AP Research Summer Assignment 2016
AP Research Summer Assignment ~ 2016
Assignment 1: Field Research
Your primary goal this summer is to brainstorm topic ideas and narrow your focus so that when you come back to school in August, you’ve basically nailed it down. We’re all at different places with this, so start where you personally need to start. Below is the research part of your summer assignment: because one size doesn’t fit all, choose the category that best suits your needs:
Group 1: I Know My Topic Begin searching to see what’s already been written. Your goal is to search for an untapped angle – where is there a gap or a hole in the conversation on this subject; what needs to be added? This summer, create a 5-source annotated bibliography (you’ll be able to add on to this next year) that includes at least 2 peer reviewed articles or case studies. All 5 sources should be credible enough to use down the road.
Group 2: I Know My Field If you know the general area of research you’d like to conduct, spend some time looking at topics within that field. Read the paper, listen to the news, do some digging, and identify 5 potential topics within your field of choice. For each topic option, do some reading and reflecting. Write a paragraph about each topic and include 1) what seems to be out there in the way of usable material, 2) benefits to researching each topic, and 3) drawbacks to researching each topic.
Group 3: I Have No Idea If this applies to you, get ready – you’ve got a lot of thinking and reading ahead of you this summer, but it’s worth it to land on the right topic. Pick a credible (preferably national or international) online newspaper, like the New York Times, and get in the habit of reading the headlines a few times a week. Pick one or two stories that look interesting, and read them. Create a jot list of articles (including date and author) that peak your interest and add to that list each week. Write a 1-sentence summary of each article you choose to read to help you remember the gist. At the end of the summer, take your list and circle 3-5 of the articles or topics that interested you the most. Bring the whole thing with you the first week of school, approximately 15-20 article titles minimum (and 1-sentence summaries).
Assignment 2: Bedford Researcher Reading (This one is one size fits all…)
Read the following chapters from the Bedford (only 1 is the complete chapter) and take good notes. Bring these to class the first week of school, and we’ll use them to kick-start our initial discussions:
Chapter 1: Getting Started(whole chapter)
- 1a: How can I research and write with confidence?
- 1b: How can I approach an assignment?
Chapter 2: Exploring and Focusing
- 2b: How can I focus on an issue? (pages 39-44)
Chapter 4: Reading Critically and Actively
- 4c: Only the section “Identify Interpretive Frameworks” (pages 80-83)