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Unit 2: Synthesis, Argument, and the Performance Tasks (QUEST 4 to 5)

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you attribute sources correctly and uphold academic integrity?

Attribution and academic integrity (QUEST big idea 5, applied): attribute ideas and evidence accurately, cite sources in a consistent style, avoid plagiarism, and meet the AP Capstone integrity policies that protect a score.
How AP Seminar students attribute ideas and evidence accurately, cite in a consistent style, distinguish quotation, paraphrase, and summary, and meet the AP Capstone academic integrity policies, where plagiarism or falsification on a Performance Task can cost a score of zero on that task.
10 min answer →

How do you build a defensible thesis and a line of reasoning that carries it?

Building a line of reasoning (QUEST big idea 4, applied): craft a defensible thesis and organize claims, evidence, and commentary into a coherent line of reasoning that leads to a logical conclusion.
How AP Seminar students craft a defensible thesis and build a line of reasoning: ordering claims so each follows from the last, attaching evidence and commentary to every claim, using transitions to signal the logic, and addressing counterarguments, the structural backbone of every AP Seminar argument.
11 min answer →

How do you combine others' ideas with your own reasoning into a new, defensible argument?

Synthesize Ideas (QUEST big idea 4): combine multiple sources and perspectives with your own reasoning to reach a new understanding and build a well-reasoned, evidence-based argument that conveys your own perspective.
A focused guide to the fourth QUEST skill: how to synthesize multiple sources and perspectives with your own reasoning into a new, defensible argument, how synthesis differs from summary, and how to weave attributed evidence into a line of reasoning, the core skill of Part B and both Performance Tasks.
11 min answer →

How do you collaborate effectively, reflect to grow, and adapt an argument for an audience?

Team, Transform, and Transmit (QUEST big idea 5): collaborate to reach a shared goal, reflect on the process to transform your thinking, and adapt and present your argument effectively for a particular audience and context.
A focused guide to the fifth QUEST skill: how to collaborate effectively in a team, reflect on the inquiry process to transform your thinking, and adapt and transmit an argument for a specific audience through presentation and oral defense, the communication backbone of both Performance Tasks.
10 min answer →