Course Design:
CS Principles (aka Beginning Programming) is a course that is being piloted by collegeboard to help students discover the beauty of computer science. While there is a significant amount of programming involved the emphasis is on problem solving, and logic development. Students are taught to use computer tools to solve problems pertaining to computer science. Most projects are open-ended and students will be working on them either in pairs or by themselves. Most groups will not exceed 3 students.
Course
Objectives:
The course is focused around 7 big ideas:
- Computing is a creative activity
- Abstraction is a way to reduce information and detail.
- Data and information are to be used to facilitate creation of knowledge
- Algorithms are tools for developing and expressing solutions to computational problems.
- Programming
- Internet : facts and impact
- Global impacts of computing.
Each of the ideas is paired with one or more of the following Computational Thinking practices.
- Connecting Computing
- (Impact between people and computing, connection between computing concepts.)
- Developing computational artifacts
- Abstracting
- Analyzing problems and artifacts
- Communicating
- Working effectively in teams
Based on what worked and my analysis of last year's experience below is my modified pacing guide. As I create more projects, I will add them to my moodle site.
2012-2013:
Item #
Topic or Module
Time Frame
1st SEMESTER
1.
Logic and Problem solving (Lightbots: Tutorials (first 10)
Create your own puzzle)
Week 1 (Aug 6 – 10)
2.
Impact of Computing
Week 2 & 3 (Aug 13 – 24)
3.
Programming
(Scratch)
Week 4,5,6 (Aug 27 – Sept.14)
4.
Abstraction
(Flow charts, Binary numbers, Abstraction of board games)
Week 7, 8, 9 (Sept.17 – October 5th )
5.
Algorithms
Week 10,11, 12 (October 8th – Oct 26th )
6.
Long term project
Includes presentations.
(Performance Finals?)
Week 13,14,15,16 (Oct 29th – Nov. 22nd)
7.
Book Study & Exam Review
(Discussions, blogs, journals, debates)
Week 17, 18 (Dec 3rd – Dec 14th )
2nd SEMESTER
8.
Programming
(Stencyl.com or processing- something that helps understand graphics and internet)
Week 19, 20, 21 ( Jan 7th – Jan 25th )
9.
Internet
Week 22, 23, 24.25 (Jan 28th – Feb 15th )
10.
Data
(Usage of large amounts of data in analytics, graphics, data communications, etc.)
Week 26, 27, 28.29 (Feb 18- Mar 15th )
11.
Cyber security
Week 30 (Mar 18th - Mar 22nd )
NOTES:
At this point all content is completed. Students should be led towards finishing their book study projects. Maybe start a long term project and lead them to completion.
It should be noted that if this is an AP Exam, it is expected that the teacher finish the material at this time and leave enough time for either Exam prep review or turning in a portfolio for the AP Exam.
The following abbreviations will be used in the detailed weekly instructional calendar while referring to the CS Principles curriculum framework.
BI - Big Idea
LO- Learning Objective
KC – Key Concept
P – Practice
Week 1:
Problem solving & Algorithm
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
What is computer Science?
Computing for problem solving and logic development
BI1: KCA: LO1, LO2
KCB: LO3
BI4: KCA: LO5
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Playing various levels using Lightbots (1-12)
P4
Designing your own level on Lightbot. (first on paper and then using the level editor)
P2
Week 2 & 3.5:
Impact of computing
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will explore various topics where computer science has had a significant impact..
BI VII: KCA: LOB 28,
KCB: LOB 29
While doing this, they will also explore a career that has opened up because of computer science
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will research and create a Web2.0 artifact to present to the class
P1, P2, P5
Week 3.5 & 5:
Single level abstractions
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will take an existing project that they are familiar with and write the pseudocode for it.
BI II: KCB: LO7, LO8
KCC: LO9
BI IV: KCA: LO15, LO16Students will take several problems and create pseudocode for them
BI II: KCB: LO7
BI IV: KCA: LO15Students will convert the pseudocode into flowcharts using flowcharting tools.
BI III: KCB: LO9
BI IV: KCB: LO16, KCC: LO17
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will take programs and simple concepts and break them down to detailed steps: pseudocode.
P4
Students will create flowcharts for simple problems and learn a flowcharting tool in the process.
P3
Students will take simple games and create flowcharts for them.
P2, P3
Week 6 - 11:
Programming - I
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will program using programming language called Scratch
BII: KCA: LO1, LO3, LO4
BIiv: KCA: LO15
KCB: 2016Students will expand on programming concepts by installing the BYOB concepts
BI IV: KCA: LO19
KCB: LO29,
KCC: LO21BII: KCC: LO4
Students will develop a test plan for the project
BI V: KCD: LO23
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will create several projects to learn the different computer science concepts. They will be working on small and large groups.
P2, P3
Students will be creating one large project in a topic of their choice.
P2
Students will test each other’s projects using a detailed test plan.
P4
Week 12 - 13:
Internet: World Wide Web: Concepts, Impact and Issues
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students learn the fundamental concepts of the Internet.
BI IV: KCA: LO24
Students will have an in depth knowledge of the workings of the Internet.
BI IV: KCB: LO25, LO26
Students will pick a book for review and study
BI IV: KCA: LO24
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Book study and reflections: Psychology of the Internet & Cuckoo’s Egg.
P2
Students will create either a blog, post to forums or design a simple website. They will use this medium to communicate their knowledge of the workings of the internet.
P1, P3, P5
Students will evaluate various websites and give their opinion on the websites.
P1, P5
Week 14 - 15:
Abstractions (Multiple Levels)
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will learn to create abstractions of bigger projects and use UML tools for creating them.
BI II: KCB LO7
KCB LO8
Students will then create pseudocode, for the various artifacts of the UML model.
BI II: KCB LO8
Students will develop multiple flowcharts for each of the UMLs created.
BI II: KCC LO9
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will break up in small groups of 3. They will be given choices of simple system that could be computerized. They will write pseudocodes, draw a UML diagram for the system and flowcharts for all of the components.
P1, P2,P3, P4, P5
Week 16-18:
Development of Algorithms: conceptualization, creation and development
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will understand the concept of algorithms.
BI IV: KCA: LO 15
Students will develop algorithms for simple problems.
BI IV: KCB: LO16
Students will try to calculate algorithm efficiencies and find problems that cannot be solved algorithmically.
BI IV: KCC: LO17
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will understand how a search engine works and the algorithm under it.
P4
Students will research ways of improving the search algorithm.
P3
Students will find different sorting algorithms and understand them.
P1
Students will analyze a problem and find one that may not have an algorithmic solution to it.
P4
Take a problem from creating an abstraction to developing an algorithm to designing a project in Scratch.
P2
Week 19:
Exams: Review
Week 20 – 21.5
Modeling and Simulation
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will design an animation using an animation tool.
BI I: KCA LO1, LO2
The project will be a simulation on a topic that is related to another subject of interest. All animation projects will be data driven.
BI I: KCB LO3,
BI I: KCB LO4
BI II: KCC LO9
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will be given a tutorial to follow and learn Flash. The teacher will be available to instruct and guide.
P2
Students will be designing a project using Flash. Projects will include a simulation; respond to data and mouse clicks. Students will pick a topic from one of the other classes that they are currently taking.
P2, P4
Week 21.5 - 22:
Binary Numbers
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will be introduced to the concept of binary numbers using several hands on activities.
BI II: KCA LO5, KCB LO6
Students will learn base number conversions.
BI II: KCA LO5, KCB LO6
Students will learn the abstraction and application of binary numbers in computer science.
BI II: KCB: LO7, LO8
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Using the CS Unplugged activities students will understand data representation in binary format
P3
Students will play with binary representation to understand how they are used in computers.
P3, P4
Students will understand better the abstraction of binary numbers.
P3
Week 23 -28:
Programming - II
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will now program using a simple beginning language called Processing. Here they will write simple scripts to create images.
BII: KCA: LO1, LO3, LO4
BIiv: KCA: LO15
KCB: 2016Students will create develop a simple project using Processing.
BI IV: KCA: LO19
KCB: LO29,
KCC: LO21BII: KCC: LO4
Students will also understand to apply the concepts they learnt about binary representation to the programs they are writing.
BI V: KCD: LO23
Students will be doing a book study of one of the two books:
"Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software" by Charles Petzold and from "The Most Complex Machine" by David J. Eck.
The Psychology of Computer Programming: Silver Anniversary Edition
by Gerald M. WeinbergBI IV: KCC: LO17
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Using the Processing website tutorials students will start writing simple scripts.
P2
Students will get in pairs and decide on a project that they want to design and program and complete that using Processing.
P4
Students will be reading and reflecting on the different topics in the book that we choose.
P4
Week: 29-30
Use of large data to facilitate knowledge
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Student will understand that computer science involves manipulations of large volumes of data.
BI III: KCB LO 12, LO13
Students will learn to analyze large amounts of data to make predictions and to draw conclusions.
BI III: KCA LO10, LO11,KCC LO14,
Students will learn applications that use and need large data sets.
BI III: KCB LO12
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will research areas that use large volumes of data. Students will figure out how to store and manipulate the data.
P4
Students will learn to create large data sets.
P3
Students will analyze data and draw pie charts and other graphs based of the dataset that they create.
P2,P4
Students will find which industries that need and use large volumes of data.
P1,P4
Week 31 -32:
Project using large data and abstractions and possibly a computing tool
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will use a tool to store large data sets and manipulate them.
BI III: KCA LO11
BI III: KCB LO13Students will use the tool to create predications and to communicate results.
BI III: KCC L14
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will use a spreadsheet like application that lets you hold large volumes of data and do a statistical analysis on them.
P2, P5
Students will write small macros to analyze the data.
P2,P4
Students will generate reports and charts to communicate results of the data.
P2, P5
Week 33:
Impact of Computing (Good with Bad)
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will analyze the impact of computer science on society: both the advantages and the disadvantages.
BI VI: KCC: LO26
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will participate on a class wide debate on the impact of computer science. If it has been good or bad.
P5
Week 34:
Impact of Computing: cybersecurity
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will understand the idea behind cybersecurity and need for it.
BI VI: KCC: LO27
Students will explore latest trends in cybersecurity.
BI VI: KCC: LO27
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will watch videos on cybersecurity.
P3
Students will read articles and reflect on cybersecurity.
P4
Students will make presentations on the various trends of cybersecurity and share it with the class.
P5
Week: 35 - 37
Open ended project
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will pick a topic and tool of their choice and design and develop a project.
BI I: KCA: LO1, LO2,
BI I: KCB: LO3, BI I: KCC: LO4
BI V: KCC: LO21, LO22,
BI V: KCC: LO23Students will create a test plan on how to check for accuracy and correctness of the software
BI I: KCC: LO4
BIIV: KCC: LO16Students will communicate with each other about their expectations and their opinions of the software.
BII: KCA: LO2
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
Students will go in pairs and develop a long term project that matches the rubric for the given project.
P2
Students will demonstrate the project to the class.
P3,P4
Groups will test each other’s project based on the test plan that has been created.
P3, P4
Week 38:
Reflections: An Essay
Topics / Objectives
Topic
Corresponds to curriculum framework
Students will be expected to write a reflective essay on this course.
BI VII: KC A: LO28
Activities
Action Items
Corresponds to the Computational Thinking Practices.
What is computer Science?
P5
In one paragraph can you tell us what you learnt from this course?
P5, P1
How do you think you will use what you learnt in this class in future?
P4
Week 39:
Exam Week
