Are you ready to take your critical thinking, research, and presentation skills to the next level? This is not just another class—it’s an opportunity to explore real-world issues, develop strong arguments, problem solve and collaborate with classmates in a unique learning format. Whether you're passionate about social justice, science, technology, or the arts, this course allows you to dive deep into topics that matter to you!

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Welcome to AP Seminar at PAH!

I am thrilled to introduce AP Seminar, a Capstone Program course from the College Board! Over a decade ago, the College Board launched the Capstone Program to help students develop essential skills for college success, including critical thinking, research, academic writing, presentation skills, and argumentation. This program consists of two courses—AP Seminar and AP Research (which will be available at PAH in 2027-2028).

AP Seminar is a challenging, collaborative course designed for students who are:
✔️ Committed to regular communication
✔️ Ready to collaborate with peers
✔️ Able to engage in asynchronous learning modules
✔️ Self-motivated and able to meet deadlines for long-term projects

If you're excited about developing college-level skills and working on in-depth research, AP Seminar is the perfect opportunity!

From the  College Board Course Description:

"AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational literary and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in research based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision."

The unique AP score consists of:

• Team Project & Presentation (20%) – A collaborative research-based project with an oral defense.
• Individual Research-Based Essay & Presentation (35%) – A written argument and an individual multimedia presentation.
• End-of-Course Exam (45%) – A two-hour written exam analyzing sources and constructing evidence-based arguments.

This course will begin on Monday August 31, 2026

Course Format Overview

Syllabus
A detailed syllabus will be provided at the start of the academic year and may be adjusted as needed to best support student progress.

Learning Modules
Course content will be released on the portal every 2–4 weeks, depending on the unit. The course is primarily asynchronous, with a variety of instructional approaches designed to support different learning styles and schedules.

Individual Support & Check-Ins

Because AP Seminar is a research-based course, regular check-ins are built in to help students stay on track and feel supported throughout the process.

• Semester 1: Two brief individual meetings (10–15 minutes)
• Semester 2: Approximately four individual meetings, scheduled around key research milestones

These meetings are designed to provide personalized feedback, guidance, and encouragement as students develop their work.

Flexible meeting options are available (Zoom preferred, but alternatives can be arranged).

Optional Office Hours
Students may also attend optional drop-in Zoom office hours 1–2 times per month (evenings, schedule posted each semester) for additional support, questions, or feedback.

Collaborative Team Structure
Students will work in teams of 3–5, formed early in the year.

To support collaboration and project development:
Teams will participate in occasional check-ins during the fall
In the spring, teams will meet periodically as their research projects progress

Teams will create their own meeting schedules, helping build independence and time-management skills.

Additional support meetings may be suggested if helpful.

Final Presentation & Oral Defense
Final team presentations and oral defenses will take place during the weeks of April 19 and April 25 (or as prearranged).

All team members are expected to attend and participate in their scheduled presentation.

Scheduled breaks will be:

• Thanksgiving Break Saturday, November 21- Monday, November 30
• Holiday Break from Wednesday, December 16 - Monday, January 4
• Spring Break  will be FLEXIBLE with this course, due to mandatory deadlines at the end of April. Students will be expected to coordinate breaks as best possible with their collaborative teams and inform Ms. Noah of their plans by the end of the Fall Semester. Please note that presentations will be scheduled for the weeks of April 19 and 25. 

Resources:  High-speed internet and a reliable computer with an internet browser. No specific software is required, although instructor-student cooperation regarding technical difficulties is expected. They should also have Zoom access. NO TEXTBOOK WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THIS COURSE.

TUITION: $700 as of July 1, 2026. The 'Early Bird' cost for those who register before July 1st is $650. 

CLASS SIZE: AP Seminar will need a minimum of 12 students enrolled to run, and enrollment will be limited to 36 students. Fill out your application here

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

Meredith Noah, a New Jersey native, has been teaching AP® European History since 1999. She received her B.A. in History at Ramapo College of New Jersey, where she also became an accredited Social Studies teacher for grades 6-12. Ms. Noah earned her M.A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in European History from Rutgers University and has 30 additional graduate credits in Educational Technology from Colorado State University. 

Ms. Noah is a very involved participant in the AP® community. She has been an AP Reader since 2010, scoring thousands of DBQ essays, Long Essay Questions (LEQs) and Short Answer Questions (SAQs). With the experience of being trained by the College Board, Ms. Noah has been able to teach the specific skills needed to write well for the exam, which has resulted in consistently strong scores well above the national average.  Additionally, Ms. Noah is the founder and administrator for the largest secure collaborative community for AP European History teachers online, with over 2,500 active teacher members. She also has led an online AP review consortium with other AP Readers for students through Google, YouTube as well as Zoom.

In addition to AP European History, Ms. Noah has taught World Civilizations and American History in the same brick & mortar public school district since the 1998-1999 school year. 

This will be the first year that Ms. Noah has instructed AP Seminar, and she is thrilled about the opportunity!

Outside of work, Ms. Noah enjoys traveling {favorite international destinations include Florence, St. Malo (France), Innsbruck (Austria), Copenhagen and Paris}. Looking ahead, she is planning an upcoming school trip to Central Europe (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic) in the summer of 2027. So far, she has been to the following European countries: Italy, France, the United Kingdom (including England, Wales, Scotland), Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Croatia and Slovenia. While Ms. Noah is a great lover of history and European studies, she also loves pop culture, reading, writing, swimming and knitting. Ms. Noah is also a very proud 'pawrent' to Emmy (5 years old) and Daisy (1 year old)