Academics » Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement

What Is AP Capstone?

AP Capstone is a diploma program from College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Students who complete the two-year program can earn one of two different AP Capstone awards, which are valued by colleges across the United States and around the world.
 
John F. Kennedy High School is proud to be one of XXX schools in the state of California to host an AP Capstone Diploma program.

How It Works

AP Capstone is not a course. Other AP courses teach you, in depth, about a specific subject, like biology or U.S. history. AP Seminar and AP Research are different. They focus on helping you develop academic skills you can use in any discipline. These skills include
 
Critical thinking: View issues from multiple perspectives and create arguments based on evidence. Collaboration: Work alone, in a group, and with expert advisers to communicate your ideas.
Conducting research: Explore various research methods and complete research projects on topics of your own choosing. Public speaking: Present and defend your work as a group and individually. 
STUDENTS WHO EARN SCORES OF 3 OR HIGHER IN AP SEMINAR AND AP RESEARCH AND ON FOUR ADDITIONAL AP EXAMS OF THEIR CHOOSING RECEIVE THE AP CAPSTONE DIPLOMA™.
 
STUDENTS WHO EARN SCORES OF 3 OR HIGHER IN AP SEMINAR AND AP RESEARCH BUT NOT ON FOUR ADDITIONAL AP EXAMS RECEIVE THE AP SEMINAR AND RESEARCH CERTIFICATE™.

AP Course Offerings

AP Capstone Diploma Program

Develop your skills in drawing as you experiment with different materials and processes. You’ll create artwork that reflects your own ideas and skills and what you’ve learned. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Build on what you learned in AP Seminar to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, you will design, plan, and conduct a year-long research based investigation to address a research question. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

Arts

Develop your skills in drawing as you experiment with different materials and processes. You’ll create artwork that reflects your own ideas and skills and what you’ve learned. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Develop 3-D skills in materials and processes, such as sculpture, architectural rendering and models, metal work, ceramics, glass work, and others. You’ll create artwork that reflects your own ideas and skills and what you’ve learned. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

English

Learn about the elements of argument and composition as you develop your critical-reading and writing skills. You’ll read and analyze nonfiction works from various periods and write essays with different aims: for example, to explain an idea, argue a point, or persuade your reader of something. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Learn how to understand and evaluate works of fiction, poetry, and drama from various periods and cultures. You’ll read literary works and write essays to explain and support your analysis of them. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

History & Social Sciences

Explore how humans have understood, used, and changed the surface of Earth. You’ll use the tools and thinking processes of geographers to examine patterns of human population, migration, and land use. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Explore the ideas, theories, and methods of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. You’ll examine the concepts of psychology through reading and discussion and you’ll analyze data from psychological research studies. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Study the key concepts and institutions of the political system and culture of the United States. You'll read, analyze, and discuss the U.S. Constitution and other documents as well as complete a research or applied civics project. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the United States from c. 1491 to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Study the cultural, economic, political, and social developments that have shaped the world from c. 1200 CE to the present. You’ll analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence and write essays expressing historical arguments. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

Math & Computer Science

Explore the concepts, methods, and applications of differential and integral calculus. You’ll work to understand the theoretical basis and solve problems by applying your knowledge and skills. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Learn about the major concepts and tools used for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. You’ll explore statistics through discussion and activities, and you'll design surveys and experiments. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Learn the principles that underlie the science of computing and develop the thinking skills that computer scientists use. You’ll work on your own and as part of a team to creatively address real-world issues using the tools and processes of computation. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

Sciences

Study the core scientific principles, theories, and processes that govern living organisms and biological systems. You’ll do hands-on laboratory work to investigate natural phenomena. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Learn about the fundamental concepts of chemistry including structure and states of matter, intermolecular forces, and reactions. You’ll do hands-on lab investigations and use chemical calculations to solve problems. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Explore and investigate the interrelationships of the natural world and analyze environmental problems, both natural and human-made. You’ll take part in laboratory investigations and field work. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Learn about the foundational principles of physics as you explore Newtonian mechanics; work, energy, and power; mechanical waves and sound; and introductory, simple circuits. You’ll do hands-on laboratory work to investigate phenomena. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE

World Languages & Cultures

Develop your Spanish language skills and learn about the cultures in Spanish-speaking parts of the world. You’ll practice communicating in Spanish and study real-life materials such as newspaper articles, films, music, and books. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE
Build your language skills and cultural knowledge by exploring works of literature written in Spanish. Using Spanish to communicate, you’ll read, analyze, discuss, and write about works by Spanish, Latin-American, and U.S. Hispanic authors of different periods. COLLEGE BOARD COURSE PAGE