rights log with the source, license and date for every clip and sound, then post by Sunday.

Other notes on the draft:

“putting the artist’s name in the caption” Good practice, but credit isn’t permission.

“it’s not like we’re making money off it” Noncommercial use is one consideration, not an automatic yes.

“they can just ask us to take it down” That puts the risk on the artist. Check first.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 110 minutes.

Team inquiry: “Does copyright help or hurt young creators?” Members research artists’ income, remix culture, platform licensing and legal doctrine, then present guidance for student filmmakers.

Use: Case plus educator-approved sources.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Choose one lens with your team: artists’ income, remix culture, platform licensing or legal doctrine.
Write a research question for your lens on the task page.
Find and annotate three teacher-approved sources for your lens.
Draft your report’s opening and one guidance point on the Your draft page.
Write your individual report of 800 to 1,000 words in the online workspace.
Plan an 8-minute team presentation that gives guidance for student filmmakers.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My lens

Platform licensing

My research question

How do platform music licenses shape what young creators can post, and what happens when one ends?

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Lesson 14Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 110 min.

Short on time: 110 min.

Say this

“Each lens sees a different part of the question. Which lens would your team miss without you?” — Assign lenses so every team covers all four.

Watch for

Misconception: Teams collect rules but no perspectives. Listen for: “We just have a list of rules.” Then: Ask whose view each source represents: artist, remixer, platform or court.

Support

Lens assignments

Annotated bibliography

Presentation storyboard

Bibliography frame: source, lens, what it shows, what it leaves out.

Stretch

Guidance must be U.S.-specific and must not promise legal outcomes.

Standards

AP Seminar: Question and Explore; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Team, Transform, and Transmit.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.1; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Source 1 and what it adds

NPR, February 1, 2024: when UMG’s TikTok license ended, videos using its artists’ songs went silent.

One limit of our guidance

It covers U.S. law only and cannot promise how any use would be judged.

Notes

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Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 110 minutes.

First draft: your report’s opening

Young creators build on songs, clips and images every day. Many believe that credit or a short clip makes any use fine. My lens is platform licensing. In February 2024, Universal Music Group’s licensing deal with TikTok expired, and videos using its artists’ songs went silent. That event shows that permission inside an app depends on a license the creator does not control. This report asks how platform licenses shape what young creators can post.

First draft: one guidance point for student filmmakers

Guidance point: treat in-app permission as staying in the app. A Stitch that works inside TikTok may not cover the same clip in a film shown elsewhere. Before a festival screening, record each borrowed piece in a rights log with its source and license. If a piece has no license for the new use, replace it with licensed or original material. This guidance is U.S.-specific and does not promise any legal outcome.

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Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research accurate and tied to credible sources?
YesNo
Does your report represent both artists’ and remixers’ perspectives?
YesNo
Does your guidance bring together the team’s lenses?
YesNo
Does it state its limits and avoid promising legal outcomes?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on myths.	Cites credit as permission.	Uses the four factors or license terms.	Uses factors, license terms and platform differences.
Reasoning	Assumes any use is fine.	Applies one factor.	Separates credit, permission and fair use.	Weighs factors honestly and chooses a lower-risk path.
Audience & purpose	Ignores the artist.	Considers only the crew.	Considers the artist and the audience.	Balances creative goals with respect for the original creator.
Revision	No change.	Adds a credit.	Replaces myths with a rights plan.	Explains each step and a realistic alternative.

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Lesson 14Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then make one change and say why.” — Circulate and ask for one myth removed or one source added.

Watch for

Misconception: Students add a credit line and call it a revision. Listen for: “I added the artist’s name.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Adding a credit is level 2; a rights plan is level 3.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Uses the four factors or license terms.

Reasoning: Separates credit, permission and fair use.

Audience & purpose: Considers the artist and the audience.

Revision: Replaces myths with a rights plan.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after team feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added a sentence on why artists license their music, because my first draft showed only the creators’ side.

Notes

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Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 15 minutes.

1 Caio pitched the song up slightly. Does changing a song make it a new work? Why or why not?

Not by itself. The pitch-shifted song stays recognizable and does the same job, setting a mood. The crew adds no commentary on the song.

2 Mateo says the TikTok clip goes in the rights log as “unknown.” What would the crew need to find out to fill in that row?

The creator, the terms the clip was posted under and whether those terms reach a festival screening. If not, they need written permission or a new clip.

3 Suppose a student used the same song in a video for class. What changes if that video becomes a public post?

The audience and the market change. A public post can replace a license the artist might sell, and the platform’s terms start to apply.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should hold the film until each borrowed piece has a license or is replaced.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The rights log, because it records two borrowed pieces and no permission for either.

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My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

A short, noncommercial use for mood could pass the four-factor test.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows the license terms or which part of the song the 20 seconds use.

I would change my mind if ___.

The track’s license turned out to cover festival screenings.

Notes

286

Lesson 14Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

This page continues page 285.

Stretch

Compare Caio’s two backup plans: a library track with clear terms or a drum loop Dec records. What does each need in the rights log?

Going further: Apply the four fair-use factors to the six-second TikTok clip instead of the song. Which factor is hardest to judge, and why?

Going further: Sketch two short storyboards of the setup montage: one with the sampled song and one with licensed or original music. Compare what each version makes viewers feel and what each one needs before it can be posted.

Going further: Choose a sound or clip you have seen reused in several online videos. Trace it back to the earliest post you can find. Write a credit line for it, and note whether that post says anything about permission.

Going further: Before you edit your next video or slideshow, list every outside clip, image, sound and quote. Record the source and the license or permission for each one. Ask your school librarian or media teacher about any use you are unsure of.

Compare Creative Commons license types and what each allows

Research how your school’s media policy handles copyrighted material

Heat check

Question 1: Low.

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?

In this case, a group of friends wants to post a short film that uses 20 seconds of a released song. Your student compared giving credit with getting permission, then planned what the crew should do before posting.

Questions to talk about

What is the difference between giving credit and getting permission?
Why might a short part of a song still need permission?
Where could a student find music they have permission to use?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 15Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

Content note

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a story in which a studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its inbox. The studio says college credit makes it legal. They read the listing, the studio’s reply and Gia’s questions, and they apply the seven factors in the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71. They then write Rafa’s email asking the studio about the learning plan and supervision.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a source for its argument and evidence

compare perspectives on one question

write an argument with a clear line of reasoning

Objectives

Students will be able to:

build an original argument from a stimulus packet

weigh economic, career-services and first-person perspectives

use Rafa’s commute and family-shop hours as a concrete example

Objectives, continued

acknowledge the limits of the argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The stimulus packet: Fact Sheet #71, one labor-economics article, one career-services perspective and one first-person account

The perspective map and argument outline on the task page

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Do unpaid internships widen inequality?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 288): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 289 and 290): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Look at the evidence (page 294): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 295): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 296 and 297): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Pacing, continued

Sort the evidence (page 298): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Practice (page 299): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 300 and 301): 80 min. Short on time: 80 min.

Your draft (page 302): 100 min. Short on time: 100 min.

Check your work (pages 303 and 304): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 305 and 306): 15 min. Short on time: 11 min. Discuss question 2 only; it leads into the argument.

Talk about this case at home (page 307): at home.

Periods: full chapter 262 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze economic and career arguments.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students weigh intern, employer and access perspectives.

Plan 15

Lesson 15Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 15 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students build an original argument.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 4.3 Dealing with Unrepresented Person

Heat map

Opener (page 288): Low

Key terms (pages 289 and 290): Low

Look at the evidence (page 294): Low

Look at the evidence (page 295): Low

Key idea (pages 296 and 297): Low

Sort the evidence (page 298): Low

Practice (page 299): Low

Check your work (pages 303 and 304): Low

Try it at your school

Ask what the work is before you accept it.

Before accepting any internship, ask for duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing

Take the offer to your school counselor or college career center

Check your state labor department’s page on minimum wage and youth work

Compare the offer with your other commitments before deciding

Who to ask: School counselor, college career center, work-permit officer where your state uses them, state labor department

Safety: If you’re under 18, federal and state rules limit hours and certain jobs. Involve a trusted adult before accepting any work arrangement.

Sources

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, via Justia, “Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures,” 2016

U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, “Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” No date listed

Plan 15b

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

A studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its customer inbox and says college credit makes it legal.

On your ownRead What happened and underline what Rafa would do all summer. About 5 minutes.

Nexo, one of the crew’s companions, points to where a meeting and a work shift overlap on a calendar. Rafa’s internship would take time from his shifts at the family shop.

Your role: You’re the one who checks each factor of the test before Rafa says yes. New skill: Apply a legal test factor by factor.

What happened

Rafa, 18, is a first-year college student who commutes to class and helps at his family’s shop. In April, a studio posted a listing on the campus job board for a “Summer Editing Intern.” The internship is unpaid. The listing says the intern will run the customer inbox all summer. Rafa reads it twice, looking for the editing.

On Tuesday at 11:20 a.m., the studio answers Rafa’s message. The email says college credit makes it “totally legal” not to pay him. It also asks him to start right after finals.

At lunch, Rafa talks it over with Gia, who fits café shifts around her classes. Gia asks whether the studio paid someone to run the inbox last year. Rafa says the studio’s assistant ran it. Taking the internship would also cost Rafa paid shifts at the shop. He has not said yes yet.

Your question: Is the internship mainly training for Rafa or unpaid work for the studio, and what should he ask before he decides?

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.

En español: prueba del beneficiario principal

In this case: The studio gets its customer inbox answered all summer. Rafa asks what he would learn and who would train him.

Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo

In this case: If Rafa counts as an employee under this law, the studio must pay him at least the minimum wage.

Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.

En español: créditos académicos

In this case: The studio says credit makes the unpaid role “totally legal.” Credit is one factor out of seven.

Who is involved

Rafa

Offered an unpaid summer internship

“The listing says ‘Summer Editing Intern.’ Then it says I’d run the customer inbox all summer. I read it twice looking for the editing.”

Gia

Talking the offer over with Rafa

“I almost said ‘take it, it’ll look good.’ Easy for me to say. I’m not the one giving up a summer.”

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Lesson 15Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will check it against the evidence later.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the test asks whether Rafa likes the job. Listen for: “He benefits if he enjoys it.” Then: Reread the term. The test asks who mainly benefits: the intern’s learning or the employer’s work.

Support

Give factor cards with an icon and one line each: training, credit, school calendar, length, paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, is Rafa’s offer more like training or more like a job?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is a job, because running an inbox all summer sounds like regular work.

Notes

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Reading passage

Seven factors and a summer

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.

Words to know

Primary beneficiary test: The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.
Fair Labor Standards Act: The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.
Academic credit: Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.
Compensation: Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

The story: Totally legal?

Rafa is 18, a first-year college student who commutes and helps at his family’s shop. In April, a studio lists a “Summer Editing Intern (unpaid)” position on the campus job board. The copy is upbeat: a fast-paced studio, great exposure to the industry, college credit available. The duties are narrower. The intern will run the customer inbox all summer and help with client files. Rafa reads the listing twice, looking for the editing, and does not find it.

When he writes to ask, the studio’s reply on Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. offers a legal conclusion. Since interns get college credit, it says, it is “totally legal” not to pay him. It also asks him to start right after finals.

Rafa does what the crew has learned to do. He checks. On the train, he finds that college credit is one factor among seven. At lunch with Gia, the facts get sharper. Gia asks whether the studio paid someone to do the inbox last year, and Rafa confirms that its assistant did. Gia counts the cost: shifts at the shop, the commute and a summer without pay. She also catches herself. She almost told him to take it because it would look good, and she realizes that is easy to say when she is not the one giving up the summer. When Rafa asks whether she can tell him it is illegal, she says no. She does not know that. She can tell him which questions the studio has not answered yet.

Your role is to check each factor of the test before Rafa says yes.

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Stop and think. Gia says she cannot tell Rafa the internship is illegal. Why is that the more accurate answer?

Reasoning with a multi-factor test

The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. An intern who is an employee must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers. The seven factors include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the academic calendar and the length of the learning period. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor is whether the intern’s work complements paid employees’ work or displaces it.

The new skill is applying a legal test factor by factor. It extends Lesson 12, where you compared fact patterns to a precedent, and Lesson 11, where you compared two situations on the same terms. Gia’s question about last year is a Lesson 11 comparison. The inbox used to be a paid job. That fact bears directly on displacement.

Laid out factor by factor, the evidence is uneven. Displacement: a paid assistant did this work last year. Academic credit: listed as available, but Rafa’s school has not confirmed it. Training and supervision: no information. Calendar and duration: the studio wants him to start after finals and stay all summer, but gives no hours. A careful reader concludes that the studio’s claim is unsupported, not that the internship is illegal. The test is flexible, no single factor decides it and the facts that would decide it are missing. The test also has limits. It applies to for-profit employers, and state rules may differ.

Lesson 11’s term compensation, all the pay and benefits a worker receives, completes the picture. The offer pays nothing and costs Rafa paid shifts. His email will ask for the missing facts in writing, politely: who trains him, what a normal week looks like, the weekly hours and whether this is the assistant’s old job.

Stop and think. Which factor has the strongest evidence, and which has none? What does that imbalance mean?

The courts, the data and the profession

The primary beneficiary test grew out of litigation. Two unpaid interns on the 2010 film Black Swan sued Fox Searchlight. The appeals court opinion lists their tasks, which included answering phones, taking lunch orders, making coffee, photocopying and filing (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2016). In 2015, the court held that the question is who is the primary beneficiary, and that is the test the Labor Department uses now (LAist, July 2, 2015; U.S.

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The courts, the data and the profession, continued

Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #71, updated January 2018).

The stakes are about access as well as law. PBS NewsHour reported that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 (PBS NewsHour, August 26, 2023). NACE survey data show inequity in who gets paid internships (National Association of Colleges and Employers, August 8, 2023). NACE’s own ethics principles ask members to comply with “local, state, and federal” laws (NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, 2025).

Stop and think. If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, via Justia2016

Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures

Real sourceLAist (AirTalk)July 2, 2015

Appeals court reverses ‘Black Swan’ interns’ victory over Fox

Real sourceU.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour DivisionJanuary 2018

Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023

Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers

Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and EmployersAugust 8, 2023

The Class of 2023: Inequity Continues to Underpin Internship Participation and Pay Status

Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)2025

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.

Evidence AJob listing

Studio listing on the campus job board, April

“Summer Editing Intern (unpaid). Join our fast-paced studio! You’ll run the customer inbox all summer, help with client files and get great exposure to the industry. College credit available.”

Look closely: Which words describe learning? Which words describe work?

What it shows

An “editing” title over a duty list led by the inbox, plus credit and “exposure.”

What it leaves out

Training, supervision, hours and what editing, if any, the intern would do.

Evidence BEmail

Studio reply to Rafa, Tuesday, 11:20 a.m.

“Thanks for your interest, Rafa! Since interns get college credit, it’s totally legal for us not to pay. We’d love for you to start right after finals.”

Look closely: Is credit one factor or the whole test? What does the email skip?

What it shows

The studio treats one factor, credit, as if it settles the whole test.

What it leaves out

The other factors, and whether Rafa’s school would grant credit at all.

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Lesson 15Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Underline every task in the listing. Now circle the ones where Rafa learns.” — Pause and ask what that tells them.

Watch for

Misconception: Students call the studio’s email a lie. Listen for: “They’re lying to him.” Then: The email makes a claim. Ask which document could test it. Nobody knows what the studio believes.

Support

Read the listing aloud and offer it on its own half-page.

Reduce the factors to three: training, credit and paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Stretch

Ask which factors the studio’s email addresses and which it skips.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CChat

Gia and Rafa, Tuesday lunch

Gia: Didn’t they pay someone to do the inbox last year?

Rafa: Yeah, their assistant.

Gia: And it’s your summer, not theirs. What about your shifts at the shop?

Look closely: Who ran the customer inbox last year? Was that person paid?

What it shows

The intern would do work a paid assistant did last year: the displacement factor.

What it leaves out

The size of Rafa’s cost: how many paid shop shifts he would lose.

What is still missing from the evidence?

What training and supervision the studio actually provides, how many hours a week the role takes, whether Rafa’s school will grant credit, and how many paid shifts at the family shop Rafa would give up.

Notes

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Lesson 15Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Underline every task in the listing. Now circle the ones where Rafa learns.” — Pause and ask what that tells them.

Watch for

Support

Read the listing aloud and offer it on its own half-page.

Reduce the factors to three: training, credit and paid work.

Cognates: academic (académico), credit (crédito), employee (empleado), supervision (supervisión), beneficiary (beneficiario), factor (factor), minimum (mínimo), experience (experiencia).

Stretch

Ask which factors the studio’s email addresses and which it skips.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: the primary beneficiary test

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

A job title does not show how the work is arranged. The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee. It asks whether the intern or the employer mainly benefits from an unpaid internship. An intern who counts as an employee must be paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

The Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet #71 lists seven factors. They include training, links to coursework or academic credit, the school calendar and how long the learning lasts. Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship. Another factor is whether the intern’s work adds to paid employees’ work or replaces it. The test is flexible, and no single factor decides it.

So the studio’s email does not settle the question. Calling a job an internship does not decide it. Neither does college credit, or an intern agreeing to work for no pay. The test also has limits. It applies to for-profit employers, and state rules may differ. To apply the test, you need facts about the duties, training, supervision and hours.

Professional standards

Real sourceNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice: 4. Comply with laws

“Comply with laws … associated with local, state, and federal entities”

In plain words: Career offices and employer recruiters who belong to NACE agree to follow federal, state and local laws.

Question: The campus job board lists the internship. What should the career office ask the studio about the seven DOL factors?

Your answer

Before posting, the career office should ask ___, because ___.

Before posting, the career office should ask how the role meets each factor, because the listing names credit but no training or supervision.

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Lesson 15Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“The studio says one factor settles the test. What does the key idea say about a single factor?” — Wait for “no single factor decides it.”

“The NACE principle asks career offices to follow the law. What should the office ask the studio?” — List answers on the board.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the NACE principles bind the studio. Listen for: “The studio broke the NACE code.” Then: Say: “NACE’s principles guide its members, career offices and employer recruiters. A code of ethics is not a law.”

Support

Read the code quotation aloud. Point out the label: it is a real source, quoted word for word, with a gap marked “…”.

Stretch

Try the ABA Rule 4.1 question: what does Fact Sheet #71 say about whether one factor, credit, decides the test?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourcePBS NewsHour (YouTube)August 26, 2023

Why unpaid internships still exist despite hardships for young workers

Reports that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022 and who can afford to take those jobs.

Real sourceNPRMay 18, 2013

Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal?

Explains when an unpaid internship can break wage law, using the ‘Black Swan’ intern lawsuit.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownMatch each piece of evidence to the claim it supports or challenges, and mark what is still unknown. About 10 minutes.

Test the studio’s claim against the factor list. Which evidence points toward training, which toward a job, and what is still unknown?

Evidence	Claim 1College credit makes the unpaid internship legal.	Claim 2The role looks more like a job than training.
1 DOL: credit is one of seven factors, and no single factor decides	Challenges	Neither
2 The listing: Rafa runs the customer inbox all summer	Neither	Supports
3 A paid assistant ran the inbox last year	Neither	Supports
4 The role is openly unpaid and offers credit (factors 1 and 3)	Neither	Challenges

Still open

Is there a learning plan, and who supervises?

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Rafa’s school. I would ask whether it would grant credit for this role, since the studio’s whole argument rests on credit.

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Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Rafa should do next and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.

The studio’s unpaid internship has Rafa running its customer inbox all summer, the job a paid assistant did last year. The studio says college credit makes it legal. What should Rafa do next?

A Accept the studio’s answer, since college credit settles the question.
B Ask for the learning plan, supervision, schedule and how the role relates to paid employees’ work.
C Tell the studio that unpaid internships are against the law.

Why I chose it

B. A lets one factor decide a flexible test, and C claims a rule the test does not contain. B asks for the facts each factor needs.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, thanks so much for the offer! I’m really excited about this opportunity and I know it will look great on my résumé. I just wanted to ask 1 if this is legal since it’s unpaid? My friend said unpaid internships aren’t allowed. Also how many hours is it? 2 I can start whenever you need me. I really want to get into editing and this seems like a good way in. Let me know! Thank you again for thinking of me, Rafa

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Is there a written learning plan, and how much of a normal week is the customer inbox?

Rewrite phrase 2

I’ll confirm a start date once I know the hours, the weeks and the supervision.

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Lesson 15PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Rafa has the studio’s email open. What should he do next?” — Hold a vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose to tell the studio the internship is illegal. Listen for: “Unpaid internships are against the law.” Then: Ask where the evidence says that. The test depends on facts, so ask what facts Rafa needs first.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, thank you for the offer. Before I decide, could you help me understand the arrangement? What would a normal week look like, and how much of it is the customer inbox? Who would supervise and give feedback, and is there a written learning plan? How many hours per week, and for how many weeks? Does the role cover work a paid staff member did before? You mentioned college credit; I’m checking with my school about that. I also work at my family’s shop, so I need to know the schedule before committing. Thanks, Rafa

Other notes on the draft:

“I know it will look great on my résumé” Repeats the listing’s pitch. What do you want to learn?

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 80 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Do unpaid internships widen inequality?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: DOL Fact Sheet 71, one labor-economics article, one career-services perspective and one first-person account.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each source in the stimulus packet for its claim and evidence.
Fill in the perspective map: economic, career-services and first-person views.
Write a research question and a thesis in the planner.
Draft your introduction and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
Use Rafa’s commute and shop hours as one concrete example.
Write your full argument of 1,200 to 1,500 words in the online workspace.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

Do unpaid internships widen inequality in who enters a field?

Economic view

NACE (2016): paid interns saw greater offer rates than unpaid classmates.

Career-services view

Ask for duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing before accepting.

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Lesson 15Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 80 min.

Short on time: 80 min.

Say this

“Each source in the packet speaks for someone. Whose voice is each one?” — Students label each source before they annotate it.

Watch for

Misconception: Students summarize sources one by one. Listen for: “Source 1 says, Source 2 says.” Then: Ask where two sources disagree. The argument starts there.

Support

Stimulus annotation

Perspective map

Argument outline

Perspective map frame: source, perspective, claim, evidence, limit.

Stretch

Use Rafa’s commute and family-shop hours as a concrete example.

Standards

AP Seminar: Understand and Analyze; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.2; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

First-person view

Rafa: a commute and family-shop shifts he would give up for no pay.

My thesis

Unpaid internships widen inequality when they replace paid work, because only some students can afford no pay.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 100 minutes.

First draft: your introduction

Rafa, a first-year student who commutes to class and helps at his family’s shop, was offered an unpaid summer internship. The studio said college credit made it legal not to pay him. His choice raises a larger question: do unpaid internships widen inequality? PBS NewsHour reported that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022. When a role is unpaid, only students who can afford a summer without income can say yes. I argue that unpaid internships widen inequality when they replace paid work, because they turn access into a question of money.

First draft: one body paragraph

The career-services perspective offers a practical defense. It tells students to ask for duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing before accepting. That advice protects a student like Rafa from an inbox job labeled as training. It does not solve the deeper problem. Rafa could get honest answers and still be unable to give up his shifts at the shop. NACE reported in 2016 that paid interns saw greater offer rates than their unpaid classmates. If paid roles lead to more offers, students who must decline unpaid roles fall further behind.

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Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Does your argument answer a clear research question?
YesNo
Does it weigh economic, career-services and first-person perspectives?
YesNo
Does it make an original point that goes beyond any one source?
YesNo
Does it acknowledge its limits?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Relies on rumor.	Mentions pay only.	Asks about several factors.	Asks about factors and notes what the credit claim doesn’t settle.
Reasoning	Declares legal or illegal.	Asks for a verdict.	Gathers facts before deciding.	Connects each question to a reason it matters.
Audience & purpose	Gives away leverage or accuses.	Polite but vague.	Specific, respectful questions.	Specific questions plus Rafa’s own constraints.
Revision	No change.	Tone only.	Replaces rumor with factor-based questions.	Explains how each question helps Rafa decide.

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Lesson 15Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then change one question so it asks for a fact.” — Circulate and ask which factor each question connects to.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone but keep the legal question. Listen for: “I made it more polite.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Tone alone is level 2; replace the legal question with factor questions.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Asks about several factors.

Reasoning: Gathers facts before deciding.

Audience & purpose: Specific, respectful questions.

Revision: Replaces rumor with factor-based questions.

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added a limit: the federal test covers for-profit employers, so my argument says less about nonprofits.

Notes

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Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 15 minutes.

1 What would count as evidence that the promised training is happening?

A learning plan tied to coursework, a supervisor’s name and a weekly schedule that shows learning time beside inbox work.

2 Unpaid summers are easier for people who do not need a paycheck. Who might an unpaid internship leave out?

People who need income, work for family or pay to commute. PBS NewsHour reported that nearly half of U.S. interns were unpaid in 2022.

3 If Rafa’s school grants credit, does that settle whether the studio should pay him? Why or why not?

No. The test is flexible, and credit is one factor among seven. The displacement evidence still weighs toward a job, and the training is unknown.

My take

My claim: ___.

Rafa should hold off on a start date until the studio answers questions tied to the factors.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The listing, because its main duty is the inbox a paid assistant ran last year.

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Lesson 15Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 11 min. Discuss question 2 only; it leads into the argument.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, not a story about a job you or your family had.” — Post the question numbers and collect one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare what the offer costs Rafa with what it would cost a student who does not need summer pay.

Going further: Read Fact Sheet #71 from the Department of Labor. For each of the seven factors, mark whether Rafa’s offer points toward training, toward a job or is still unknown.

Going further: Suppose the studio answers, “We’ll give college credit.” What problem does that solve for the studio? What problem does it leave for Rafa?

Going further: Make a two-column worksheet that compares what the listing promises with a normal week of duties. Ask a classmate to fill it in, and see which gaps they find.

Going further: Before you accept any internship, ask for the duties, hours, supervision and pay in writing. Take the offer to your school counselor or college career center. If you are under 18, involve a trusted adult before you agree to any work.

Look up whether your state has its own internship or minimum-wage rules

Compare the for-profit test with guidance for volunteering at nonprofits

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

An unpaid role could still open doors that a paid job would not.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows the training, the hours or whether the school grants credit.

I would change my mind if ___.

The studio shared a learning plan tied to his coursework and a named supervisor.

Notes

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Talk about this case at home

Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

In this case, a college student is offered an unpaid summer internship, and the studio says college credit makes that legal. Your student compared the offer with a federal test and wrote questions to ask before saying yes.

Questions to talk about

What questions would you ask before accepting an unpaid internship?
How can someone tell whether a role is mostly learning or mostly work?
Who can help a student check a job or internship offer?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 16Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

Content note

This case involves disability access and a request for an exception to a building rule. No student should share their own disability, health information or housing situation, so keep the discussion on Sami’s building.

This case explains general rules. It is not legal advice for your situation.

Overview

Students read a short story in which an unsigned notice says a building’s rear door will be locked at 8 p.m. That step-free door is the only one Sami can use. Students compare the notice with last year’s house rules and the entrance plan, and they map how the rule affects different residents. They read HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview as a source of questions, then rewrite the notice or write Sami’s question to the building manager.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a source for its argument and evidence

compare perspectives from different fields

write an argument with a clear line of reasoning

Objectives

Students will be able to:

Objectives, continued

build an original argument from a stimulus packet

weigh economic, legal and health perspectives on housing

use the locked door as a concrete example of how a building rule shapes access

address the limitations of the argument

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

The stimulus packet: the case, HUD’s overview, one economics article on housing markets and one article on housing and health

The perspective map and argument outline on the task page

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Is housing a right, a market good, or both?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 308): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 309 and 310): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Pacing, continued

Look at the evidence (page 314): 8 min. Short on time: 8 min.

Look at the evidence (page 315): 4 min. Short on time: 4 min.

Key idea (pages 316 and 317): 12 min. Short on time: 12 min.

Sort the evidence (page 318): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Practice (pages 319 and 320): 8 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 321 and 322): 80 min. Short on time: 80 min.

Your draft (page 323): 100 min. Short on time: 100 min.

Check your work (pages 324 and 325): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 326 and 327): 15 min. Short on time: 11 min. Discuss question 3 only, with its cool-down ready; it leads into the argument.

Talk about this case at home (page 328): at home.

Periods: full chapter 262 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Plan 16

Lesson 16Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 16 plan, continued

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze arguments about housing.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students weigh economic, legal and health views.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students write an original argument.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators' intent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 308): Medium

Key terms (pages 309 and 310): Low

Look at the evidence (page 314): Low

Look at the evidence (page 315): Low

Key idea (pages 316 and 317): Low

Sort the evidence (page 318): Medium

Practice (pages 319 and 320): Low

Check your work (pages 324 and 325): Low

Try it at your school

Ask who wrote the rule before you argue about it.

When a new rule is posted where you live or at school, write down the date and take a photo

Look for who issued it and what document it changes

Ask a trusted adult to help you ask the building manager or office

Try it at your school, continued

Find your city’s or county’s tenant or housing help page with an adult

Who to ask: A parent or guardian, the building manager, a local tenant or housing help line, a school social worker

Safety: Don’t post neighbors’ names, unit numbers or private situations online. Let adults handle lease disputes.

Sources

Gothamist, “Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan,” November 21, 2019

Legal Services NYC, “Brooklyn tenants file legal opposition to landlord’s application to install facial recognition entry system in building,” May 1, 2019

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), “Fair Housing Act overview,” No date listed

Plan 16b

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

An unsigned notice says the building’s only step-free door locks at 8 p.m., and Sami’s workshop runs later.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the two changes the notice announces. About 5 minutes.

Mari hands a yellow sheet to Sami across a white table while Caio listens. This scene comes from Lesson 4.

Your role: You’re the one who photographs the notice and writes down when and where it was found. New skill: Find who has the authority to make a rule.

What happened

It is Monday morning in Sami’s apartment building. A new notice is posted beside the common-room door. It says the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. every night. It also says the common room is “for resident social use only,” with “NO BUSINESS USE” in capital letters. The notice has no name, no date and no contact.

That rear door matters to Sami, who lives in apartment 3B and uses a manual wheelchair. It is the building’s only step-free entrance. The front entrance has four steps and no ramp. Sami also runs a workshop in the common room, and it goes past 8 p.m.

Caio reads last year’s house rules beside the notice. Those rules let residents reserve the common room for classes and resident-run workshops. The new notice does not say whether it replaces them. Before anyone starts arguing, Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it.

Your question: Who has the authority behind this notice, and what should Sami ask the building manager?

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.

En español: autoridad

In this case: The notice uses bold type and capital letters but names no issuer. Sami has to find out who has the power to make this rule.

Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.

En español: acomodo razonable

In this case: Sami could ask the building for a key fob for the rear door, so she can get in after 8 p.m.

Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.

En español: documentación

In this case: Sami photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it, before anyone argues about what it said.

Who is involved

Sami

Lives in 3B and runs a workshop in the common room

“Rear door locked at 8. That’s the only door I can get through. My workshop runs later. So, questions. Plural.”

Caio

Reading last year’s house rules beside the notice

“All caps, bold, no name, no date. Somebody made it look official. I still don’t know who.”

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Lesson 16Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Write your first guess now. You will test it against three documents.” — First guesses stay private unless a student wants to share.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think a building must grant every accommodation request. Listen for: “She asks, so they have to say yes.” Then: Point to the key idea: whether a building grants an accommodation depends on the facts.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term in their own words.

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, should Sami follow the new notice?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the notice may not be valid, because it has no name, date or contact.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Who wrote the rule?

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 6 minutes.

Words to know

Authority: Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.
Reasonable accommodation: A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.
Documentation: Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.
Barrier: A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

The story: An anonymous notice

Sami, 23, lives in apartment 3B, studies design and uses a manual wheelchair. On Monday morning, she finds a new notice beside her building’s common-room door. It announces two changes “effective immediately.” The rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. nightly, and the common room is for resident social use only, with “NO BUSINESS USE” in capitals. The notice carries no name, no date and no contact.

Each change touches her directly. The building’s entrance plan lists a front entrance with four steps and no ramp, a side door for service use only and a rear door that is step-free and opens to the elevator hallway. After 8 p.m., the notice would lock the only door she can use. It would also cloud the future of the workshop she runs in the common room, which goes past 8.

Sami does not start with outrage. She photographs the notice and writes down when and where she found it, before anybody starts arguing about what it said. Caio, the oldest in the crew, brings last year’s house rules, handed out at lease signing. He reads the notice the way an editor reads copy. All caps, bold, no name, no date. Somebody made it look official, and he still does not know who.

Your role is to help Sami keep a clean record of the notice before anyone starts arguing.

Stop and think. Why does formatting signal authority without proving it?

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Authority, sources and missing definitions

Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. The case separates the look of authority from its substance. Formatting signals power but does not prove it. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, but its force depends on who issued it and what it claims to change.

The new skill is finding who has the authority to make a rule. It draws on three earlier skills. From Lesson 1, you compare the notice with an original document, last year’s house rules, which let residents reserve the room for “gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops” through the building office. From Lesson 7, you ask what stage the rule is at. From Lesson 10, you take the question to the office that can answer it, here the building manager. Lesson 4’s decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, names what Sami is looking for.

Caio’s comparison finds a definitional gap. The old rules explicitly allow resident-run workshops. The new notice bans “business use” without defining it, so nobody can yet say whether Sami’s workshop is affected. The notice also does not say whether it replaces the old rules or adds to them.

Lesson 10’s barrier, something that blocks or limits a person from taking part, describes the locked rear door. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place, such as a key fob for the rear door. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Sami’s photo and note will matter if the facts are disputed later. She keeps her two questions apart: who has the authority, and how she gets in after 8. Neither friend calls the notice illegal, because they do not yet know who wrote it or how the building handles access requests.

Stop and think. How does the undefined phrase “business use” change what Sami can conclude?

The law, the process and a Brooklyn example

A landlord’s policy and the law are different sources of rules. HUD says the Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability, and covers most housing with some exceptions (HUD, no date listed). Guidance can change even when the law does not. In 2025, HUD withdrew several fair housing guidance documents, but the Act itself stayed the same (National Association of Realtors, October 7, 2025). Enforcement continues. In 2026, the Justice Department announced a $750,000 settlement with a property management company in a disability discrimination case (U.S. Department of Justice, April 30, 2026).

Process can give tenants leverage. At Atlantic Plaza Towers in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the landlord applied to install a facial-recognition entry system. Tenants say they learned about it from the state housing agency, not the landlord.

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The law, the process and a Brooklyn example, continued

Because the change needed that agency’s permission, they filed opposition (Legal Services NYC, May 1, 2019), and in November 2019 the landlord withdrew the application (Gothamist, November 21, 2019). That case turned on New York’s rent-stabilization rules, which may not apply to Sami’s building.

The NCA credo describes the posture Sami takes: “We strive to understand and respect other communicators’ intent before evaluating and responding to their messages” (NCA Credo for Ethical Communication, 2024).

Stop and think. Why might the Atlantic Plaza Towers example not apply directly to Sami’s building?

Sources

Real sourceU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)No date listed

Fair Housing Act overview

Real sourceNational Association of Realtors (Washington Report)October 7, 2025

HUD Withdraws Fair Housing Guidance Documents

Real sourceU.S. Department of JusticeApril 30, 2026

Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Case Against Property Management Company for $750,000

Real sourceLegal Services NYCMay 1, 2019

Brooklyn tenants file legal opposition to landlord’s application to install facial recognition entry system in building

Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019

Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan

Real sourceNational Communication Association (NCA)2024

Credo for Ethical Communication

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document, then fill in both boxes under it. About 8 minutes.

Evidence APosted notice

Unsigned notice by the common-room door, found Monday morning

NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS. Effective immediately, the rear door will be locked at 8:00 p.m. nightly. The common room is for resident social use only. NO BUSINESS USE.

Look closely: Which features give the notice an official look? What is missing?

What it shows

Two changes stated as commands: a nightly 8:00 p.m. lock and a ban on business use.

What it leaves out

An issuer, a date, a contact and any definition of “business use.”

Evidence BHouse rules (excerpt)

Last year’s house rules, given out at lease signing

“Residents may reserve the common room for gatherings, classes and resident-run workshops. Reservations are made through the building office.”

Look closely: What did last year’s rules allow in the common room?

What it shows

A written rule, given out at lease signing, that allowed resident-run workshops.

What it leaves out

Whether it still governs the room, or whether the notice claims to replace it.

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Lesson 16Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 8 min.

Short on time: 8 min.

Say this

“Lay the notice beside last year’s rules. What changed, and what does the notice leave out?” — Wait for the missing issuer, date and contact.

Watch for

Misconception: Students decide the notice is fake because it is unsigned. Listen for: “No name means it doesn’t count.” Then: Ask what happens at 8:15 if the door is locked anyway. Unsigned does not mean invalid.

Support

Give the notice and last year’s rules side by side with the changes highlighted.

Read the entrance plan aloud and sketch it on the board.

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask which document would settle the business-use question, and who holds it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CEntrance plan

Building entrance plan from the lobby directory

Front entrance: four steps, no ramp. Rear door: step-free, opens to the elevator hallway. Side door: service use only.

Look closely: Which entrance is step-free? What happens to it after 8 p.m.?

What it shows

The 8:00 p.m. lock falls on the only step-free entrance; the front has four steps.

What it leaves out

How the building handles access requests, and whether another route exists.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Who issued the notice and why, whether it replaces or adds to the house rules, what Sami’s lease says, whether there has been a security problem at the rear door, and how the building handles accommodation requests.

Notes

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Lesson 16Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 4 min.

Short on time: 4 min.

Say this

“Lay the notice beside last year’s rules. What changed, and what does the notice leave out?” — Wait for the missing issuer, date and contact.

Watch for

Support

Give the notice and last year’s rules side by side with the changes highlighted.

Read the entrance plan aloud and sketch it on the board.

Cognates: authority (autoridad), documentation (documentación), reasonable (razonable), resident (residente), access (acceso), discrimination (discriminación), disability (discapacidad), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask which document would settle the business-use question, and who holds it.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: authority

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 12 minutes.

A building rule should name who made it, give a date and list a contact. This notice has none of them. Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision. Bold type and capital letters do not show who has that power. An unsigned notice is not automatically invalid, either. Sami has to find out who issued it and which document it claims to change.

A landlord’s policy and the law are different sources of rules. The Fair Housing Act is a federal law. HUD, the federal housing department, says it bars housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. It covers most housing, with some exceptions. Under the Act, a person with a disability can ask a building for a reasonable accommodation. A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place. For Sami, that could be a key fob for the rear door.

Sami cannot yet say the notice breaks the law. She does not know who wrote it, whether it replaces the house rules or how the building handles access requests. Whether a building grants an accommodation also depends on the facts. Documentation helps her keep those facts straight. Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when. Her photo of the notice, with the date and place she found it, is documentation.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceAmerican Bar Association (ABA), Center for Professional Responsibility

ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct: Rule 3.1 Meritorious Claims and Contentions

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: a lawyer may not bring or defend a proceeding, or argue an issue in it, without a basis in law and fact that is not frivolous. The ABA comment says lawyers must first learn the facts and the applicable law.

In plain words: Before lawyers bring a claim, they must have facts and law that support it.

Question: Before claiming a Fair Housing Act violation, what should Sami learn about the notice’s author and the building’s access process?

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Lesson 16Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 12 min.

Short on time: 12 min.

Say this

“Bold type and capital letters: do they tell you who has authority?” — Accept “no,” then ask what would.

“The ABA rule asks lawyers for facts before a claim. What facts does Sami need first?” — List them on the board.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think ABA Rule 3.1 binds Sami. Listen for: “Sami breaks the rule if she complains.” Then: Say: “Rules like this bind lawyers. Each state adopts its own version, and lawyers can be disciplined. It shows how professionals check facts first.”

Support

Read the summary aloud. Point out the label: it is adapted from a real source, not a quotation.

Stretch

Try the NCA credo’s question: what could Sami ask the building office to learn who wrote the notice and why?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Sami first needs ___, because ___.

Sami first needs the issuer, the rule it changes and the building’s answer to an accommodation request, because a claim needs a basis in fact.

In the news

Real sourceGothamistNovember 21, 2019

Brooklyn Landlord Does An About Face On Facial Recognition Plan

A throwback about a door rule: the landlord needed state permission to change how tenants got in, and tenants used that process to object.

Real sourceHUD (YouTube)January 31, 2014

The Federal Fair Housing Act and Reasonable Accommodations

HUD explains how a person with a disability can ask for an exception to a building rule.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFill in each box of the map: who decides, which rules apply, who is affected and where to ask. About 10 minutes.

Map who made this rule, which rules it has to fit, who it affects and where residents can take a question. Which box is still empty?

Lock the rear door at 8 p.m. and ban business use of the common room

Who decides

Unknown issuer: the owner, the manager or someone else?

Under which rule

Last year’s house rules allowed resident-run workshops

Fair Housing Act: disability is a protected characteristic

Who lives with it

Sami and other residents who need the only step-free entrance

Your way in

A local tenant or housing help line, or HUD for a fair-housing concern

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Other residents who use the common room or the rear door. I would ask how the notice changes their week, without naming anyone.

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Sami should do first and explain why, then fix the two marked lines. About 8 minutes.

The notice says the rear door, the building’s only step-free entrance, locks at 8 p.m. It also bans “business use” of the common room. It has no name, no date and no contact. What should Sami do first?

A Ignore it until someone signs it, since an unsigned notice may not be official.
B Photograph it, compare it with last year’s house rules and ask the manager who issued it and how residents get in after 8.
C Post online that the building is breaking disability law.

Why I chose it

B. A treats a missing signature as proof the rule is fake, and C draws a legal conclusion from partial facts. B documents first and asks the open questions.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, I saw the notice about the common room and rear door. 1 This is illegal and discriminatory against disabled people like me. You can’t just make rules like this without asking. Nobody signed it and nobody told us it was coming, so I don’t even know if it’s real. I’m going to keep using the room for my workshop because the old rules said I could. A lot of neighbors are upset too. 2 Please take the notice down. Sami, 3B

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Improve a draft, continued

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Could you tell me who issued the notice and whether it replaces last year’s house rules?

Rewrite phrase 2

I’m requesting an accommodation, such as a key fob, so I can enter after 8 p.m.

Notes

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Lesson 16PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

This page continues page 319.

Answer key

A revised version: Hi, I’m writing about the notice posted by the common room on Monday. It says the rear door will be locked after 8 p.m. and bans business use of the room. I use a wheelchair, and the rear door is the building’s only step-free entrance, so I need a way to get in after 8. I’d like to request an accommodation, such as a key fob for that door. Could you also tell me who issued the notice and whether it replaces the house rules from last year, which allowed resident workshops? Thank you, Sami, 3B

Other notes on the draft:

“disabled people like me” Sami’s access need is real and relevant. Describe it concretely: the step-free door.

“because the old rules said I could” Useful: quote the older rule so the manager can check it.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 80 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Is housing a right, a market good, or both?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: the case, HUD overview, one economics article on housing markets and one article on housing and health.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each source in the stimulus packet for its claim and evidence.
Fill in the perspective map: economic, legal and health views of housing.
Write a research question and a thesis in the planner.
Draft your introduction and one body paragraph on the Your draft page.
Use the locked rear door as one concrete example.
Write your full argument of 1,200 to 1,500 words in the online workspace.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

My research question

Is housing a right, a market good or both, and who decides access?

Legal view

HUD: the Fair Housing Act bars discrimination in nearly all housing.

Economic view

Owners set rules and prices for the housing they supply.

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Lesson 16Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 80 min.

Short on time: 80 min.

Say this

“Each source in the packet speaks from one field. Which field is each one?” — Students label each source: economics, law or health.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat “right” and “market good” as the only two answers. Listen for: “It has to be one or the other.” Then: Point to “or both” in the question. Ask what a mixed answer would need to explain.

Support

Stimulus annotation guide

Perspective map

Argument outline

Perspective map frame: source, field, claim, evidence, limit.

Stretch

Use the case’s locked door as a concrete example of how a building rule can shape access.

Standards

AP Seminar: Understand and Analyze; Evaluate Multiple Perspectives; Synthesize Ideas.

Common Core: RI.11-12.1; W.11-12.2; W.11-12.5; SL.11-12.1.c; SL.11-12.1.d.

The Case plan sheet gives each code in plain words.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Health view

Stable, safe housing affects health, school and work.

My thesis

Housing is both, but market rules should not decide who can get through the door.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your first draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 100 minutes.

First draft: your introduction

Most people rent or buy housing in a market, but they also need it to live. Stable, safe housing affects health, school and work, which is why governments make rules about it. A single door can show how the two ideas meet. In Sami’s building, an unsigned notice says the only step-free entrance will be locked at 8 p.m. Owners set building rules, and the Fair Housing Act limits those rules for residents with disabilities. I argue that housing is both a market good and a right, and that the right should decide questions of access.

First draft: one body paragraph

The legal perspective shows the right at work. HUD’s overview says housing discrimination is illegal in nearly all housing, including private housing. That likely reaches Sami’s building, though the law has some exceptions. Under the law, Sami can ask for a reasonable accommodation, such as a key fob for the rear door. The market perspective still matters. A building may lock a door for security, and a fob system costs money. The harder question is whether a rule may shut a resident out of her own home.

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Does your argument answer a clear research question?
YesNo
Does it evaluate economic, legal and health perspectives?
YesNo
Does it make an original point that goes beyond any one source?
YesNo
Does it address its limitations?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No specifics from the notice.	Mentions the notice generally.	Quotes the notice and older rule.	Quotes both and names what is still unknown.
Reasoning	Declares a legal violation.	Complains without a clear need.	Connects the rule to a concrete effect.	Separates the communication problem from the legal question.
Audience & purpose	Hostile or vague.	Polite but no request.	Specific request the manager can act on.	Specific request plus questions that clarify authority.
Revision	No change.	Tone edits only.	Replaces the conclusion with a question and request.	Explains how each change makes a yes more likely.

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Lesson 16Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Mark your level in each row. Then change one sentence so the manager can say yes to it.” — Circulate and ask for one request made more specific.

Watch for

Misconception: Students soften the tone and keep the legal conclusion. Listen for: “I said it nicely.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Replace the conclusion with a question and a request.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Quotes the notice and older rule.

Reasoning: Connects the rule to a concrete effect.

Audience & purpose: Specific request the manager can act on.

Revision: Replaces the conclusion with a question and request.

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added the law’s exceptions to my body paragraph, because my first draft said the law covers every building.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete each sentence frame. About 15 minutes.

1 Which missing fact would most change how you see the notice?

The issuer. A notice from the owner carries different weight than one from a neighbor, and knowing the issuer tells Sami where to send her questions.

2 The notice bans “business use” without saying what that means. What would you need to know to decide whether Sami’s workshop counts?

A written definition from whoever issued the notice, the facts of Sami’s workshop and which document governs: the notice or last year’s house rules.

3 A building may want a door locked at night. How could it keep that door secure and still let Sami in?

A fob reader keeps the rear door locked to outsiders and open to residents who need step-free entry. The policy should name whom to contact.

My take

My claim: ___.

Sami should request an accommodation and ask about authority without claiming a violation yet.

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Lesson 16Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 11 min. Discuss question 3 only, with its cool-down ready; it leads into the argument.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence. You do not need to share details about your own home.” — Post the question numbers and collect one answer per question.

Stretch

List every kind of resident the 8 p.m. lock could affect, without names or unit numbers, and one question each would ask.

Going further: Read HUD’s Fair Housing Act overview. Which protected characteristic applies to Sami? List two facts you would need before saying the law was broken.

Going further: The notice affects other residents too. Write a short note from Sami to other residents that explains the change and asks who else it affects. Leave out names, unit numbers and claims you cannot support.

Going further: Rewrite the notice so every resident can tell who issued it, what changed, when it starts and who to ask. Put your version next to the original. Ask a reader which details they would still want to check.

Going further: When a new rule is posted where you live or at school, write down the date and take a photo. Look for who issued it and what document it changes. Ask a trusted adult to help you bring your questions to the building manager or school office.

Research what local tenant organizations exist in your area and what they offer

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The entrance plan, because it shows who bears the cost of the lock.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Security at night protects every resident, including Sami.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows who issued the notice or why.

I would change my mind if ___.

The building showed a signed rule and a working way in for Sami after 8.

Notes

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Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?

In this case, an unsigned notice in an apartment building says the only step-free door will lock at 8 p.m. Your student compared the notice with last year’s building rules and practiced asking who made the new rule.

Questions to talk about

What should a clear building or school notice include?
Whom can people ask when a posted rule is unclear?
Why might someone keep a photo of a notice with the date?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 17Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

Overview

Students read a short story in which the crew has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. They compare three options, first come, a lottery and a needs-based rubric, and apply two ethical lenses from the Markkula Center framework. They then write a note that explains one method to the people affected, names its strongest objection and revises it.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a research question

evaluate a source’s credibility and relevance

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research how real programs use lotteries, need, merit and first-come rules

compare several allocation methods from assigned lenses

synthesize a recommendation for the crew that addresses the people left out

present and defend the recommendation as a team

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Educator-approved sources on allocation methods, including the case’s In the news list

Lens assignments, a comparison matrix and a presentation storyboard

The task in this edition

Task: Team presentation: “How should limited public opportunities be allocated?” Members research lotteries, needs-based selection, merit and first-come systems in real programs, then present a recommendation to the crew.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 329): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud and go straight to the key terms.

Key terms (pages 330 and 331): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip the first-guess box.

Look at the evidence (page 335): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Teams split Evidence A and B and report back.

Look at the evidence (page 336): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 337 and 338): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the In the news section. Teams find their own sources.

Sort the evidence (page 339): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Complete the chain as a class on the board.

Practice (page 340): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Your task (pages 341 and 342): 100 min. Short on time: 90 min. Assign lenses before class so research starts on day one.

Your draft (page 343): 130 min. Short on time: 130 min.

Check your work (pages 344 and 345): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 346 and 347): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Talk about this case at home (page 348): at home.

Periods: full chapter 320 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Plan 17

Lesson 17Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 17 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Lottery, need, merit and speed are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents a recommendation.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice

Codes of ethics, continued

The Belmont Report: C. Applications: 1. Informed Consent

ASPA Code of Ethics: 4. Strengthen social equity.

Heat map

Opener (page 329): Low

Key terms (pages 330 and 331): Low

Look at the evidence (page 335): Low

Look at the evidence (page 336): Low

Key idea (pages 337 and 338): Low

Sort the evidence (page 339): Medium

Practice (page 340): Low

Your task (pages 341 and 342): Low

Your draft (page 343): Low

Check your work (pages 344 and 345): Low

Try it at your school

Ask how your school decides who gets limited spots.

Pick one limited resource at school: a class, a trip, a club seat

Find out the selection method and whether it’s published

Ask who the method helps and who it might leave out

Try it at your school, continued

Suggest publishing criteria in advance if they aren’t

Who to ask: Club advisor, activities director, school counselor, student council

Safety: Never ask classmates to share financial or personal information for a needs-based process. Adults should handle that privately.

Sources

Ticketmaster, “The Eras Tour onsale explained,” November 19, 2022

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, “A Framework for Ethical Decision Making,” No date listed

Plan 17b

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

Thirty people want ten free workshop seats, and the crew must choose a fair way to decide who gets them.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that tells how many people want a seat. About 5 minutes.

Duda holds up a phone and points at a blank card on a bulletin board.

Your role: You’re the one who writes down the rule before the crew picks the ten names. New skill: Set fair criteria before choosing.

What happened

The crew has ten free seats for a workshop, and thirty people want one. The crew opened a sign-up sheet on Monday at 9 a.m. Twenty-two names were on it before 10 a.m. By Wednesday, the sheet has thirty names.

The sheet says only “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The crew has argued about the rule since dinner on Sunday. Gia is running the sign-up. She wants to give the seats to the first ten names, because that is simple and fast. Mateo suggests a lottery instead.

Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days, and she checks her phone after rehearsal ends. Under first-come, she would see the message after the seats were gone. A third option on the crew’s whiteboard would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. That option would ask people for personal information.

Every method seats exactly ten people. The crew has to decide which ten, and then explain the rule to all thirty.

Your question: How should the crew choose who gets the ten seats, and how should they explain the choice to all thirty people?

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.

En español: criterios

In this case: The sheet says “How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” Twenty-two names arrived before 10 a.m. Monday, before the crew stated any criteria.

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

In this case: First-come is fast for Gia to run but favors whoever sees the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance but needs a sign-up window and a drawing.

Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.

En español: equidad

In this case: Option C would give seats to people who cannot afford the paid version of the workshop. It would also ask applicants for personal information.

Who is involved

Gia

Running the sign-up

“First ten to reply get a seat. It’s simple, I can post it tonight, and I have a shift at seven.”

Anika

Checks her phone after rehearsal

“By the time I see the message, ten people will have answered. I don’t even need a seat. I just want to know how you’re picking.”

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Lesson 17Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip the first-guess box.

Say this

“Criteria are stated before anyone decides. Why does the timing matter?” — Point to “to be announced” on the sign-up sheet.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat equity and equality as the same word. Listen for: “Equity means everyone gets the same.” Then: Contrast option B, the same chance for all, with option C, which adjusts for need.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, how do you think the crew should choose who gets the ten seats?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is a lottery, because it treats all thirty names the same, even though it ignores need.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Choosing a rule before you see the names

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Criteria: Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.
Trade-off: A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.
Equity: Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.
Consent: Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

The story: Thirty names, no rule

Ten free workshop seats should be good news. For the crew, it is a problem. The sign-up sheet opened Monday at 9 a.m., and 22 names arrived before 10. By Wednesday, 30 people have signed up, and the sheet still says the selection method is “to be announced.” The crew has argued since Sunday dinner.

Gia is running the sign-up, and her preference is practical. First ten to reply get a seat. It is simple, she can post it tonight and she has a shift at seven. Mateo proposes a lottery, and Gia counts its costs: a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing. The whiteboard lists a third choice, a needs-based rubric for people who cannot afford the paid workshop. It would require personal information and someone to judge it.

Anika, 16, is at rehearsal most days and checks her phone only afterward. Under first-come, she would find out after the seats were gone. Her request is precise. She does not need a seat. She wants the crew to say how it is picking, and not to pretend nobody loses out, because she would. When someone asks whether she wants the plan to revolve around her, she says no. Admit the cost, and then maybe they can fix that part.

Gia’s honesty moves the conversation too. She admits she mostly wanted the task off her list. What would change her mind is evidence that the people the crew most wants in the room are the ones who would see the message last. She would rather ask them than guess.

Your role is to write down the rule before the crew picks the ten names.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Stop and think. Anika and Gia each admit something about their own position. How does that honesty change the decision?

Criteria first, then choice

Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. The new skill is setting fair criteria before choosing and stating who each rule leaves out. It builds on Lesson 4, where you learned that a trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. Here every option seats ten and excludes twenty, so the real decision is which cost the crew is willing to defend.

Each option distributes that cost differently. First-come rewards attention and availability, which disadvantages people with rehearsals, shifts or less phone time. A lottery gives equal odds but ignores need. A needs-based rubric pursues equity, a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance. It also imposes an entry cost. Applicants must disclose personal information, and Lesson 6’s concept of consent, permission a person gives for something specific, applies. The crew would need to ask for only what it needs, get clear consent and decide who sees the answers.

Timing is itself an ethical variable. The sheet shows most sign-ups arrived before any rule existed. Choosing a rule after seeing the names invites suspicion that the rule was picked to favor someone. A rule announced in advance can earn acceptance even from those who lose. That is why the crew’s decision note should state the method, its main objection and one change that reduces the cost for people who miss out.

Anika offers a structure for comparing options, and it maps onto two classic ethical approaches. One asks which option helps the most people, a consequences question. The other asks whether the way of choosing is fair to everyone, a fairness question.

Stop and think. Which of Belmont’s five principles does each whiteboard option rely on?

Lenses and real allocation debates

The Markkula Center’s framework offers several lenses: consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care. These lenses can reveal different concerns rather than producing an automatic score (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, revised November 5, 2021). The Belmont Report, a foundational federal statement on research ethics, lists five widely accepted ways to share benefits and burdens: an equal share, individual need, individual effort, societal contribution and merit (Belmont Report, April 18, 1979).

Scarcity decisions happen at every scale. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a bioethicist explained how leaders chose who received vaccines first (NPR, December 20, 2020).

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Lenses and real allocation debates, continued

Medical experts argued against first-come, first-served for scarce resources and proposed explicit criteria instead (Emanuel et al., New England Journal of Medicine, May 21, 2020). In New York City, families disagree over lotteries versus grades for high school admissions (Chalkbeat New York, August 9, 2023). In each debate, people agree that there is not enough to go around. They disagree about which rule should decide who gets a share, and that is the crew’s question too.

Stop and think. Why does choosing a rule after seeing the names damage trust even if the rule is reasonable?

Sources

Real sourceMarkkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara UniversityNovember 5, 2021

A Framework for Ethical Decision Making

Real sourceNational Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare1979

The Belmont Report

Real sourceNPRDecember 20, 2020

The Ethics Of Who Gets The COVID-19 Vaccine And When

Real sourceNew England Journal of Medicine (Emanuel et al.)May 21, 2020

Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19

Real sourceChalkbeat New YorkAugust 9, 2023

Debate over NYC high school admissions heats up at parent meeting

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ASign-up sheet

The workshop sign-up sheet

“Free workshop: 10 seats. Add your name to show interest. How seats will be chosen: to be announced.” The sheet opened Monday at 9 a.m. By Wednesday it had thirty names. The first 22 names were added before 10 a.m. on Monday.

Look closely: When did most names arrive, and what rule was posted then?

What it shows

Demand is three times the supply, and most names came in before a rule was posted.

What it leaves out

Who signed up after 10 a.m. and why, and whether early names had more need.

Evidence BGroup-chat thread

The crew’s thread, Sunday at 8:30 p.m.

Gia: first come is easiest to run, we just take the top ten.

Anika: I’m at rehearsal most days, I’d see it after it’s full.

Mateo: lottery?

Gia: then we need a sign-up window and someone to run the drawing.

Look closely: Which cost does each person name? Which cost does nobody name?

What it shows

Each speaker names the cost that affects them: work for Gia, timing for Anika.

What it leaves out

Anyone arguing for need, and the thirty applicants’ own views.

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Lesson 17Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Teams split Evidence A and B and report back.

Say this

“Look at the times on the sign-up sheet. Who was likely to see it in the first hour?” — Wait for someone to connect the times to Anika at rehearsal.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read an early sign-up as proof of stronger interest. Listen for: “The first ten wanted it more.” Then: Ask what else could explain an early name. The sheet shows timing, not need.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the crew’s thread aloud with three voices.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Stretch

Ask which document would let the crew count need, and why none of the three can.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CWhiteboard

Three options on the whiteboard

A. First come, first served: fast to run; favors whoever sees it first. B. Lottery after a three-day sign-up: equal chance for everyone; needs a sign-up window and a drawing. C. Needs-based rubric: prioritizes people who can’t afford the paid version; needs personal information and someone to judge it.

Look closely: Underline the cost the crew wrote for each option.

What it shows

Three methods, each with a stated benefit and a stated cost.

What it leaves out

Who would judge need under C, who would see the data and if a second session exists.

What is still missing from the evidence?

How many of the thirty have the greatest need, and whether a second session is possible. Who would see personal information under option C, and how the twenty without seats want to be told.

Notes

336

Lesson 17Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Look at the times on the sign-up sheet. Who was likely to see it in the first hour?” — Wait for someone to connect the times to Anika at rehearsal.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page.

Read the crew’s thread aloud with three voices.

Cognates: criteria (criterios), equity (equidad), option (opción), method (método), decision (decisión), consequence (consecuencia), information (información), justice (justicia).

Stretch

Ask which document would let the crew count need, and why none of the three can.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: fair criteria

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

Any way of giving out ten seats to thirty people leaves twenty people without one. A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up. First-come is fast, but it favors people who see the message first. A lottery gives everyone the same chance, but it does not consider need. A needs-based rubric aims at equity by helping people who cannot afford the paid version, but applicants must share personal information. Each option has a cost, so the crew has to choose which cost to accept.

Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision. When the crew states its criteria early, everyone knows the rule before anyone is chosen. Even people who do not get a seat may accept the result if the rule was clear in advance. If the crew picks a rule after seeing the names, people may wonder whether it was chosen to favor someone.

The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University suggests looking at a decision through several ethical lenses. They include consequences, rights, fairness, the common good, character and care. The lenses can point toward different options, and they do not add up to one automatic score. A strong decision explains which concern matters most in this case, who carries the cost and what could reduce it.

Professional standards

Adapted from a real sourceNational Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research; published by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

The Belmont Report: B. Basic Ethical Principles: 3. Justice

Summary: Summary, not a quotation: the report treats justice as fairness in distribution and lists five widely accepted ways to share benefits and burdens: an equal share, individual need, individual effort, societal contribution and merit.

In plain words: The Belmont Report, written for research with people, lists several fair ways to share limited benefits, such as equal shares or need.

Question: Which whiteboard option comes closest to “an equal share,” and which comes closest to “individual need”?

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Lesson 17Key ideaAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 12 min. Skip the In the news section. Teams find their own sources.

Say this

“The Belmont Report lists fair ways to share benefits, such as an equal share or need. Which option matches each?” — Point out that it was written for research with people.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the Belmont Report as a law the crew must follow. Listen for: “They have to follow the Belmont rules.” Then: Say: “It was written for research with people. The crew can use it as a way to think.”

Support

Read the code summary aloud. Point out the label: it is a summary, not a quotation.

Stretch

Use the Informed Consent row: what should option C applicants be told before they share personal information?

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

Option ___ is closest to an equal share and option ___ to individual need, but ___.

B is closest to an equal share, but it shares chances, not seats. C is closest to individual need, but it asks for personal information.

In the news

Real sourceNPRDecember 20, 2020

The Ethics Of Who Gets The COVID-19 Vaccine And When

A bioethicist explains how leaders chose who went first when there wasn’t enough for everyone.

Real sourceScientific AmericanSeptember 3, 2020

How to Decide Who Should Get a COVID-19 Vaccine First

Lays out competing criteria such as risk, fairness and benefit, the same lenses the crew uses.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow each option to its effects and write who carries the cost in each box. About 10 minutes.

Follow each method to its consequences. Who carries the cost under each one, and what makes the chosen process legitimate to the twenty who lose?

First come, first served

The ten fastest responders get seats; people at rehearsal or work see the sign-up late
Who is affected
Anika and others who check messages late

Lottery after a three-day sign-up

Each of the thirty has the same chance, and need is not considered
Who is affected

Needs-based rubric

Those with the greatest need are prioritized; applicants must share personal information
Who is affected
Applicants asked to disclose their finances

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Applicants with the greatest need are missing. I would ask how they would want to share financial information, and who they would trust to read it.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the note you would send, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

Gia is drafting a note to the thirty people on the sign-up sheet. Which sentence could the crew defend?

A “We picked the fairest method, so nobody loses out.”
B “We’re holding a lottery so everyone has the same chance. A lottery doesn’t favor people with the most need, so we’re looking into a second session.”
C “Seats go to the first ten names on the sheet, because those people wanted it most.”

Why I chose it

B is the only note that admits a real cost and commits to a remedy. A denies the cost, and C mistakes seeing the sheet first for wanting a seat most.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

We should do first come first served because 1 it’s the most fair. Everyone has the same chance to sign up and if you really want it you’ll sign up fast. It’s simple and 2 nobody can complain because they had the same opportunity as everyone else. Also it’s way less work for us than reading thirty applications or doing some random drawing. The people who don’t get in can just come to the next workshop whenever we have one. This is obviously the best way.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

First-come is fast and predictable, which suits a crew with little time.

Rewrite phrase 2

People who see messages late, like Anika, carry the cost of that speed.

340

Lesson 17PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Gia has to post tonight. Which note could the crew defend to all thirty people?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick the note that sounds kindest. Listen for: “A is nicest, nobody gets upset.” Then: Ask whether A is accurate. Twenty people will not get a seat.

Support

Read the three notes aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: We recommend a lottery after a three-day sign-up period. A lottery gives each of the thirty people an equal chance, while first-come, first-served favors whoever sees the message first, which leaves out people like Anika who check their phones after rehearsal. The cost is that a lottery doesn’t prioritize people with the greatest need. To reduce that, we’ll announce the sign-up in the group chat, at the bookshop counter and on paper, and we’ll run a second session for the twenty people who don’t get seats. We’d reconsider if the second session can’t happen.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 100 minutes.

Team presentation: “How should limited public opportunities be allocated?” Members research lotteries, needs-based selection, merit and first-come systems in real programs, then present a recommendation to the crew.

Use: Case plus educator-approved sources on allocation methods.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Write a team research question about how limited public opportunities should be allocated.
Choose one lens: lottery, need, merit or first-come.
Research real programs that use your method. Log each source in the matrix.
Draft the recommendation section of your report on the Your draft page.
Finish the individual report, 800 to 1,000 words, on lined paper or in the online workspace.
Build an 8-minute team presentation with the storyboard.
Explain how applicants who do not get in are treated.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team research question

How should programs with limited public seats choose participants, and what do they owe people left out?

My lens and one program that uses it

Lottery: New York City school admissions, which use random lottery numbers for some seats.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

What each method does well and poorly

Lottery: equal chance, ignores need. Need: targets help, needs data and a judge. Merit: rewards preparation. First-come: fast, rewards timing.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 130 minutes.

Recommendation section of your report

We recommend that the crew use a lottery after a three-day sign-up, with the rule posted before the draw. Our research on four methods shows that each one serves a different value. A lottery gives every applicant the same chance, as in New York City’s school admissions lotteries. A needs-based rule sends help where it is needed most, but it asks applicants for personal information. Merit rewards preparation, and first-come rewards timing. The crew’s own sign-up sheet shows the cost of first-come: 22 of the thirty names arrived before 10 a.m. on Monday. No method helps the twenty people left out, so our recommendation adds two steps. The crew should tell all thirty people the rule and the result at the same time. It should also look into a second session and give the twenty first notice of it. We would revisit this recommendation if most applicants could not afford the paid version.

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is each team member’s research accurate and cited?
YesNo
Does the report compare several methods?
YesNo
Does the recommendation bring the lenses together?
YesNo
Does it say how applicants who do not get in are treated?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No reference to who is affected.	Mentions people vaguely.	Names specific people and effects from the case.	Uses case facts to show who gains and who pays.
Reasoning	Claims an option is obviously best.	Gives one reason only.	Uses a lens and names the strongest objection.	Uses two lenses and proposes a revision tied to the objection.
Audience & purpose	Ignores the twenty who miss out.	Mentions them briefly.	Explains the process to all applicants.	Builds legitimacy by publishing criteria and a remedy.
Revision	No change.	Wording only.	Adds a named cost and revision.	Explains how the revision addresses the objection.

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Lesson 17Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Find the sentence that names who carries the cost. If you cannot find it, add one.” — Circulate and ask for one named cost or one fix.

Watch for

Misconception: Students revise wording only. Listen for: “I fixed my spelling.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for an added cost or a change tied to the objection.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Names specific people and effects from the case.

Reasoning: Uses a lens and names the strongest objection.

Audience & purpose: Explains the process to all applicants.

Revision: Adds a named cost and revision.

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I added what the crew owes the twenty, because my first draft ended with the lottery.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 15 minutes.

1 Whose view would most challenge the option you prefer?

I prefer a lottery, so the strongest challenge comes from applicants with the greatest need. Equal chance treats unequal starting points the same.

2 Anika says she does not need a seat. What is she asking the crew for?

She asks for a clear rule and an honest count of who loses. Her request is about the process, so it holds even if she never applies.

3 Option C would help people who cannot afford the paid workshop. What would applicants give up to be chosen that way?

They would give up privacy and control over their information. They would also accept that another person judges their need.

4 What would make the twenty people without seats accept the result as fair?

A rule published before anyone is chosen, the same rule for everyone and a stated remedy, such as a second session if one is possible.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should publish its criteria, then hold a lottery with a plan for the twenty left out.

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Lesson 17Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from the evidence, such as a time on the sheet or a line on the whiteboard.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Find out how your school fills one limited spot, such as a trip or a club seat, and whether the rule is published first.

Going further: Each method treats a different problem as the main one. For each of the three options, write the problem it tries to solve and one problem it leaves unsolved.

Going further: Write down the option you picked first. Then find one person in the case that option treats unfairly. Decide whether you would change your criteria or explain them more carefully.

Going further: Write two short sign-up announcements, each using a different method. Ask a friend to read both. Check whether they can tell who each plan leaves out and how to ask a question about it.

Going further: Pick one limited spot at school, such as a class, a trip or a club seat. Find out how people are chosen and whether the rule is published. Ask who the rule helps and who it might leave out. Never ask classmates to share financial or personal information.

Research how a real program uses a lottery and what critics say

Design a hybrid method and test it against all three lenses

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The whiteboard, because it lists a cost for every option, so no choice is free.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Need matters more than equal chance when some applicants cannot afford the paid workshop.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document says how many applicants have the greatest need.

I would change my mind if ___.

Most of the thirty applicants could not afford the paid version.

Notes

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Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?

In this case, a group of friends has ten free workshop seats and thirty people who want one. Your student compared three ways to choose and wrote a note that explains the choice and who carries its cost.

Questions to talk about

When something is limited, like tickets or seats, what makes a way of choosing feel fair?
Why might it help to announce a rule before anyone signs up?
What is one kind way to tell people they were not picked?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 18Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

Overview

Students read a short story in which the theater curtain at Dec and Anika’s school will not close. Meanwhile, a social post points to the district’s $48 million budget. Students label a proposed-budget excerpt by year, stage and units, explain why the post compares a total with a per-pupil figure and map who decides. They then write a budget question and a 60-second comment for the school board.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a research question

evaluate a source’s credibility and relevance

work in a team with assigned roles

Objectives

Students will be able to:

research equity and adequacy, capital planning, student voice and one district’s process

synthesize the lenses into criteria a board could use

test the criteria on the curtain request

present the criteria and their trade-offs to a mock school board

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Educator-approved outside sources, such as those in the case’s In the news list

Lens assignments, a source tracker and the board presentation template

The task in this edition

Task: Team inquiry: “How should school facility needs be prioritized fairly?” Members research equity vs. adequacy, capital planning, student voice and one district’s process, then present to a mock school board.

Students make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Pacing

Opener (page 349): 5 min. Short on time: 4 min. Read What happened aloud and go straight to the key terms.

Key terms (pages 350 and 351): 5 min. Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip the first-guess box.

Look at the evidence (page 355): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Teams split Evidence A and B and report back.

Look at the evidence (page 356): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key idea (pages 357 and 358): 15 min. Short on time: 12 min. Skip the In the news section. Teams find their own sources.

Pacing, continued

Sort the evidence (page 359): 10 min. Short on time: 8 min. Complete the chain as a class on the board.

Practice (page 360): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Your task (pages 361 and 362): 100 min. Short on time: 90 min. Assign lenses before class so research starts on day one.

Your draft (page 363): 130 min. Short on time: 130 min.

Check your work (pages 364 and 365): 20 min. Short on time: 20 min.

Questions to discuss (pages 366 and 367): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Talk about this case at home (page 368): at home.

Periods: full chapter 320 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Plan 18

Lesson 18Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 18 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Equity, planning and student-voice perspectives are compared.

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents criteria to a mock board.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise.

Codes of ethics, continued

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Heat map

Opener (page 349): Low

Key terms (pages 350 and 351): Low

Look at the evidence (page 355): Low

Look at the evidence (page 356): Low

Key idea (pages 357 and 358): Low

Sort the evidence (page 359): Low

Practice (page 360): Low

Your task (pages 361 and 362): Low

Your draft (page 363): Low

Check your work (pages 364 and 365): Low

Try it at your school

Find one line in your school’s budget.

With a teacher or advisor, find your district’s budget on its website

Label the document’s year and stage

Find one line connected to something you use (facilities, arts, technology)

Try it at your school, continued

Ask your student council how students can submit a budget question or comment

Who to ask: Student council advisor, school business office, school board clerk, principal

Safety: Get permission before photographing spaces or people at school. Stick to observed facts when posting about budgets.

Sources

ABC, “About Abbott Elementary,” No date listed

National Center for Education Statistics, “Revenue sources for public schools by state, 2022–23 (Digest table 235.20),” No date listed

Plan 18b

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

The district’s proposed budget is $48 million, the school theater curtain won’t close, and Dec wants to ask the school board about it.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the three dollar amounts. About 5 minutes.

Anika, Dec and Mari test a small light circuit in a theater workshop, with Pauta beside them.

Your role: You’re the one who works out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post. New skill: Compare numbers on the same scale.

What happened

The curtain in the school theater is torn, and it no longer closes all the way. Dec, 17, pulls that curtain at every show. He and Anika, 16, are on the theater crew. The facilities office gave the theater advisor a quote to replace the curtain: $6,800.

Mari, 19, is helping them prepare a question for the school board. They find the district’s proposed budget for next school year. The total is $48 million for a projected 3,200 students. One line sets aside $310,000 for building repairs at all schools. A note says the figures may change before the board adopts the budget.

On Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post starts going around. It compares the district’s $48 million with another district, Westbrook, at $21,000 per student. “And they can’t fix ONE curtain??” it asks. Dec has a photo of the torn curtain. He wants to be the one who asks the board about it.

Your question: What can the $48 million total tell Dec about the curtain, and what should he ask the school board?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.

En español: ingresos

In this case: NCES reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. That national data cannot show what Dec’s district spends on a curtain.

Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.

En español: gasto

In this case: The $48 million is a proposed plan for next school year. It lists planned expenditures, but none of that money has been spent yet.

Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.

En español: monto por estudiante

In this case: $48,000,000 ÷ 3,200 students = $15,000 per student. Westbrook’s $21,000 is already per student, but its year and stage are unknown.

Who is involved

Mari

Helping the theater crew with a budget question

“Forty-eight million dollars, and the curtain still won’t close. Ay, bendito. Before we get mad at the big number, which line is supposed to fix it?”

Dec

Pulls the curtain at every show

“I pull that curtain every show. It doesn’t close all the way anymore. That part I can show you.”

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Lesson 18Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 3 min. Read the key terms aloud. Skip the first-guess box.

Say this

“Has any of the $48 million been spent yet?” — No. It is a proposed plan. Planned expenditures are not money already spent.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat revenue and expenditure as the same. Listen for: “Revenue is what they spend.” Then: Revenue comes in and an expenditure goes out. Draw two arrows on the board.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with a number from the case.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, why do you think the theater curtain is still not fixed?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the curtain ranks below other repairs, because $310,000 has to cover every school.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Reading a budget before reacting to it

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Revenue: Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.
Expenditure: An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.
Per-pupil amount: A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: Where is the money going?

Dec, 17, a senior on the theater crew, pulls the stage curtain at every show. It is torn and no longer closes all the way. The facilities office has already priced a flame-retardant replacement, removal and installation included, at $6,800. Dec has a photo of the tear. He wants to take the problem to the school board, and he wants to be the one who asks.

Mari, 19, is helping him and Anika, 16, prepare. The district’s proposed budget for next school year is posted online. The headline figure is $48,000,000, with projected enrollment of 3,200 students. A facilities line provides $310,000 for building repairs across all schools. A note warns that the figures are proposed and may change before adoption.

On Tuesday at 6:10 p.m., a post begins circulating. It sets the district’s $48 million beside Westbrook’s $21,000 per student and asks why the district cannot fix one curtain. The post has the emotional logic of a good question. It also has the arithmetic of a bad one. Mari’s instinct is to ask where the numbers are from.

Your role is to work out the per-student number before anyone repeats the post.

Stop and think. The post “has the emotional logic of a good question.” What makes it feel convincing?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Putting numbers on the same scale

Budget numbers carry three labels that must match before a comparison means anything: year, stage and unit. The post mismatches all three. It pairs a proposed district total for next year with a per-student figure of unknown year and stage.

A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. The new skill in this case is comparing numbers on the same scale. It extends Lesson 11’s habit of comparing like with like. Dividing $48,000,000 by 3,200 gives $15,000 per student. The recalculation changes the post’s implied story, but it does not settle it. Westbrook’s year and stage are still unknown, and a per-pupil figure cannot show whether either district’s funding matches its students’ needs.

The vocabulary of public finance keeps other distinctions straight. Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. This document is a proposal, the Lesson 4 term for a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet. A proposed budget, the adopted budget and actual spending are three different records.

The crew’s method draws on earlier cases. Mari reads the budget line by line, the skill from Lesson 5, looking for the line that could plausibly cover a stage curtain. She is not sure a curtain counts as a building repair, and she wants to find out. Dec follows Lesson 13’s rule of keeping a claim as small as the evidence. His photo proves the tear and nothing about where money went, so he brings the photo, the quote and a question rather than an accusation. Lesson 4’s decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice, points to the school board, which adopts the budget within state and federal rules. His question should name one budget line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests.

Stop and think. Why can’t a per-pupil figure show whether a district has enough money?

Funding, spending and outcomes

National data give context but not local answers. NCES reports that public-school revenue comes from federal, state and local sources, with a mix that varies by state (NCES, May 2024). Its state-by-state table for 2022–23 includes per-pupil amounts (NCES Digest table 235.20, March 2026). Reliance on local property taxes produces large differences between districts (NPR, April 18, 2016).

Budgets also change over time. When temporary federal pandemic relief ran out, districts faced what reporters called a funding cliff (Chalkbeat, September 13, 2023). In 2026, many districts made cuts and layoffs tied to inflation and enrollment declines (Chalkbeat, May 28, 2026). Spending levels matter for students.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Funding, spending and outcomes, continued

A major study of school finance reforms found that more per-pupil spending raised graduation rates and adult earnings, especially for low-income students (Jackson, Johnson and Persico, Quarterly Journal of Economics, October 1, 2015).

The SPJ code offers a rule for anyone writing about budgets: “Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). The viral post fails that test, and Dec’s question passes it.

Stop and think. What would Dec need to know to show that the curtain belongs in the building repairs line?

Sources

Real sourceNational Center for Education StatisticsMay 2024

Public School Revenue Sources (Condition of Education)

Real sourceNational Center for Education StatisticsMarch 2026

Revenue sources for public schools by state, 2022–23 (Digest table 235.20)

Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016

Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem

Real sourceChalkbeatSeptember 13, 2023

Schools face a funding cliff. How bad will the fall be?

Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026

A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools

Real sourceThe Quarterly Journal of Economics (Jackson, Johnson & Persico)October 1, 2015

The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence from School Finance Reforms

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014

SPJ Code of Ethics

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence ABudget excerpt

The proposed budget for next school year

PROPOSED BUDGET, NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. Total proposed budget: $48,000,000. Projected enrollment: 3,200 students. Facilities, building repairs (all schools): $310,000. Note: figures are proposed and may change before the board adopts the budget.

Look closely: Circle the year, the stage and the unit for each number.

What it shows

A proposed plan, not spending: $48 million total and $310,000 for repairs at all schools.

What it leaves out

Last year’s actual spending, how repairs are ranked and what the board will adopt.

Evidence BSocial media post

A post shared Tuesday at 6:10 p.m.

Our district: $48 MILLION. Westbrook: $21,000 per student. And they can’t fix ONE curtain?? Where is the money going?

Look closely: Which number is a total, and which is per student?

What it shows

A comparison of a district total with another district’s per-student figure.

What it leaves out

Matching units, Westbrook’s budget year and stage, and any source for its figure.

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Lesson 18Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 8 min. Teams split Evidence A and B and report back.

Say this

“Before you react to any number, find its year, its stage and its unit.” — Model it on the $48 million: next year, proposed, whole district.

Watch for

Misconception: Students read the proposed budget as money already spent. Listen for: “They spent $48 million and didn’t fix it.” Then: Point to “PROPOSED” and “NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.” Nothing here has been spent.

Support

Give students a calculator and the budget excerpt with its labels highlighted.

Read the budget note aloud.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask why the $310,000 line cannot show whether the curtain is funded, even though it is the right kind of line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CRepair quote

The facilities quote for a new curtain

Stage curtain replacement, main auditorium: remove the torn curtain, supply and install a flame-retardant replacement. Total: $6,800.

Look closely: What does the quote confirm, and who received it?

What it shows

A priced need: $6,800 for a flame-retardant replacement, sent to the advisor.

What it leaves out

Whether the request reached the board, and where it ranks among other repairs.

What is still missing from the evidence?

Whether stage equipment falls under the building-repairs line, how repair requests are ranked, and Westbrook’s year and stage. We also don’t know what the board will adopt.

Notes

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Lesson 18Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Before you react to any number, find its year, its stage and its unit.” — Model it on the $48 million: next year, proposed, whole district.

Watch for

Support

Give students a calculator and the budget excerpt with its labels highlighted.

Read the budget note aloud.

Cognates: district (distrito), total (total), proposed (propuesto), student (estudiante), repair (reparación), comparison (comparación), calculate (calcular), federal (federal).

Stretch

Ask why the $310,000 line cannot show whether the curtain is funded, even though it is the right kind of line.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: per-pupil amounts

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

Before you compare two budget numbers, check three labels: the year, the stage and the unit. An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends. A proposed budget is a plan for expenditures. An adopted budget is the plan the board approves. Actual spending is what the district really spent. The $48 million is a proposed total for the whole district. The Westbrook figure is an amount per student.

A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared. Dec’s district proposes $48,000,000 for a projected 3,200 students. That works out to $15,000 per student. The comparison is still not complete, because Westbrook’s budget year and stage are unknown. A per-pupil figure also cannot show whether either district has enough for its students’ needs.

Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that public schools get revenue from federal, state and local sources. The mix differs from state to state. National data like this gives context, but it cannot say what one district spends on a curtain. In most states, an elected local school board adopts the budget within state and federal rules. That is why Dec’s question should name one budget line, one need and the board’s next chance to hear requests.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 5. Fully Inform and Advise

“Provide accurate, honest, comprehensive, and timely information and advice to elected and appointed officials and governing board members”

In plain words: ASPA members agree to give decision-makers, such as school board members, accurate and complete information.

Question: The $6,800 curtain quote went to the theater advisor. What should the board see to rank that repair?

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Professional standards, continued

Your answer

The board needs ___. Then it can ___.

The board needs the $6,800 quote, evidence of the damage and the budget line that would cover it. Then it can rank the curtain against other repairs.

In the news

Real sourceNPRApril 18, 2016

Why America's Schools Have A Money Problem

Explains how local property taxes make school budgets very different from one district to the next.

Real sourceChalkbeatMay 28, 2026

A financial reckoning is hitting America’s public schools

Big districts are making cuts, showing how a huge budget can still leave little for extras like a stage curtain.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownTrace the curtain request from the photo to the vote and fill in each box. About 10 minutes.

Trace the curtain request from the photo to the vote. Who ranks it, who adopts the budget, which rules limit them, and where can students speak?

Fund the $6,800 curtain replacement next year

Who decides

The elected local school board, which adopts the budget

The facilities office, which ranks repair requests (how is still unknown)

Under which rule

State and federal rules and funding streams set limits on district budgets

Proposed building-repairs line: $310,000 for all schools

Who lives with it

Your way in

A written question or public comment before the budget is adopted

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The board and the facilities office are missing. I would ask whether stage equipment counts as a building repair and when requests are heard.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what the crew should do first, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 5 minutes.

A post compares the district’s $48 million total with Westbrook’s $21,000 per student. Someone reposts it and adds “we get way less.” What should the crew do first?

A Share it. Both figures are in dollars, and the curtain really is torn.
B Check that both figures use the same year, budget stage and units before comparing them.
C Divide $48 million by 3,200 students, and post that the district is underfunded.

Why I chose it

B. A repeats a unit mismatch. C corrects the units but jumps to underfunding, and Westbrook’s year and stage are unknown. B makes a fair comparison possible.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Our district has a 1 $48 million budget but our theater curtain is ripped and gross. That’s so much money and they can’t even fix one curtain? It has been like this since before any of us joined the crew and it keeps getting worse every show. Where is all the money going? Other districts get way more. I saw a post that said so. We deserve better and 2 the board needs to explain themselves. We are honestly tired of waiting for this.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

The $48 million is next year’s proposed budget, not this year’s spending.

Rewrite phrase 2

Which line covers stage equipment, and when will the board hear repair requests?

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Lesson 18PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Someone reposts the comparison with “we get way less.” What do you do first?” — Hold a quick vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students pick C because the math is right. Listen for: “$15,000 is less, so we’re underfunded.” Then: Ask what one per-student figure can prove. It cannot show need.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: Our question is about next year’s proposed budget. The theater curtain is torn at the seam and no longer closes fully; we have a photo and a $6,800 replacement quote from the facilities office. The proposed budget lists $310,000 for building repairs across the district. We’d like to know whether stage equipment is covered by that line or a different one, how repair requests are ranked, and when the board considers them. Could a student from the theater crew submit a written request before the budget is adopted? Thank you for considering it.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 100 minutes.

Team inquiry: “How should school facility needs be prioritized fairly?” Members research equity vs. adequacy, capital planning, student voice and one district’s process, then present to a mock school board.

Use: Case plus educator-approved outside sources.

You’ll make: Individual research report (800–1,000 words) plus 8-minute team presentation

Time: 300 minutes

Write a team research question about ranking school facility needs fairly.
Choose one lens: equity and adequacy, capital planning, student voice or one district’s process.
Research your lens. Log each source in the tracker.
Draft the criteria section of your report on the Your draft page.
Finish the individual report, 800 to 1,000 words, on lined paper or in the online workspace.
Test the team’s criteria on the $6,800 curtain request.
Present to a mock school board for 8 minutes.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team research question

How should a district rank school facility needs fairly when repair money is limited?

My lens

Equity and adequacy: whether repair money is shared fairly, and whether there is enough.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

The curtain request under our criteria

$6,800 from a $310,000 line for all schools. Used every show. Safety risk unknown.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 130 minutes.

Criteria section of your report

Our team recommends three published criteria for ranking facility requests. They are safety, how many students use the space and cost against the remaining repair line. Each lens shaped one criterion. The equity and adequacy lens showed us that a fair share can still be too small. So the board should say when the repair line runs short. The capital planning lens led us to safety and use as the first tests. The student voice lens led us to ask students to report needs in the spaces they use every day. We tested the criteria on the theater curtain. The replacement costs $6,800, from a proposed line of $310,000 for building repairs at all schools. The curtain is used at every show, and no document shows a safety risk. Under our criteria, it ranks in the middle. The trade-off is that arts spaces with no safety risk may wait behind other repairs year after year.

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is each lens researched accurately and cited?
YesNo
Do the criteria bring the lenses together?
YesNo
Did you test the criteria on the curtain request?
YesNo
Do you acknowledge the trade-offs?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Uses an unlabeled total.	Uses a figure without year or stage.	Labels year, stage and line and cites the need.	Adds a repair quote and notes what the figures can’t show.
Reasoning	Assumes waste or theft.	Compares mismatched numbers.	Links the need to a specific budget line.	Explains process questions: ranking, timing, decision-maker.
Audience & purpose	Accuses the board.	Complains without a request.	Asks a question the board can answer.	Asks a question and offers a concrete way for students to contribute.

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Lesson 18Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 20 min.

Say this

“Find the sentence in your question that names one budget line and one need.” — Circulate and ask for the label “proposed” if it is missing.

Watch for

Misconception: Revisions only soften the tone. Listen for: “I took out the rude part.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask for an added label or a specific budget line.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: Reports and the presentation are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published Performance Task 1 components; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Labels year, stage and line and cites the need.

Reasoning: Links the need to a specific budget line.

Audience & purpose: Asks a question the board can answer.

Revision: Adds labels and a specific line.

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Removes insults only.	Adds labels and a specific line.	Explains how each change makes an answer more likely.

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I linked each finding to a criterion, because my draft listed research without using it.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 15 minutes.

1 What could make spending rise without the service getting better?

Rising costs, such as higher prices for the same work, or more students to serve. Spending can grow while each student gets the same or less.

2 Dec wants to ask the board himself. Why might it matter who brings the question?

A student who uses the curtain brings firsthand evidence and shows the board who is affected. It also gives students practice in a process that affects them.

3 What else would you want to know before saying one district gets less than another?

Westbrook’s year, stage and categories, and what each district’s students need. A per-student figure alone cannot show need.

My take

My claim: ___.

Dec should ask which line covers stage equipment, how repairs are ranked and when the board hears requests.

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The budget excerpt, because its labels show a proposed plan, not spending.

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Lesson 18Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 15 min.

Say this

“Answer with a label or a number from the evidence.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

With an adult, find your district’s budget, label its year and stage and find one line for a space you use.

Going further: Write two headlines about the same budget: one with the $48 million total and one with $15,000 per student. Compare the story each headline tells. Then name one group that uses the theater but is missing from this discussion.

Going further: Some people say every school should get the same amount. What problem does that plan assume it is solving? Name one need it might miss.

Going further: Make a chart of the proposed budget that shows the total, the per-student amount and the building-repairs line. Label the year, the stage and the units. Ask a reader to explain what the chart cannot show.

Going further: With a teacher or advisor, find your district’s budget on its website. Label its year and stage. Find one line for something you use, such as facilities, arts or technology. Ask your student council how students can send a budget question. Get permission before you photograph spaces or people at school.

Find your own district’s adopted budget and locate the facilities or capital line

Compare two years of the same line and explain what might explain a change

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The $48 million total proves there is money for a $6,800 curtain.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document shows how the district ranks repair requests.

I would change my mind if ___.

The board showed that the curtain is already scheduled for repair.

Notes

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Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?

In this case, a group of friends reads a school district budget to find out why a torn theater curtain has not been fixed. Your student checked what the numbers mean and wrote a clear question for the school board.

Questions to talk about

Where do you think a school’s money comes from?
Why can it be misleading to compare a total with an amount per person?
Who would you ask if something at school needed fixing?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

368

Lesson 19Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

Overview

Students read a short story in which Gia wants to speak against a proposal to close the park’s lighted courts at 8 p.m. They read the parks committee agenda, the comment instructions and a nearby resident’s comment. They find the item, the deciding body, the deadline and the time limit. They then cut Gia’s three-page draft into a timed comment that makes one specific request.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

write a focused research question

conduct an interview with consent and record accurate notes

evaluate a source’s credibility

Objectives

Students will be able to:

build a proposal from consented interviews and educator-approved research

represent court users and nearby residents fairly

keep the proposal within the committee’s remit

defend each source under questioning

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

Materials, continued

Educator-approved sources on park use and noise

An interview guide, a consent script and a presentation storyboard

Oral-defense questions

The task in this edition

Task: Team multimedia presentation to a mock parks committee on the court-lights proposal, built from interviews with park users (with consent) and research on park use and noise.

Students make: 8-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense

Pacing

Opener (page 369): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 370 and 371): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Look at the evidence (page 375): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Look at the evidence (page 376): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Key idea (pages 377 and 378): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Sort the evidence (page 379): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Practice (page 380): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Pacing, continued

Your task (pages 381 and 382): 100 min. Short on time: 100 min.

Your draft (page 383): 120 min. Short on time: 120 min.

Check your work (pages 384 and 385): 20 min. Short on time: 15 min. Teams use the peer rubric check only and skip the written reflection.

Questions to discuss (pages 386 and 387): 15 min. Short on time: 10 min. Use question 2 in the oral-defense practice instead.

Talk about this case at home (page 388): at home.

Periods: full chapter 320 minutes; one period 300 minutes.

Standards

Question and Explore Big Idea 1: develop a focused question about an issue and explore many perspectives on it, checking their credibility. In this case: Students explore how park users are affected.

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Users and neighbors are represented fairly.

Plan 19

Lesson 19Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 19 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Team, Transform, and Transmit Big Idea 5: work with a team, reflect on the process and communicate an argument to a specific audience. In this case: The team presents and defends a proposal.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.1 Write arguments that analyze substantial topics or texts, using valid reasoning and enough relevant evidence.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation.

Credo for Ethical Communication: “We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and acknowledgement of dissent…” (one of nine unnumbered principles)

Codes of ethics, continued

SPJ Code of Ethics: Minimize Harm

Heat map

Opener (page 369): Low

Key terms (pages 370 and 371): Low

Look at the evidence (page 375): Low

Look at the evidence (page 376): Low

Key idea (pages 377 and 378): Low

Sort the evidence (page 379): Medium

Practice (page 380): Medium

Your task (pages 381 and 382): Medium

Your draft (page 383): Low

Check your work (pages 384 and 385): Low

Try it at your school

Find your next local agenda.

With a trusted adult, find the website for your city council, school board or parks board

Open the next meeting agenda and find one item that affects you

Read the public-comment instructions: sign-up, time limit, written option

Draft a practice comment and decide with your adult whether to submit it

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: Clerk of the council or school board, a civics teacher, a student representative to the board if your district has one

Safety: Public comments and names may be published. Leave out addresses, phone numbers and anyone else’s private story. Attend meetings with a trusted adult.

Sources

Peacock, “Parks and Recreation,” No date listed

Seattle City Council, “Public Comment,” No date listed

Plan 19b

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

Gia has two minutes to speak to the parks committee about the court lights, but her draft is three pages long.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the sentence that says what item 4 proposes. About 5 minutes.

Gia and Mateo sit on a front stoop, each holding pages of notes.

Your role: You’re the one holding the timer and listening for the request. New skill: Fit a request to the body’s remit and time limit.

What happened

It is Tuesday, 5:40 p.m. The parks committee meets at 6. Item 4 on its agenda is a proposal to turn off the park’s court lights at 8 p.m. The reason given is complaints about evening noise from nearby residents.

Gia, 21, wants to speak against item 4. It is her first time speaking at a public meeting. Each speaker gets two minutes. On Monday night, Gia wrote a three-page draft. When she reads page one out loud, it takes two minutes and forty seconds.

Mateo, 22, is timing her from a bench. He follows every word, but he cannot tell what she wants the committee to do. The draft also mentions a friend’s private situation, and page two is about the bus. Everything Gia says will become part of the public record, along with her name.

Your question: What should Gia keep in her two-minute comment, and what should she cut?

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.

En español: punto del orden del día

In this case: Item 4, “Evening court hours,” proposes turning off the court lights at 8:00 p.m. Its action is a committee recommendation to the full council.

Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.

En español: competencia

In this case: The parks committee can recommend court hours. It cannot change bus routes, so page two of Gia’s draft belongs with a different body.

Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.

En español: registro público

In this case: Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record. That is why Gia leaves her friend’s private situation out of her comment.

Who is involved

Gia

Speaking at a public meeting for the first time

“I timed page one out loud. Two minutes forty. There are three pages.”

Mateo

Timing Gia’s practice run from a bench

“I followed all of it. I still couldn’t tell you what she wants them to do.”

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Lesson 19Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Which part of item 4 tells you what the committee can do?” — Point to the action line: a recommendation to the full council.

Watch for

Misconception: Students think the committee makes the final decision. Listen for: “The committee decides tonight.” Then: Reread the action line. The committee recommends, and the full council decides.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, what do you think Gia should say in her two minutes?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that she should open with the bus problem, because it affects the most people.

Notes

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

Two minutes, one ask

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Agenda item: An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.
Remit: A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.
Public record: A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.
Proposal: A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.
Decision-maker: A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

The story: The first time at the microphone

Gia, 21, has spent her life in Fort Greene, and the park is part of her week. On Tuesday, the parks committee meets at 6 p.m. Item 4 on its agenda proposes turning off the court lights and closing the lighted courts at 8 p.m., citing complaints about evening noise from nearby residents. The agenda lists the action as a committee recommendation to the full council. Gia wants to speak against it. She has never spoken at a public meeting before.

The rules give her two minutes. Speakers sign up by 5 p.m., written comments may be submitted in advance and comments and names become part of the public record. At 5:40, Gia reads her draft aloud on a bench while Mateo, 22, times her. The draft runs three pages, and page one alone takes two minutes and forty seconds. It also contains a friend’s private situation and a page about the bus.

Mateo’s feedback is precise without being a rewrite. He followed every word and still cannot say what she wants the committee to do. His question is the most useful editing tool in the case. If the committee remembers one sentence, what is it? That sentence goes first.

Your role is to hold the timer and listen for the request.

Stop and think. Why does Mateo’s one-sentence question work better than line edits?

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Matching a request to a body

An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. The two concepts define what Gia can usefully ask. Item 4 concerns lighting and closing time. The committee’s remit includes recommending court hours. It does not include buses. Her draft’s central plea, “Please don’t close the park,” misstates the item, since no one has proposed closing the park.

The new skill is fitting a request to the body’s remit and time limit, and it assembles earlier skills. Lesson 4 introduced the proposal, a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet, and the decision-maker, the person or group with the power to make a particular choice. Here the chain has two links. The committee recommends, and the full council decides. Lesson 10 taught you to route a problem to the office responsible, which is why the bus page belongs with a transit office rather than this committee.

A strong two-minute comment does four jobs. It names the agenda item, reports an observation, explains why it matters and makes one request. Gia’s revised comment does exactly that. It names item 4. It reports that she counted twenty or thirty people on the courts between 8 and 9. It notes that many of them work late. And it asks for lights until 9 on weekdays this summer. The request also engages the resident who wrote that late noise carries into their apartment and that their kids have school in the morning. Asking for 9 rather than no change gives the committee a middle path that answers both concerns in part.

The final cut is ethical. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. Everything Gia says will be attached to her name and kept. Her friend’s situation belongs to her friend, so it comes out.

Stop and think. How does asking for 9 p.m. instead of no change affect the committee’s choices?

Research and real practice

Rules differ by body. Seattle City Council accepts spoken comment in person or by phone and written comment by email, with up to two minutes per speaker (Seattle City Council, no date listed). That is one city’s process, not a rule for every council. Research raises a harder question about who shows up. A study of meeting minutes found that local commenters often do not reflect the whole community (Einstein, Palmer and Glick, Perspectives on Politics, October 14, 2018). Other peer-reviewed work examines whether and how public comment connects to policy outcomes (Sahn, American Journal of Political Science, August 31, 2024).

Young people are using the process well. Philadelphia students testified at board meetings about school closures, drawing on district data (Chalkbeat Philadelphia, April 3, 2026).

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Research and real practice, continued

Journalists hold a related privacy standard. The SPJ code says “private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014). Gia applies that principle to her friend.

Stop and think. The research shows commenters often do not reflect the whole community. What does that suggest about who should speak?

Sources

Real sourceSeattle City CouncilNo date listed

Public Comment

Real sourcePerspectives on Politics (Einstein, Palmer & Glick)October 14, 2018

Who Participates in Local Government? Evidence from Meeting Minutes

Real sourceAmerican Journal of Political Science (Sahn)August 31, 2024

Public comment and public policy

Real sourceChalkbeat PhiladelphiaApril 3, 2026

‘Not what democracy is all about’: Philly students slam school leaders’ approach to school closures

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014

SPJ Code of Ethics

Notes

374

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence AMeeting agenda

Item 4 on the parks committee agenda

Item 4. Evening court hours. Proposal to turn off the court lights and close the lighted courts at 8:00 p.m. Background: complaints about evening noise from nearby residents. Action: committee recommendation to the full council.

Look closely: Circle the item number, the proposed time and the action.

What it shows

A proposal about lights and hours only. The committee recommends; the council decides.

What it leaves out

How many complaints there were, when the noise happens and any other hours considered.

Evidence BComment rules

How to comment at the meeting

Sign up to speak by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Each speaker has 2 minutes. Written comments may be submitted before the meeting. Comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.

Look closely: Underline the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.

What it shows

A deadline, a time limit, a written route and a public record for every comment.

What it leaves out

How the full council usually treats committee recommendations.

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Lesson 19Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Find three facts in the comment rules: the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.” — List them on the board: 5:00 p.m., 2 minutes, comments and names.

Watch for

Misconception: Students skip the public-record line. Listen for: “It’s just a meeting, nobody reads that.” Then: Reread the last sentence of Evidence B. Names and comments stay on the record.

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key line enlarged.

Read Gia’s draft and the resident’s comment aloud.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which document shows who decides and which shows how to speak, and what neither one says about the complaints.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CDraft

Gia’s three-page draft (excerpt)

“The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends… You guys never listen to young people. Please don’t close the park.”

Look closely: Find the request. Does it match what item 4 proposes?

What it shows

Strong feeling and a request, “Please don’t close the park,” that misstates item 4.

What it leaves out

The item, the lights and the 8 p.m. time, and any observation the committee can use.

Evidence DWritten comment

A comment from a nearby resident

The courts are good for the neighborhood, but the noise late in the evening carries into our apartment. We have kids with school in the morning.

Look closely: What does this resident like, and what is the problem?

What it shows

A family that values the courts but hears late-evening noise, with kids who have school.

What it leaves out

When the noise starts to bother them, which matters for any middle-ground hours.

What is still missing from the evidence?

The number of complaints and when the noise occurs. Whether compromise hours were considered, how the full council treats committee recommendations, and what absent court users think.

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Lesson 19Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“Find three facts in the comment rules: the deadline, the time limit and what becomes public.” — List them on the board: 5:00 p.m., 2 minutes, comments and names.

Watch for

Support

Give each document on its own half-page with the key line enlarged.

Read Gia’s draft and the resident’s comment aloud.

Cognates: agenda (agenda), committee (comité), public (público), comment (comentario), recommendation (recomendación), residents (residentes), private (privado), observation (observación).

Stretch

Ask which document shows who decides and which shows how to speak, and what neither one says about the complaints.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: remit

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on. The parks committee can make a recommendation about court hours. It cannot change bus routes. That is why Gia’s comment should ask for something the parks committee can do.

An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business. Each committee, council or board sets its own rules for who can speak, when and for how long. Seattle City Council is one real example. Its public comment page describes speaking in person or by phone and signing up before the meeting. Each speaker gets up to two minutes, and written comments can be sent by email.

A short comment can do four jobs. It names the agenda item, shares something the speaker observed, says why it matters and ends with a clear request. Before adding personal details, check whether comments become public. A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments. At Gia’s meeting, comments and speakers’ names become part of the public record.

Professional standards

Real sourceAmerican Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

ASPA Code of Ethics: 3. Promote democratic participation

“Inform the public and encourage active engagement in governance. Be open, transparent and responsive, and respect and assist all persons in their dealings with public organizations.”

In plain words: ASPA's code asks people in public service to make it easy for every affected person to take part in decisions.

Question: The instructions allow written comments in advance. How does that help court users who cannot come at 6 p.m.?

Your answer

Written comments ___, but ___.

Written comments open the process to people who work at 6 p.m., but they only help people who know about item 4 before the meeting.

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceChalkbeat PhiladelphiaApril 3, 2026

‘Not what democracy is all about’: Philly students slam school leaders’ approach to school closures

Students testified at board meetings and used district data, real public comment with a clear destination.

Real sourceChalkbeat NewarkNovember 26, 2025

How a Newark student coalition is using its own research to press for change in schools

Teens brought evidence and specific requests to their school board, the formula this case teaches.

Notes

378

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownFollow a comment from the speaker to the final decision and fill in each box. About 10 minutes.

Follow a comment from the speaker to the final decision. Which body hears it, which body decides, and whose concerns reach the room?

Turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.?

Who decides

Full council: takes the final action

Under which rule

Who lives with it

Your way in

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

Court users who cannot attend a 6 p.m. meeting. I would ask whether they know they can send a written comment before the meeting.

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose the best opening sentence, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 10 minutes.

Gia has two minutes on item 4. Which opening sentence gives the committee the most to work with?

A “The park is really important to everyone, and closing it is a terrible idea.”
B “Good evening. I’m Gia, and I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m.”
C “You guys never listen to young people, so I hope tonight is different.”

Why I chose it

B. A misstates item 4, which can make listeners doubt the rest. C may feel true but gives the committee nothing to act on.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Hi, my name is Gia and I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life. The park is really important to everyone and closing it is a terrible idea. I go there all the time with my friends and it’s one of the only free things to do around here. My friend works late and this is the only time she can play and 1 she’s been going through a lot at home. You guys never listen to young people. 2 Please don’t close the park.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

Cut the private detail. Keep the public point: many of us work until evening.

Rewrite phrase 2

I ask the committee to keep the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays this summer.

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Lesson 19PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“Gia has two minutes. Which opening gives the committee the most to work with?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose C because it feels honest. Listen for: “But it’s true, they never listen.” Then: Ask what the committee could do with that sentence.

Heat check

Medium. Students may voice frustration about adults ignoring young people.

Cool-down: Acknowledge the feeling. Then ask which sentence gives the committee a request.

Answer key

A revised version: Good evening. I’m Gia Brooks-Romano, and I live two blocks from the park. I’m commenting on item 4, the proposal to turn off the court lights at 8 p.m. I play there after café shifts, and on weekday evenings I’ve counted twenty to thirty people using the courts between 8 and 9. Many of us work until evening. I understand the concern about noise from nearby residents. I’m asking the committee to keep the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays through the summer and to review noise complaints before making a permanent change. Thank you.

Other notes on the draft:

“I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life” Good: it establishes a stake. Keep it short.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 100 minutes.

Team multimedia presentation to a mock parks committee on the court-lights proposal, built from interviews with park users (with consent) and research on park use and noise.

Use: The agenda item, educator-approved sources on park use, and consented interview notes.

You’ll make: 8-minute team presentation plus individual oral defense

Time: 300 minutes

Write a team research question about the court-lights proposal.
Interview park users or neighbors, with consent. Log each interview.
Research park use and noise in teacher-approved sources. Log each source.
Draft a proposal the parks committee can recommend. Test it against both groups’ needs.
Draft your section of the presentation script on the Your draft page.
Present to a mock parks committee for 8 minutes as a team.
Answer oral-defense questions about your sources on your own.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Team research question

How can the parks committee keep the courts open for people who work late and answer residents’ noise concerns?

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Lesson 19Your taskAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 100 min.

Short on time: 100 min.

Say this

“Before any interview, read the consent script aloud. What will you do if someone says no?” — Students thank the person and log no notes.

Watch for

Misconception: Teams interview only people who agree with them. Listen for: “We only talked to our friends who play there.” Then: Point to the challenge: represent the residents’ concern fairly. Ask who else they need.

Support

Interview guide and consent script

Presentation storyboard

Oral-defense questions

Interview log columns: date, who, consent given, what they said, what it cannot show.

Stretch

Represent the nearby residents’ noise concern fairly alongside users’ needs.

Heat check

Medium. Interviews may reach neighbors in a real conflict, or students may share a family schedule.

Cool-down: Interview only with consent and a trusted adult nearby. No one records addresses or private stories.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Perspectives we need

Court users who play after work, nearby residents with kids who have school, the parks committee and the full council.

Is our proposal within the committee’s remit?

Yes. Court hours are a recommendation the committee can make to the full council.

Notes

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 120 minutes.

My section of the script: the proposal

Our proposal answers both groups named in the agenda item. Item 4 would turn off the court lights at 8 p.m., because nearby residents complained about evening noise. That concern is serious. One resident wrote that late noise carries into an apartment where kids have school in the morning. The case also gives us a count from a court user. On weekday evenings, Gia counted twenty to thirty people on the courts between 8 and 9. Many of them work until evening. We recommend that the committee keep the lights on until 9 p.m. on weekdays through the summer. We also recommend a review of the noise complaints, including the times they describe, before any permanent change. This is within the committee’s remit, because it can recommend court hours to the full council. It does not solve every problem, since buses and late shifts are outside this room. It protects an hour of play and gives residents a set end time.

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 20 minutes.

Is your research question clear and answerable?
YesNo
Does your evidence include several perspectives?
YesNo
Is your proposal within the committee’s remit?
YesNo
Can you defend each source under questioning?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	No facts.	General claim about importance.	One specific observation tied to the item.	Observation plus acknowledgment of another perspective.
Reasoning	Attacks the body.	States a feeling only.	Explains why the change matters.	Weighs the concern and offers a middle path.
Audience & purpose	Wrong body or no request.	Request is vague.	Names the item and a specific request.	Request fits the body’s remit and includes a follow-up.
Revision	No change.	Shortens only.	Removes private details and adds a request.	Explains each cut in terms of time, privacy and purpose.

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Lesson 19Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 20 min.

Short on time: 15 min. Teams use the peer rubric check only and skip the written reflection.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one removed private detail or one sharper request.

Watch for

Misconception: Students only shorten the draft. Listen for: “I just cut some words.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Ask why each cut helps the committee or protects someone.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The presentation and oral defenses are scored with educator-adapted rubrics modeled on the published team presentation and defense criteria; this is practice, not a submitted performance task.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: One specific observation tied to the item.

Reasoning: Explains why the change matters.

Audience & purpose: Names the item and a specific request.

Revision: Removes private details and adds a request.

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work, continued

One defense question I expect, and my answer

Why trust one person’s count? It is a firsthand observation with times, and we tested it against our interview logs.

Notes

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 15 minutes.

1 The parks committee cannot fix the bus problem. Who should get that question instead?

The body with bus routes in its remit. Gia should find its agenda and rules and keep the bus out of her parks comment.

2 How could Gia’s comment respond to the resident’s concern about noise?

She could name the concern in one sentence, then ask for 9 p.m. on weekdays and a review of when the noise happens.

3 What does Gia get from speaking, even if the committee recommends turning off the lights?

Her count goes on the public record, she can follow the item to the full council, and she learns how the process works.

4 Court users who work late may miss a 6 p.m. meeting. How could their views reach the committee?

Through written comments before the meeting. The committee could make that option easier to find, since commenters often do not reflect the whole community.

My take

My claim: ___.

Gia should name item 4, give one observation, acknowledge the noise concern and make one request.

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Lesson 19Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Use question 2 in the oral-defense practice instead.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a guess about the committee.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare Evidence B with Seattle City Council’s public comment page. Which rules match, and which would you check locally?

Going further: Write Gia’s request as one sentence a listener could repeat. Then reread your comment. Does it speak for anyone who has not asked you to?

Going further: Compare the comment rules in Evidence B with Seattle City Council’s public comment page. Which rules match? Which would you need to check for your own city or school board?

Going further: Record your comment as audio, then turn it into a written comment. Keep the same point in both. Ask a listener which version made the request clearer.

Going further: With a trusted adult, find the website for your city council, school board or parks board. Open the next meeting agenda and find one item that affects you. Read the comment rules: the sign-up, the time limit and the written option. Leave addresses, phone numbers and other people’s private stories out of anything you submit.

Compare comment rules for two different local bodies

Track a real agenda item from discussion to vote

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The agenda, because its action line shows the committee recommends and the full council decides.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

Gia should skip the meeting and write to the full council, which makes the final decision.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

No document says how many residents complained or when the noise happens.

I would change my mind if ___.

The complaints showed that the noise starts before 9 p.m. on weekdays.

Notes

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Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?

In this case, Gia gets two minutes at a parks committee meeting to speak about a plan to turn off the court lights. Your student helped cut her three-page draft into a short comment with one clear request.

Questions to talk about

Who makes decisions about parks and other public spaces in a town or city?
What makes a short request easy for a listener to remember?
Why might someone leave a friend’s story out of a public comment?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Lesson 20Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

Content note

The real sources include AI-generated images from disasters such as Hurricane Helene. Preview them, and do not share images of real people in distress, even to debunk them.

Overview

Students read a short story in which a realistic image captioned “Courtyard flooded today, stay away” spreads through a campus group chat. They compare the image, Sami’s zoom-in, a secondhand reply, a detector score and the campus alerts page with NIST’s overview of detection. They then write the verification note Jordy posts instead of the image.

Before this case

Students should already be able to:

annotate a source for its claim and perspective

write a focused research question

combine sources into an original argument

Objectives

Students will be able to:

build an argument from technical, journalistic and psychological sources

evaluate each perspective’s strengths and limits

Objectives, continued

write an original synthesis, not a list of sources

propose a verification norm a student media team could follow

Materials

This chapter, one copy per student

A stimulus packet: the NIST overview, Adobe’s labeled examples, one journalism verification guide and one psychology article on belief

A perspective map and an argument outline

The task in this edition

Task: Individual written argument on “Can we still trust what we see?”, using a stimulus packet.

Students make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Pacing

Opener (page 389): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Key terms (pages 390 and 391): 5 min. Short on time: 5 min.

Look at the evidence (page 395): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Look at the evidence (page 396): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Pacing, continued

Key idea (pages 397 and 398): 15 min. Short on time: 15 min.

Sort the evidence (page 399): 10 min. Short on time: 10 min.

Practice (page 400): 10 min. Short on time: skip.

Your task (pages 401 and 402): 80 min. Short on time: 80 min.

Your draft (page 403): 100 min. Short on time: 100 min.

Check your work (pages 404 and 405): 15 min. Short on time: 10 min. Students answer the Check your work questions and skip the rubric self-score.

Questions to discuss (pages 406 and 407): 10 min. Short on time: 5 min. Use question 1 only.

Talk about this case at home (page 408): at home.

Periods: full chapter 270 minutes; one period 250 minutes.

Standards

Understand and Analyze Big Idea 2: summarize an author’s perspective and analyze its reasoning, evidence and purpose. In this case: Students analyze technical and psychological sources.

Plan 20

Lesson 20Case planAP Seminar educator edition

Lesson 20 plan, continued

Standards, continued

Evaluate Multiple Perspectives Big Idea 3: compare perspectives on an issue and weigh their biases, assumptions and relevance. In this case: Students weigh journalism, technology and audience perspectives.

Synthesize Ideas Big Idea 4: combine what you have learned into your own argument with a clear line of reasoning and chosen evidence. In this case: Students propose a norm from synthesized sources.

RI.11-12.1 Back up an analysis with the strongest evidence from the text, including where the text leaves things uncertain.

W.11-12.2 Write an explanatory text that conveys complex ideas clearly and accurately.

W.11-12.5 Strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing or rewriting, focusing on what matters most for the purpose and audience.

SL.11-12.1.c Keep a discussion moving with questions that probe reasoning and evidence, and make sure the full range of views is heard.

SL.11-12.1.d Respond to different views, pull together what each side says, resolve conflicts where possible and name what still needs research.

Codes of ethics

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

Codes of ethics, continued

SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It

PRSA Code of Ethics: Disclosure of Information

Heat map

Opener (page 389): Low

Key terms (pages 390 and 391): Low

Look at the evidence (page 395): Low

Look at the evidence (page 396): Low

Key idea (pages 397 and 398): Low

Sort the evidence (page 399): Low

Practice (page 400): Low

Your task (pages 401 and 402): Low

Your draft (page 403): Low

Check your work (pages 404 and 405): Low

Try it at your school

Pause before you share an image as news.

Find where the image first appeared before reposting

Check an official or independent source for the event

If you can’t confirm it, say so or don’t share it

Suggest a “check before posting” rule for a club account you help run

Try it at your school, continued

Who to ask: School librarian or media specialist, journalism advisor, campus communications office

Safety: Don’t download or share images of real people that could embarrass or harm them, even to debunk them. Report harmful fakes to a trusted adult and the platform.

Sources

UC Berkeley School of Information, “Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image,” October 4, 2024

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency,” No date listed

Plan 20b

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

A realistic image says the campus courtyard flooded today, and Jordy must decide what the six o’clock recap can say about it.

On your ownRead What happened and underline the caption’s claim. About 5 minutes.

Lupa holds a cropped photo of a courtyard next to the full photo pinned on a board. The full photo also shows a blue doorway.

Your role: You’re the one who writes the verification note Jordy posts at six. New skill: Confirm an image with independent sources.

What happened

It is Wednesday, 3:10 p.m. For twenty minutes, an image has been going around the group chat. It looks like a photo of the campus courtyard, with water over the paving and benches. The caption says, “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” It showed up at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no name.

Jordy is putting together the crew’s recap, which goes out at six. Sami has zoomed in on a hand in the picture, and the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Someone ran the image through a free online detector. It reported “12% likely AI-generated.”

A reply in the chat says the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page. It shows no active alerts, but its last update was Monday morning.

Your question: Did the courtyard flood today, and what should the recap say about the image?

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Key terms

On your ownRead each key term and its example, then write your first guess in the box. About 5 minutes.

Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.

En español: procedencia

In this case: The courtyard image arrived at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date and no named poster. Its provenance is unknown.

Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.

En español: corroboración

In this case: A campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard could corroborate the flood. A roommate’s friend’s report of water near the library cannot.

Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

En español: nota de verificación

In this case: Instead of posting the image, the recap says what the crew checked, what it found and what is still unknown.

Who is involved

Sami

Checking where the image came from

“Everyone’s zooming in on the hand. I did too, and it’s weird. But I still don’t know who posted this.”

Jordy

Putting the six o’clock recap together

“The recap goes out at six. Right now I have an image with no source, a strange hand and an alerts page that hasn’t updated since Monday.”

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Lesson 20Key termsAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 5 min.

Short on time: 5 min.

Say this

“Provenance asks where a file came from. What do we know about this image’s provenance?” — Only when it appeared, 2:48 p.m. No link, no date, no name.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat any second report as corroboration. Listen for: “Someone else saw water, so it’s confirmed.” Then: Ask who saw what, where and when. The report is secondhand, and the library is a different place from the courtyard.

Support

Pair students who share a language to explain each term with an example from the case.

Cognates: image (imagen), evidence (evidencia), verification (verificación), corroboration (corroboración), original (original), confirm (confirmar), alert (alerta), independent (independiente).

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

Any first guess is fine. Students return to it on the My take page.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Your first guess

Before you look at the evidence, do you think the courtyard flooded today?

My first guess is ___, because ___.

My first guess is that the image is fake, because the hand looks strange.

Notes

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Reading passage

When the honest answer is unverified

On your ownRead the passage. At each Stop and think box, pause and answer the question in your head or with a partner. About 5 minutes.

Words to know

Provenance: Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.
Corroboration: Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.
Verification note: A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.
Claim: A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.
Holding statement: A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.
Correction: A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

The story: A deadline and a picture

The crew’s casebook began with a seven-second clip in a group chat. It ends with a single image. At 2:48 p.m. on a Wednesday, a photo-like picture of the campus courtyard appears in the chat, showing water over the paving and benches. Its caption reads, “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” It arrives with no link, no date on the image and no original poster named. A person in the foreground holds up a phone.

Jordy, who edits the crew’s films and checks every cut before calling it finished, is assembling the six o’clock recap. Within twenty minutes, four pieces of evidence have arrived, and each points somewhere different. Sami posts a zoomed screenshot at 3:02 showing a foreground hand whose fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. A free online detector reports “12% likely AI-generated.” A reply relays that the writer’s roommate’s friend saw water near the library. And at 3:10, Jordy checks the campus facilities alerts page: “No active alerts. Last update: Monday, 9:15 a.m.”

Sami, a design student who notices details for a living, is the first to step back from them. The hand is weird, she agrees, but the more important question is who posted the image first, and when. Jordy states the dilemma plainly. They wanted a clean yes or no, and they do not have one.

Your role is to write the verification note Jordy posts at six.

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Stop and think. Why can a detector score answer the wrong question even if it is accurate?

Weighing evidence without overclaiming

Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. Checking provenance first is the Lesson 1 skill, finding the original source, applied to images. This image has none, so every other clue has to be weighed without an anchor.

Each clue has a specific weakness. The caption is a claim, a statement that something is true that can be checked with evidence. The hand is an anomaly, which justifies closer scrutiny and proves nothing, since generated images can look natural and real photos can look strange. The detector score is uninterpretable without knowing the tool’s error rates. Sami’s question, twelve percent of what, gets at that. It also answers a different question from the one that matters. Even a perfect detector could not say whether the courtyard flooded today. The secondhand report fails on two counts: it is not firsthand, and it concerns the library, not the courtyard.

Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. Lesson 9’s skill, checking the official source for your area, points to the alerts page, but its last update on Monday limits what its silence can mean. A dated photo from someone at the courtyard would be stronger.

The new skill is confirming an image with independent sources, and publishing only what was checked. Jordy rejects the middle path of posting the image with a question mark, because the image travels regardless of the punctuation. The recap instead carries a verification note, a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown. It is a descendant of Lesson 1’s holding statement, which says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more. It also sets up Lesson 3’s obligation. If new evidence arrives, a correction or update appears where the note did. “Unverified” is sometimes the most accurate conclusion available.

Stop and think. Why does a question mark fail to stop an image from misleading people?

Detection, provenance and professional standards

NIST’s overview of synthetic content describes provenance data, labeling, watermarking and detection, and it explains the technical limits of each (NIST, November 20, 2024). Real incidents show why no single signal suffices. The Hurricane Helene image of a crying girl with a puppy had no traceable photographer or outlet, and forensics researcher Hany Farid identified internal inconsistencies (UC Berkeley School of Information, October 4, 2024). The News Literacy Project’s RumorGuard check on that image models a verification note, setting out what is known, what is not and why (RumorGuard, no date listed). In 2023, fake images of a Pentagon explosion were shared by verified accounts, showing that a trusted-looking sharer is not provenance (CNN, May 22, 2023).

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Detection, provenance and professional standards, continued

Human perception is not a reliable safeguard. In a PNAS study, people could not reliably distinguish AI-synthesized faces from real ones (Nightingale and Farid, February 14, 2022).

Journalism codes frame Jordy’s choice as a duty. The RTDNA code says journalism “verifies, provides relevant context, tells the rest of the story and acknowledges the absence of important additional information” (RTDNA Code of Ethics, June 11, 2015). The SPJ code asks journalists to “identify sources clearly” (SPJ Code of Ethics, September 6, 2014).

Stop and think. Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?

Sources

Real sourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)November 20, 2024

Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content: An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency

Real sourceUC Berkeley School of InformationOctober 4, 2024

Hany Farid breaks down the viral Helene image

Real sourceRumorGuard (News Literacy Project)No date listed

Widely shared image of crying girl and puppy after Helene is AI generated

Real sourceCNNMay 22, 2023

‘Verified’ Twitter accounts share fake image of ‘explosion’ near Pentagon, causing confusion

Real sourcePNAS (Nightingale & Farid)February 14, 2022

AI-synthesized faces are indistinguishable from real faces and more trustworthy

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)2015

RTDNA Code of Ethics

Real sourceSociety of Professional Journalists (SPJ)2014

SPJ Code of Ethics

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence

On your ownRead each document and write what it shows and what it leaves out. About 10 minutes.

Evidence AGroup-chat post

The courtyard image and its caption

Image, described: a photo-like view of the campus courtyard with water over the paving and benches. A person in the foreground holds up a phone. Caption: “Courtyard flooded today, stay away.” Shared Wednesday at 2:48 p.m. with no link, no date on the image and no original poster named.

Look closely: Underline what the caption claims. Circle what the post is missing.

What it shows

A realistic image and a caption that claims a flood today, with no link or date.

What it leaves out

The first poster, and when and where the image was made or taken.

Evidence BScreenshot

Sami’s zoom-in on the hand

Zoomed screenshot of the foreground hand: the fingers seem to merge at the knuckles. Sami posted it in the crew chat on Wednesday at 3:02 p.m.

Look closely: What does the odd hand tell you? What can it not tell you?

What it shows

A visual clue that calls for a closer look. It is not proof in either direction.

What it leaves out

Whether the image was generated, edited, or real but from another day or place.

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Lesson 20Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“For each document, ask two questions: what can it show, and what can it not show?” — Model it on the odd hand: a reason to look closer, not proof.

Watch for

Misconception: Students treat the detector score as a verdict. Listen for: “Twelve percent means it’s real.” Then: Ask what the tool measured and how often it is wrong. The score is silent about the flood.

Support

Describe the image and the zoomed hand aloud.

Give each document on its own half-page with the key line enlarged.

Cognates: image (imagen), evidence (evidencia), verification (verificación), corroboration (corroboración), original (original), confirm (confirmar), alert (alerta), independent (independiente).

Stretch

Ask which evidence bears on how the image was made and which bears on whether the courtyard flooded.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Look at the evidence, continued

Evidence CDetector result

A score from a free online detector

“12% likely AI-generated.”

Look closely: What did the tool measure? Does it say anything about the flood?

What it shows

One tool’s low score about how the image was made. It is silent about the event.

What it leaves out

The tool’s error rate, and whether the courtyard flooded today.

Evidence DWeb page

The campus facilities alerts page, checked at 3:10 p.m.

“No active alerts. Last update: Monday, 9:15 a.m. Scheduled elevator maintenance in Science Hall, completed.”

Look closely: When was this page last updated? Compare that with the caption’s claim.

What it shows

No active alerts at 3:10 p.m., but the last update was Monday at 9:15 a.m.

What it leaves out

Whether anyone checked the page since Monday, or how fast it reports floods.

What is still missing from the evidence?

The earliest post and its date, whether the image shows this courtyard on this day, and any dated firsthand photo. We also don’t know how fast the alerts page reports floods.

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Lesson 20Look at the evidenceAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 10 min.

Say this

“For each document, ask two questions: what can it show, and what can it not show?” — Model it on the odd hand: a reason to look closer, not proof.

Watch for

Support

Describe the image and the zoomed hand aloud.

Give each document on its own half-page with the key line enlarged.

Cognates: image (imagen), evidence (evidencia), verification (verificación), corroboration (corroboración), original (original), confirm (confirmar), alert (alerta), independent (independiente).

Stretch

Ask which evidence bears on how the image was made and which bears on whether the courtyard flooded.

Heat check

Low.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Key idea: provenance

On your ownRead the key idea and the code of ethics, then answer the question in the box. About 15 minutes.

Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled. Check it first when an image claims to show a news event. An image can look polished and still be generated, edited, old or shared with the wrong caption. The courtyard image arrived with no link, no date and no named poster, so its provenance is unknown.

A detail or a tool can give a clue, but it cannot settle the question. An odd-looking hand is a reason to look closer. A natural-looking hand does not prove that an image is real, either. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes several ways to track, label, watermark and detect synthetic content, such as AI-generated images. NIST explains that each approach has technical limits.

For a claim about a real event, look for the earliest post, its date and place, and corroboration. Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source. Here, that could be a campus alert or someone’s dated photo of the courtyard. If you cannot confirm the claim, write a verification note. A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

Professional standards

Real sourceRadio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)

RTDNA Code of Ethics: Truth and accuracy above all

“Journalism verifies, provides relevant context, tells the rest of the story and acknowledges the absence of important additional information.”

In plain words: The RTDNA code asks news staff to say what they checked and to admit what they still do not know.

Question: The facilities page shows no active alerts but was last updated Monday. What should Jordy's note say is still unknown?

Your answer

Still unknown: ___, because ___.

Still unknown: whether the courtyard flooded today, because an empty page last updated Monday morning cannot confirm or rule out a Wednesday flood.

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

In the news

Real sourceNPRMay 22, 2023

Fake viral images of an explosion at the Pentagon were probably created by AI

A realistic fake image spread fast and briefly moved markets before officials confirmed nothing happened.

Real sourceCNNMay 22, 2023

‘Verified’ Twitter accounts share fake image of ‘explosion’ near Pentagon, causing confusion

A blue check was not proof: accounts that looked trustworthy still shared an image with no real source.

Notes

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Sort the evidence

On your ownSort each piece of evidence under the claim it bears on and fill in each box. About 10 minutes.

Two claims are in play: the flood and the image. Sort each piece of evidence under the claim it actually bears on. What would settle either one?

Evidence	Claim 1The courtyard flooded today.	Claim 2The image was generated by AI.
1 The image shows water in a courtyard, with no date or source	Supports	Neither
2 Facilities alerts page at 3:10 p.m.: no active alerts	Challenges	Neither
3 Secondhand report of water near the library	Supports	Neither
4 An odd hand and a 12% detector score	Neither	Leaves open

Still open

The image’s earliest source and date

Whose perspective is missing?

Whose view is missing from these documents? What would you ask them?

The view that is missing is ___. I would ask ___.

The original poster’s view is missing. I would ask where the file came from, when it was made or taken, and whether they have the original.

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Practice: choose a response

On your ownChoose what Jordy should do, explain why and fix the two marked phrases. About 10 minutes.

The recap goes out at six. What should Jordy do about the courtyard image?

A Post the image with a question: “Is the courtyard flooded?”
B Say the image is fake, because the hand looks wrong.
C Leave the image out, report what the crew checked and say the flood is not confirmed.

Why I chose it

C. A spreads the image even with a question mark. B turns a clue into a verdict, and the image could be a real photo from another day.

Improve a draft

A student’s first draft

Heads up everyone!! 1 The courtyard flooded today so don’t go over there. Some people are saying the picture is AI because the hand looks weird but I ran it through a detector and it said 12% AI so it’s basically real. My roommate also said her friend saw water near the library earlier, so that pretty much confirms it. Stay safe and 2 tell your friends, we don’t want anyone getting hurt or ruining their shoes lol. We’ll post more if we hear anything else about it.

Rewrite each marked phrase so it says only what the evidence supports.

Rewrite phrase 1

An image says the courtyard flooded today. We can’t confirm that yet.

Rewrite phrase 2

If you have a dated photo or the original post, send it to Jordy.

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Lesson 20PracticeAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: skip this page.

Say this

“The recap goes out at six. What should Jordy do about the image?” — Vote before any discussion.

Watch for

Misconception: Students choose B because the hand looks wrong. Listen for: “Look at the fingers, it’s obviously fake.” Then: Ask whether the image could be a real photo from another day. The hand cannot rule that out.

Support

Read the three options aloud before students choose.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

A revised version: About the courtyard flood image going around: we can’t confirm it yet. We couldn’t find who posted it first, and the campus alerts page shows no active alerts, though its last update was Monday. A detector gave a low score, but detectors make mistakes and can’t tell us whether the event happened. So we’re not sharing the image as news. If you’re on campus now, check the official alert page before changing plans. We’ll update here by 6 p.m. Thanks for checking before sharing. If you have a dated photo or an original post, send it to Jordy.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

AP Seminar

Your task

On your ownRead the steps and fill in the planner boxes before you start your draft. About 80 minutes.

Individual written argument on “Can we still trust what we see?”, using a stimulus packet.

Use: Stimulus: NIST overview, Adobe’s labeled examples, one journalism verification guide and one psychology article on belief.

You’ll make: Individual written argument, 1,200–1,500 words

Time: 250 minutes

Annotate each source in the stimulus packet for its claim and its perspective.
Fill in the perspective map: technical, journalistic and psychological.
Write a research question about whether we can still trust what we see.
Draft the section that proposes your verification norm on the Your draft page.
Test your norm on the courtyard image before you finalize it.
Finish the argument, 1,200 to 1,500 words, on lined paper or in the online workspace.

Prefer typing? Scan to open the online workspace.

Research question

When can a student media team treat a realistic image as evidence of a real event?

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Your task, continued

Perspective map

Technical: each approach has limits (NIST). Journalistic: verify and say what is missing. Psychological: people could not reliably tell synthesized faces from real ones.

My verification norm

No image goes out as news until it has a traced first post and one independent confirmation.

Notes

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Your draft

On your ownWrite your draft in the boxes, using your planner from the page before. About 100 minutes.

The section that proposes your norm

I propose one verification norm for a student media team. No image goes out as news until it has a traced first post and one independent confirmation. The three perspectives in the stimulus explain why. The technical sources show that tools cannot carry this job alone. NIST describes provenance data, labels, watermarks and detection, and it says each has technical limits. The psychological evidence shows that our eyes cannot carry it either. Nightingale and Farid found that people could not reliably tell synthesized faces from real ones. Journalism supplies the habit that fills the gap. The RTDNA code says journalism verifies and acknowledges when important information is missing. Tested on the courtyard image, the norm works. The image had no traced first post, and the alerts page, last updated Monday, could not confirm a flood. Under the norm, the crew posts a verification note instead of the image. The cost is speed. A real flood warning could reach followers later. So the norm allows a note that says what is known and when the next update will come.

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Check your work

On your ownAnswer the Check your work questions, mark your level in each rubric row and write one change you made. About 15 minutes.

Is your research question clear?
YesNo
Do you evaluate technical, journalistic and psychological perspectives?
YesNo
Is your synthesis your own, not a list of sources?
YesNo
Could a student media team follow your norm?
YesNo

How your work is scored

Mark one box in each row.

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Evidence	Treats the image as proof.	Cites a detector or a detail as a verdict.	Checks the earliest source and an independent record.	Checks several sources and names what each can’t show.
Reasoning	Declares real or fake with no basis.	Hedges without explaining why.	Matches confidence to evidence.	Separates authenticity of the file from truth of the event.
Audience & purpose	Urges spreading.	Warns without guidance.	Gives followers a safe next step.	Gives a next step, a follow-up time and a way to contribute evidence.

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Lesson 20Check your workAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 15 min.

Short on time: 10 min. Students answer the Check your work questions and skip the rubric self-score.

Say this

“Mark your level honestly. Then make one change and say why.” — Ask for one removed verdict or one added source.

Watch for

Misconception: Revisions only soften words. Listen for: “I changed fake to probably fake.” Then: Point to the Revision row. Replace the verdict with what was checked.

Heat check

Low.

Answer key

How to assess: The argument is scored with an educator-adapted rubric modeled on the published Individual Written Argument expectations; it is practice, not a Performance Task 2 submission.

Proficient looks like:

Evidence: Checks the earliest source and an independent record.

Reasoning: Matches confidence to evidence.

Audience & purpose: Gives followers a safe next step.

Revision: Replaces the verdict with a verification note.

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

How your work is scored, continued

Skill	Beginning	Developing	Proficient	Advanced
Revision	No change.	Softens words only.	Replaces the verdict with a verification note.	Explains how each change protects followers and credibility.

One change I made after feedback

I changed ___ because ___.

I cut a paragraph that summarized each source in turn, because it listed perspectives without connecting them.

Notes

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Questions to discuss

On your ownWrite a short answer to each question, then complete the sentence frames. About 10 minutes.

1 What would you need beyond the image to support the caption’s claim?

The earliest post, its date and place, and an independent record, such as an alert or a dated firsthand photo.

2 Do you agree with Jordy’s choice to leave the image out of the recap, and why?

Yes. The image would do the persuading, whatever the caption says. A note can report the checks without spreading the claim.

3 Who could be harmed if the crew called a real photo fake?

The photographer, whose honest photo is called a lie, and people who skip a real warning. The crew’s credibility also suffers.

4 The alerts page shows nothing new since Monday. Does that prove the courtyard did not flood?

No. Silence from a page last updated Monday morning cannot rule out a Wednesday flood. It only means no alert was posted.

My take

My claim: ___.

The crew should post a verification note that keeps the flood claim open and leaves the image out.

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Lesson 20Questions to discussAP Seminar educator edition

Pacing

Full chapter: 10 min.

Short on time: 5 min. Use question 1 only.

Say this

“Answer with a detail from a document, not a feeling about the image.” — Ask for one answer per question.

Stretch

Compare the crew’s note with the RumorGuard check on the Helene image. What does each say is known and unknown?

Going further: List every place the crew could look for the first post of the courtyard image. For each one, write what it could prove and what it could not.

Going further: Write two captions that say the flood is not confirmed. Which one makes the image feel more trustworthy than it is? Name who could be hurt if the crew gets this wrong.

Going further: Write two short notices that tell followers the flood is not confirmed. Ask two readers what each notice lets them conclude. Rewrite any line that made them more certain than the evidence allows.

Going further: Before you repost an image as news, find where it first appeared. Check an official or independent source for the event. If you cannot confirm it, say so or do not share it. If you help run a club account, suggest a “check before posting” rule.

Compare how two news organizations describe their image-verification process

Research what content credentials record and what they cannot show

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

My take, continued

The best evidence is ___, because ___.

The missing provenance, because with no first post or date, the image cannot show today’s courtyard.

Someone who disagrees might say ___.

The low detector score means the image is real, so the crew should warn people.

The limit of the evidence is ___.

The alerts page was last updated Monday, so its silence proves little.

I would change my mind if ___.

The facilities office posted a same-day alert about the courtyard.

Notes

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Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?AP Seminar student edition

Talk about this case at home

Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?

In this case, a realistic image in a group chat claims that a campus courtyard flooded today. Your student checked where the image came from and wrote a short note that says what is known and what is not.

Questions to talk about

What would you check before you share a picture of breaking news?
Where does your town or school post official alerts?
Why can saying you are not sure yet be better than guessing?

Nobody needs to share personal stories or private information to talk about this case.

See the case online.

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Key termsAP Seminar student edition

Key terms

Academic credit Academic credit is credit toward a degree that a school gives for approved work, such as an internship.

En español: créditos académicos

Accountability Accountability is owning a mistake and doing what you said you would do to fix it.

En español: rendición de cuentas

ADA coordinator An ADA coordinator is the staff member a government names to handle disability access questions and complaints.

En español: coordinador de la ADA

Agenda item An agenda item is one topic listed on a meeting’s official schedule of business.

En español: punto del orden del día

Attribution Attribution is naming the person who made a work, such as a song, a photo or a video.

En español: atribución

Authority Authority is the power a person or group has to make or change a particular rule or decision.

En español: autoridad

Barrier A barrier is something that blocks or limits a person from taking part.

En español: barrera

Challenge A challenge is a formal request to remove or restrict a book or other library material.

En español: impugnación

Claim A claim is a statement that something is true. You can check a claim with evidence.

En español: afirmación

Compensation Compensation is all the pay and benefits a worker receives, including hourly rates, bonuses and overtime.

En español: compensación

Consent Consent is permission a person gives for something specific, such as sharing a record with a named person.

En español: consentimiento

Context Context is the information around an event or a quote that you need to understand what it means.

En español: contexto

Correction A correction is a public statement that replaces wrong information with accurate information.

En español: corrección

Corroboration Corroboration is support for a claim from an independent source.

En español: corroboración

Criteria Criteria are the standards or reasons a group uses to make a decision.

En español: criterios

Decision-maker A decision-maker is the person or group with the power to make a particular choice.

En español: quien toma la decisión

Disclosure A disclosure is a clear statement that tells people about a relationship or fact they would want to know.

En español: divulgación

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Key termsAP Seminar student edition

Key terms, continued

Documentation Documentation is a record, such as a photo, a note or an email, that shows what was said or done and when.

En español: documentación

Education record An education record is a record directly about a student that a school or college keeps.

En español: expediente educativo

Eligibility Eligibility is meeting the requirements for a particular service or program.

En español: elegibilidad

Endorsement An endorsement is a message that shares someone's opinion or experience of a product to promote it.

En español: respaldo

Equal Pay Act The Equal Pay Act is a federal law from 1963 that requires equal pay for men and women who do equal work.

En español: Ley de Igualdad Salarial

Equity Equity is a way of sharing that adjusts for different needs so everyone gets a fair chance.

En español: equidad

Evaluation An evaluation is a school's formal process for learning about a student's needs, using more than one measure.

En español: evaluación

Expenditure An expenditure is money that a government or an organization spends.

En español: gasto

Fact pattern A fact pattern is the specific set of facts in a situation that a rule is applied to.

En español: conjunto de hechos

Fair Labor Standards Act The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that sets minimum wage and overtime rules for most workers.

En español: Ley de Normas Justas de Trabajo

Fair use Fair use is a part of U.S. copyright law that allows some uses without permission, judged case by case with four factors.

En español: uso justo

FERPA FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law about who can see student education records.

En español: FERPA (Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad de la Familia)

FICA FICA is the federal payroll tax that funds Social Security and Medicare.

En español: FICA (Seguro Social y Medicare)

Framing Framing is choosing which parts of a situation a message brings forward.

En español: encuadre

Gross pay Gross pay is the money you earn before any taxes or other deductions are taken out.

En español: salario bruto

Holding statement A holding statement is a short update that says what is known, what is still being checked and when people will hear more.

En español: comunicado provisional

Jurisdiction A jurisdiction is the place or area where a particular government or rule has authority.

En español: jurisdicción

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Key termsAP Seminar student edition

Key terms, continued

Learning goal A learning goal is the knowledge or skill that a task is meant to show.

En español: meta de aprendizaje

License A license is permission from a rights holder to use a work under specific terms.

En español: licencia

Local acceptance Local acceptance is the list of materials that your own city's recycling or compost program actually takes.

En español: materiales aceptados en tu ciudad

Material connection A material connection is a relationship with a brand, like payment or a free product, that viewers might not expect.

En español: conexión material

Net pay Net pay is the money left after taxes and other deductions, often called take-home pay.

En español: salario neto

Per-pupil amount A per-pupil amount is a total divided by the number of students, so that districts of different sizes can be compared.

En español: monto por estudiante

Precedent A precedent is an earlier court decision that judges use as a guide in similar later cases.

En español: precedente

Primary beneficiary test The primary beneficiary test is how the U.S. Department of Labor decides whether an intern at a for-profit company is an employee.

En español: prueba del beneficiario principal

Program access Program access is an ADA rule that a city's services, taken as a whole, must be usable by people with disabilities.

En español: acceso a los programas

Proposal A proposal is a change that someone suggests and that has not been approved yet.

En español: propuesta

Provenance Provenance is information about where an image or a document came from and how it has been handled.

En español: procedencia

Public record A public record is information a government keeps that anyone can ask to see, such as meeting comments.

En español: registro público

Reasonable accommodation A reasonable accommodation is a change to a rule or practice that gives a person with a disability equal use of a place.

En español: acomodo razonable

Reconsideration policy A reconsideration policy is a library's written process for reviewing a challenge to a book.

En español: política de reconsideración

Registration Registration is signing up with your election office so that you are on the list of people who can vote.

En español: inscripción electoral

Remit A remit is the set of matters that a committee or other body is responsible for and can act on.

En español: competencia

411

Key termsAP Seminar student edition

Key terms, continued

Reuse Reuse is using an item again instead of throwing it away after one use.

En español: reutilización

Revenue Revenue is money that comes into a government or an organization, such as taxes and grants.

En español: ingresos

Sample ballot A sample ballot is a preview of the contests and measures that will appear on your ballot.

En español: boleta de muestra

Selection criteria Selection criteria are the written standards a library uses to decide which materials to include.

En español: criterios de selección

Source reduction Source reduction is preventing waste before it is created, for example by buying less packaging.

En español: reducción en la fuente

Substantial disruption Substantial disruption is the standard from Tinker v. Des Moines: a public school may limit speech that would seriously disrupt school activities.

En español: alteración sustancial

Title VII Title VII is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It bans job discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

En español: Título VII

Trade-off A trade-off is a choice where getting one benefit means accepting a cost or giving something up.

En español: compensación entre opciones

Verification note A verification note is a short record of what you checked, what you found and what is still unknown.

En español: nota de verificación

Voter guide A voter guide is a document that explains or recommends choices in an election.

En español: guía para votantes

Withholding Withholding is money an employer takes out of each paycheck to pay taxes or other costs for the worker.

En español: retención

412

My progressAP Seminar student edition

My progress

After each case, write the date and your level for each skill: Beginning, Developing, Proficient or Advanced.

Case	Date	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience and purpose	Revision
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

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My progressAP Seminar student edition

My progress, continued

Case	Date	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience and purpose	Revision
18
19
20

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Track the work across the yearAP Seminar educator edition

Track the work across the year

Each case has the same four rubric rows, so growth is easy to see. Mark the level each student or group reached, case by case.

Case	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience	Revision	Took a civic step
1 Is the screening canceled?
2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?
3 What should a group do after a public mistake?
4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
6 What can your family see in your college records?
7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?
8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?
9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
12 When can a school limit what students say?
13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?

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Track the work across the year, continuedAP Seminar educator edition

Track the work across the year, continued

Case	Evidence	Reasoning	Audience	Revision	Took a civic step
16 Who wrote the new building rule?
17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?
18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
20 Can the crew post this image as true?

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About course names and standardsAP Seminar educator edition

About course names and standards

AP, Pre-AP and IB activities are practice designed by No, Pero Why?. They are not official College Board or IB materials. Honors expectations are set by your school.

Framework sources

AP Seminar Course and Exam Description: big ideas and assessment

College Board, AP Seminar course page: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar
College Board, AP Seminar exam and assessment page: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-seminar/exam

Checked September 25, 2026.

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