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Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

6 min readdecember 28, 2022

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Big Idea 3 Overview

is focused on understanding the complexity of an issue by looking at the multiple viewpoints that people have on it. Understandably, this Big Idea may seem smaller compared to something like BI 2. However, the fact that this topic is brought up in the other Big Ideas pretty often means it's an important one.

One of the things that will turn a just okay argumentative paper into a great argumentative paper is how well you address the multiple perspectives and complexities of an issue.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-8RJwWyWXX3SG.gif?alt=media&token=5974a4d8-72c2-46df-ad16-6f66e9f4952a

Image Courtesy of Giphy.

What is Perspective?

Before we even jump into the Essential Questions, we need to figure out what perspective even means in the context of Seminar.

There are really two ways that you can think about perspective:

  • The viewpoint 🔍 that someone has on a particular argument.

    • For example: If I am arguing that school shouldn't take place on Friday, my perspective is that school shouldn't happen on Friday. Easy enough, right?
  • The particular way that someone has chosen to look at an idea.

    • This is when the idea of  👓 comes into play. There are lots of ways that you can choose to look at a beyond whether you support an argument or you don't. When you look at a question through a lens, you are taking a unique perspective on it.
    • Some examples of are: 
      • Historical 🤠

      • Cultural and Social 🎨

      • Ethical ⚕️

      • Environmental ♻️

    • By choosing to look at your through the historical lens, you will acquire different perspectives than someone who looked at it through the .
    • Typically you will discuss these when you write your Individual Research Report. (IRR)
    • In , you and your group are tasked with coming up with a real-world problem that you want answered. However, it is up to you to look at that problem (or ) through a unique perspective (or lens 🔍).
    • These 🔍 will inform the type of research that you do and the way that you will present it.

The Essential Questions of Big Idea 3

Essential Questions Overview

Alright! Now that we have defined perspective, let's jump into the EQ's. 🤔

While it is your job to argue for one side over the other, you still need to address that other side and highlight why it's relevant. This Big Idea is all about building the skill set that will allow you to be successful when analyzing multiple perspectives.

First, let's look at the Essential Questions 🤔:

  1. What patterns or trends can be identified among the arguments about the issue?

  2. What are the and/or consequences of accepting or rejecting a particular argument?
  3. How can I connect the multiple perspectives? What other issues, questions, or topics do they relate to?
  4. How can I explain contradictions within or between arguments?
  5. From whose perspective is this information being presented, and how does that affect my evaluation?

Using the Essential Questions to Understand Perspective

Unlike the other Big Idea EQs where you want consider them but not actively use them, you really want to use these EQs as a guide to developing proper perspective. Think of them almost like steps that you need to take when approaching an argument or .

Let's use an example here and look at how the EQ's can help us better understand perspective. I'm going to give a fairly generic 🤔 and show how we would work through it using the EQs.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-xl9GiFznXqx7.gif?alt=media&token=c26878ba-6bcc-495e-89dd-c3da7596c808

Image Courtesy of Giphy

Question: Should the average school  day be four days a week? 

  • EQ 1: The first step is to find some basic arguments surrounding the question. This should go beyond simply that the school week should be shorter or shouldn't be shorter. Instead, look for arguments that attempt to give a reason to why it should or why it shouldn't. Do these reasons use scientific data? Historical examples? Social reasoning?

  • EQ 2: What are the of accepting one argument over another? So in other words, why might I accept argument A instead of argument B? Does argument B make valid points that still need to be considered?

  • EQ 3: Are there any arguments that agree that school weeks should be shorter, but for different reasons? Can I maybe connect those two perspectives? Also, what else does this impact? I could maybe look at mental health in students or the importance of extra curricular activities. These aren't my original , but they do relate to it.

  • EQ 4: Is there anything within the arguments that I looked at that just doesn't make sense? You should be looking for pitfalls within arguments. No argument is going to be airtight and it's important that you recognize where those shortcomings are. For example, someone may argue about the importance of a four day school week, but not mention what parents will do with kids on that extra day off.

  • EQ 5: Who is making the argument and why are they making it? Knowing who the author of an argument is will always help you understand their perspective. Is a teacher arguing? A student? A doctor? A parent? This will inform the of the argument and help you better understand the perspective.

How Big Idea 3 Relates to the Exam

Evaluating perspectives is needed to be successful on all parts of the Performance Tasks and Exam. We'll be looking at the rubrics and show exactly how you'll be using it.

Performance Task 1

Individual Research Report

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-XYAwAvu10hdD.png?alt=media&token=eddde7d7-565b-46f0-97ec-ec876187ab3f
  • Looking at the IRR rubric, we can see that 20% of your grade will come from analyzing perspective.

  • Note that you need to be drawing connections between the multiple perspectives!

Team Multimedia Presentation

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-pH0AI0JdT2oE.png?alt=media&token=dfd41581-14d1-408c-b433-faa0e208b8c2
  • While this row in the rubric does not outright mention "perspectives," it does talk about the team's ability to look at things like limitations and . Remember, these are all things that you should have been making note of early in the research process.

Performance Task 2

Individual Written Argument

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-U30cZ4A2TIsv.png?alt=media&token=8fb78379-704e-44a7-9e82-c3a26e80d6af
  • Like the IRR, a big focus of your Individual Written Argument (IWA) will be to recognize and talk about multiple perspectives. As we can see with the rubric above, you will really be putting into practice a lot of the Essential Questions that we talked about above. Things like , connections, and limitations are all important.

  • In order to ace 💯 this portion of the IWA, you should consider multiple perspectives when crafting your argument. How does your argument appeal to multiple other perspectives? Also, don't be afraid to talk about why some people may not support your argument.

Individual Multi-Media Presentation

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-2yjmF1SwDNTs.png?alt=media&token=cb6eb41d-02ba-4e36-942f-68668e527d69

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-jphsjbJYxl3T.png?alt=media&token=6bc0721a-c26d-41da-8fb7-72bcb427b6bf
  • In your presentation, make sure that you talk about the multiple perspectives you considered in your IWA. You can do this when you talk about your evidence and when you talk about your argument more broadly.

In Conclusion...

Perspective is important‼️ Understanding the perspective of an argument before you start digging into research will help inform how you talk about it and how you view it.

As you write, make sure that you're including evidence from multiple perspectives and talking about how they interact together. And don't forget, you should include perspectives that disagree with you! Use them to explain why your argument is the strongest.

Key Terms to Review (13)

Bias

: Bias refers to the tendency to favor or hold a particular perspective, opinion, or belief over others, often leading to unfairness or prejudice in decision-making.

Big Idea 3

: Big Idea 3 refers to the concept of considering multiple viewpoints and perspectives when analyzing complex issues or problems. It emphasizes the importance of understanding different opinions and beliefs in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a topic.

Environmental lens

: Environmental lens refers to a perspective through which individuals consider the impact of human activities on the natural world. It involves recognizing the interconnectedness between humans and their environment and making decisions with sustainability in mind.

Essential Questions (EQs)

: Essential Questions (EQs) are thought-provoking inquiries that encourage deep thinking about important concepts and guide students' exploration throughout their academic journey.

Ethical lens

: Ethical lens refers to the perspective or framework through which individuals view and make ethical decisions. It encompasses their values, beliefs, and moral principles that guide their behavior.

Implications

: Implications are the logical consequences or results that arise from a particular action, decision, or situation. They are the potential outcomes or effects that can be inferred or predicted based on certain circumstances.

Individual Research Report (IRR)

: An Individual Research Report (IRR) is an academic document that presents the findings of an individual's research project. It typically includes an introduction, literature review, methodology section, results analysis, conclusion, and references.

Individual Written Argument (IWA)

: The Individual Written Argument (IWA) is a component of the AP Seminar exam where students are required to write an essay that presents and defends their own argument on a given topic. It assesses the student's ability to analyze sources, develop a coherent argument, and use evidence effectively.

Lenses

: Lenses are different perspectives or ways of looking at a particular topic or issue. They help us analyze and understand complex ideas from various angles.

Performance Task 1

: Performance Task 1 refers to a task that requires students to apply their knowledge and skills in order to complete a real-world project or solve a complex problem. It assesses the student's ability to think critically, analyze information, and communicate effectively.

Performance Task 2

: Performance Task 2 is an assessment in AP Seminar where students are required to analyze a real-world issue and develop an argumentative essay. It evaluates their ability to research, synthesize information, and construct a well-supported argument.

Research Question

: A research question is an inquiry that guides an investigation or study. It identifies what information needs to be gathered and analyzed in order to address a specific problem or explore a particular topic.

Team Multimedia Presentation

: A team multimedia presentation is a collaborative project where multiple individuals work together to create and deliver a presentation using various forms of media such as images, videos, audio clips, and slideshows.

Big Idea 3: Evaluate Multiple Perspectives

6 min readdecember 28, 2022

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Steven Kucklick

Big Idea 3 Overview

is focused on understanding the complexity of an issue by looking at the multiple viewpoints that people have on it. Understandably, this Big Idea may seem smaller compared to something like BI 2. However, the fact that this topic is brought up in the other Big Ideas pretty often means it's an important one.

One of the things that will turn a just okay argumentative paper into a great argumentative paper is how well you address the multiple perspectives and complexities of an issue.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-8RJwWyWXX3SG.gif?alt=media&token=5974a4d8-72c2-46df-ad16-6f66e9f4952a

Image Courtesy of Giphy.

What is Perspective?

Before we even jump into the Essential Questions, we need to figure out what perspective even means in the context of Seminar.

There are really two ways that you can think about perspective:

  • The viewpoint 🔍 that someone has on a particular argument.

    • For example: If I am arguing that school shouldn't take place on Friday, my perspective is that school shouldn't happen on Friday. Easy enough, right?
  • The particular way that someone has chosen to look at an idea.

    • This is when the idea of  👓 comes into play. There are lots of ways that you can choose to look at a beyond whether you support an argument or you don't. When you look at a question through a lens, you are taking a unique perspective on it.
    • Some examples of are: 
      • Historical 🤠

      • Cultural and Social 🎨

      • Ethical ⚕️

      • Environmental ♻️

    • By choosing to look at your through the historical lens, you will acquire different perspectives than someone who looked at it through the .
    • Typically you will discuss these when you write your Individual Research Report. (IRR)
    • In , you and your group are tasked with coming up with a real-world problem that you want answered. However, it is up to you to look at that problem (or ) through a unique perspective (or lens 🔍).
    • These 🔍 will inform the type of research that you do and the way that you will present it.

The Essential Questions of Big Idea 3

Essential Questions Overview

Alright! Now that we have defined perspective, let's jump into the EQ's. 🤔

While it is your job to argue for one side over the other, you still need to address that other side and highlight why it's relevant. This Big Idea is all about building the skill set that will allow you to be successful when analyzing multiple perspectives.

First, let's look at the Essential Questions 🤔:

  1. What patterns or trends can be identified among the arguments about the issue?

  2. What are the and/or consequences of accepting or rejecting a particular argument?
  3. How can I connect the multiple perspectives? What other issues, questions, or topics do they relate to?
  4. How can I explain contradictions within or between arguments?
  5. From whose perspective is this information being presented, and how does that affect my evaluation?

Using the Essential Questions to Understand Perspective

Unlike the other Big Idea EQs where you want consider them but not actively use them, you really want to use these EQs as a guide to developing proper perspective. Think of them almost like steps that you need to take when approaching an argument or .

Let's use an example here and look at how the EQ's can help us better understand perspective. I'm going to give a fairly generic 🤔 and show how we would work through it using the EQs.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-xl9GiFznXqx7.gif?alt=media&token=c26878ba-6bcc-495e-89dd-c3da7596c808

Image Courtesy of Giphy

Question: Should the average school  day be four days a week? 

  • EQ 1: The first step is to find some basic arguments surrounding the question. This should go beyond simply that the school week should be shorter or shouldn't be shorter. Instead, look for arguments that attempt to give a reason to why it should or why it shouldn't. Do these reasons use scientific data? Historical examples? Social reasoning?

  • EQ 2: What are the of accepting one argument over another? So in other words, why might I accept argument A instead of argument B? Does argument B make valid points that still need to be considered?

  • EQ 3: Are there any arguments that agree that school weeks should be shorter, but for different reasons? Can I maybe connect those two perspectives? Also, what else does this impact? I could maybe look at mental health in students or the importance of extra curricular activities. These aren't my original , but they do relate to it.

  • EQ 4: Is there anything within the arguments that I looked at that just doesn't make sense? You should be looking for pitfalls within arguments. No argument is going to be airtight and it's important that you recognize where those shortcomings are. For example, someone may argue about the importance of a four day school week, but not mention what parents will do with kids on that extra day off.

  • EQ 5: Who is making the argument and why are they making it? Knowing who the author of an argument is will always help you understand their perspective. Is a teacher arguing? A student? A doctor? A parent? This will inform the of the argument and help you better understand the perspective.

How Big Idea 3 Relates to the Exam

Evaluating perspectives is needed to be successful on all parts of the Performance Tasks and Exam. We'll be looking at the rubrics and show exactly how you'll be using it.

Performance Task 1

Individual Research Report

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-XYAwAvu10hdD.png?alt=media&token=eddde7d7-565b-46f0-97ec-ec876187ab3f
  • Looking at the IRR rubric, we can see that 20% of your grade will come from analyzing perspective.

  • Note that you need to be drawing connections between the multiple perspectives!

Team Multimedia Presentation

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-pH0AI0JdT2oE.png?alt=media&token=dfd41581-14d1-408c-b433-faa0e208b8c2
  • While this row in the rubric does not outright mention "perspectives," it does talk about the team's ability to look at things like limitations and . Remember, these are all things that you should have been making note of early in the research process.

Performance Task 2

Individual Written Argument

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-U30cZ4A2TIsv.png?alt=media&token=8fb78379-704e-44a7-9e82-c3a26e80d6af
  • Like the IRR, a big focus of your Individual Written Argument (IWA) will be to recognize and talk about multiple perspectives. As we can see with the rubric above, you will really be putting into practice a lot of the Essential Questions that we talked about above. Things like , connections, and limitations are all important.

  • In order to ace 💯 this portion of the IWA, you should consider multiple perspectives when crafting your argument. How does your argument appeal to multiple other perspectives? Also, don't be afraid to talk about why some people may not support your argument.

Individual Multi-Media Presentation

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-2yjmF1SwDNTs.png?alt=media&token=cb6eb41d-02ba-4e36-942f-68668e527d69

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-jphsjbJYxl3T.png?alt=media&token=6bc0721a-c26d-41da-8fb7-72bcb427b6bf
  • In your presentation, make sure that you talk about the multiple perspectives you considered in your IWA. You can do this when you talk about your evidence and when you talk about your argument more broadly.

In Conclusion...

Perspective is important‼️ Understanding the perspective of an argument before you start digging into research will help inform how you talk about it and how you view it.

As you write, make sure that you're including evidence from multiple perspectives and talking about how they interact together. And don't forget, you should include perspectives that disagree with you! Use them to explain why your argument is the strongest.

Key Terms to Review (13)

Bias

: Bias refers to the tendency to favor or hold a particular perspective, opinion, or belief over others, often leading to unfairness or prejudice in decision-making.

Big Idea 3

: Big Idea 3 refers to the concept of considering multiple viewpoints and perspectives when analyzing complex issues or problems. It emphasizes the importance of understanding different opinions and beliefs in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of a topic.

Environmental lens

: Environmental lens refers to a perspective through which individuals consider the impact of human activities on the natural world. It involves recognizing the interconnectedness between humans and their environment and making decisions with sustainability in mind.

Essential Questions (EQs)

: Essential Questions (EQs) are thought-provoking inquiries that encourage deep thinking about important concepts and guide students' exploration throughout their academic journey.

Ethical lens

: Ethical lens refers to the perspective or framework through which individuals view and make ethical decisions. It encompasses their values, beliefs, and moral principles that guide their behavior.

Implications

: Implications are the logical consequences or results that arise from a particular action, decision, or situation. They are the potential outcomes or effects that can be inferred or predicted based on certain circumstances.

Individual Research Report (IRR)

: An Individual Research Report (IRR) is an academic document that presents the findings of an individual's research project. It typically includes an introduction, literature review, methodology section, results analysis, conclusion, and references.

Individual Written Argument (IWA)

: The Individual Written Argument (IWA) is a component of the AP Seminar exam where students are required to write an essay that presents and defends their own argument on a given topic. It assesses the student's ability to analyze sources, develop a coherent argument, and use evidence effectively.

Lenses

: Lenses are different perspectives or ways of looking at a particular topic or issue. They help us analyze and understand complex ideas from various angles.

Performance Task 1

: Performance Task 1 refers to a task that requires students to apply their knowledge and skills in order to complete a real-world project or solve a complex problem. It assesses the student's ability to think critically, analyze information, and communicate effectively.

Performance Task 2

: Performance Task 2 is an assessment in AP Seminar where students are required to analyze a real-world issue and develop an argumentative essay. It evaluates their ability to research, synthesize information, and construct a well-supported argument.

Research Question

: A research question is an inquiry that guides an investigation or study. It identifies what information needs to be gathered and analyzed in order to address a specific problem or explore a particular topic.

Team Multimedia Presentation

: A team multimedia presentation is a collaborative project where multiple individuals work together to create and deliver a presentation using various forms of media such as images, videos, audio clips, and slideshows.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.