By Sahasra Nistala
Course Overview:
In AP COVID Theory, students will, for the first time in educational history, have the opportunity to learn about a historical event they have experienced. Students will learn about the SARS-CoV-2 virus from various societal perspectives: doctors, epidemiologists, historians, politicians, and owners of large corporations.
Outcomes:
In the AP test, students will be expected to:
Explain and evaluate various theories on the virus’s origin
Replicate a map of the virus’s spread by hand without references in a timeframe of exactly seven minutes and forty-two seconds
Analyze the responses of various governing bodies and determine their effectiveness in stopping the virus’s spread. (Disclaimer: the College Board is not affiliated with any political party.)
Identify methods employed by students during remote learning, including placing oneself out of frame, tilting one’s camera towards the ceiling, and orchestrating a pretend internet crash. Comment on the most effective technique based on official CDC data (drawing from personal experience is strictly prohibited)
Analyze the economic, social, political, ecological, environmental, biological, psychological, educational, cosmological, and cosmetological effects of the phenomenon known as “masking”
Write an essay in response to a Document-Based Question (DBQ) on changes to meme culture during and after the pandemic
Write an argumentative essay on a conspiracy theory surrounding the virus
Write a long essay on mental health during the pandemic (drawing from personal experience is, again, strictly prohibited)
Identify various strains based on genetic sequence alone and use raw genetic material to reconstruct the strain in a timeframe of ten minutes, thirty-seven seconds
Administer a PCR test and analyze its results with the skill and accuracy of a healthcare professional
Create a mock prescription/treatment regimen for a patient suffering from the virus
As this course is still in development, we are accepting DBQ topic suggestions from students across the United States. To submit, students must have taken the SATs during COVID, despite the fact that many universities adopted test-blind policies, and achieved a perfect score. A score of 5 on at least fourteen (14) APs is also preferred.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites for AP COVID Theory. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook and construct comprehensible sentences. Four years in medical school and at least a year interning for a politician responsible for pandemic policy are recommended.
Note:
The College Board is working on updating this course. Students who take AP COVID Theory: Inclusive from 2095 onwards will learn about the experiences of frontline workers, small-business owners, racial minorities, and those in non-Western countries. Although Florida and Texas have already passed legislation banning this course, we hope to reach educators and students in other parts of the country.
UPDATE:
After learning from a political figure (Disclaimer: College Board is not affiliated with any political party) that the pandemic was a “lie” and a “hoax,” the College Board will be making significant changes to the AP COVID Theory curriculum. Students will no longer be learning about the so-called “pandemic.”
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