Team Project and Presentation (PT1): every key term you need (+ practice quiz)
36 flashcard terms for AP Seminar Unit 4, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards, or test yourself with the 20-question quiz — free, no account needed.
The Team Multimedia Presentation and Defense: a team of 3-5 students investigates a research question, each member writes an Individual Research Report, and the team delivers a joint presentation with an oral defense.
Team Size
PT1 teams consist of three to five students; each member must contribute an Individual Research Report on a distinct approach or lens.
Individual Research Report (IRR)
A 1,200-word (maximum) report in which each team member investigates one perspective, lens, or approach related to the team's research question and evaluates the sources found.
IRR Word Limit
The IRR may not exceed 1,200 words excluding the bibliography; readers stop scoring at the limit.
Team Multimedia Presentation (TMP)
An 8-10 minute presentation, delivered by the whole team, that synthesizes the members' individual research into a proposed solution, resolution, or conclusion to the research question.
TMP Time Limit
The team presentation runs 8-10 minutes; timing outside the window can affect the score.
Oral Defense
After the team presentation, the teacher asks each student one question drawn from the College Board's list; each student answers individually and is scored individually.
Team Research Question
The single, focused, arguable question the entire team investigates; individual reports approach it from different lenses.
Weight of PT1
Performance Task 1 counts for 20% of the AP Seminar score: the IRR is 10% and the Team Presentation and Defense is 10%.
IRR Rubric Row: Understand and Analyze Context
Rewards explaining the complexity of the issue and situating it in a broader context relevant to the team's question.
IRR Rubric Row: Understand and Analyze Argument
Rewards accurately identifying and explaining the main ideas, arguments, and lines of reasoning of the sources used.
IRR Rubric Row: Evaluate Sources and Evidence
Rewards evaluating the credibility and relevance of sources and the validity of the evidence they present.
IRR Rubric Row: Apply Conventions
Rewards proper attribution and citation, and consistent, appropriate style and grammar; missing citations can trigger the plagiarism policy.
Complexity of the Issue
Showing why a problem is not simple: multiple stakeholders, tensions among perspectives, and interconnected causes; the IRR must establish this.
Team Norms
Agreed rules for how a team communicates, divides work, resolves conflict, and meets deadlines; the CED's Big Idea 5 emphasizes effective collaboration.
Division of Labor
Assigning each member a distinct lens or sub-question so that individual reports do not duplicate one another and the presentation covers a range of perspectives.
Consensus
A team decision that all members can support; reaching it requires listening, compromise, and evidence-based discussion.
Constructive Feedback
Specific, actionable, respectful comments on a teammate's work that improve the product without personal criticism.
Teammates reading and critiquing one another's IRR drafts and rehearsal segments before final submission.
Presentation Design
Slides or media should support, not replace, the spoken argument: minimal text, clear visuals, readable fonts, and cited images.
Multimedia Element
Visuals, video clips, audio, charts, or demonstrations used to communicate ideas; each element should serve the argument, and all borrowed media must be attributed.
Audience Awareness
Adapting content, vocabulary, and delivery to the knowledge and interests of the specific audience listening.
Delivery
The vocal and physical aspects of presenting: volume, pace, eye contact, posture, gestures, and engagement rather than reading from notes.
Transitions Between Speakers
Deliberate handoffs that connect one team member's segment to the next so the presentation reads as one coherent argument.
Team Presentation Rubric Row: Establish Argument
Rewards a clear, well-supported argument with a coherent line of reasoning that draws on individual research.
Team Presentation Rubric Row: Select and Use Evidence
Rewards relevant, credible evidence that is clearly linked to claims and properly attributed.
Team Presentation Rubric Row: Engage Audience
Rewards effective delivery and design that keep the audience engaged and make the argument easy to follow.
Oral Defense Rubric
Scores each student's individual response for a thorough, reflective answer that references the presentation, the process, and the student's own reasoning.
Sample Defense Question
Questions ask about process and reasoning, for example: How did your team decide which perspectives to include? or What was the most significant limitation of your research?
Reflection on Process
Explaining how the team's thinking changed, what challenges arose, and how the group resolved them; a key part of a strong oral defense answer.
Bibliography (IRR)
A complete list of sources cited in the report, using a consistent citation style; excluded from the word count.
Citation Style
A consistent format for citing sources (MLA, APA, or Chicago); AP Seminar accepts any consistent style.
Solution, Resolution, or Conclusion
What the team presentation must arrive at: a defensible answer to the research question, informed by all members' research and acknowledging limitations.
Rehearsal
Practicing the full presentation with timing, transitions, and technology checks so that the delivered version fits the 8-10 minute window.
Digital Portfolio
The College Board platform where students upload the IRR and where teachers upload presentation scores and defense scores.
Academic Integrity (PT1)
Each student's IRR must be individually authored; the team may share sources and discuss ideas but not write one another's reports.