Advanced Placement Computer Science is a 2 semester course in the Business/Marketing/Technology Department. Students will earn 1/2 credit in Occupational Education for each semester successfully completed.
SUPPORT
Students are invited to stop by before school starting around 7:15am for extra lab time or individual help. I am available most days for brief questions over lunch, and I announce the days that I will be around after school. And if none of those time work for you, we can schedule something! Email (ammyers@seattleschools.org) is also a great way to get in touch with me for questions or problems. While you’re online via school resources, if you cannot access your email, you can send me a message via the school website.
DESCRIPTION
This course is an introductory study of the theory and practice of computer science and software engineering.
It covers fundamental concepts of programming, including data structures, algorithms, and procedures, as well as object-oriented methodologies. Students will learn problem-solving techniques, software design and documentation skills, and development and debugging strategies, all using the Java programming language. This Advanced Placement course is the equivalent of a first-year college course in computer science, and is based on the University of Washington’s curriculum for its introductory computer science course (CSE 142/143). It prepares students to take the AP Computer Science A exam in the spring.
PREREQUISITES
Students taking this course should have:
- Successfully completed Algebra 1 (A/B) or its equivalent.
- Fluent use of computers and software applications.
- Strong reading comprehension and writing skills.
OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be prepared for the AP CS A exam and for a second-semester college programming course. They should also:
- Be able to identify and discuss the major hardware and software components of a computer system.
- Be able to recognize the ethical and social implications of computer use and software creation.
- Understand how to design, implement and debug computer-based solutions to problems in diverse application areas.
- Know how to use, implement and analyze common algorithms, data structures and software methods.
- Have a solid understanding of the theory, concepts, and practice of the Java programming language.
- Be able to write clear and efficient code using good Java syntax and programming style.
- Grasp and correctly utilize fundamental Java classes and standard system libraries.
- Be able to read, understand and contribute to large Java programs consisting of several classes.
TOPICS
A summary of the units of study and topics for the course is listed below. Detailed information about assignments and assessments may be found on other pages of this site.
| Unit | Topics | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | ||
| Introduction to Java | Basics & Environment Strings & Printing Procedural Decomposition |
2 weeks |
| Primitive Data & Definite Loops | Data Types Variables For Loops Scope |
3 weeks |
| Parameters & Objects | Parameters Methods Return Values String Objects |
4 weeks |
| Conditional Execution | If/Else Statements Relational Operators Cumulative Algorithms Text Processing Exceptions |
3 weeks |
| Indefinite Loops | While Loops Boolean Logic Fencepost Algorithms |
2 weeks |
| File Processing | Scanner Objects Token Processing PrintStream |
2 weeks |
| Arrays | Arrays Class Array Traversal Reference Semantics 2-D Arrays |
2 weeks |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Classes | Object-Oriented Programming Classes Constructors Encapsulation |
2 weeks |
| Inheritance | Hierarchical Objects Inheritance Superclasses Polymorphism Interfaces |
3 weeks |
| ArrayLists | ArrayList Objects Comparable Interface |
2 weeks |
| GridWorld Case Study | Critters | 3 weeks |
| AP Exam Practice | Multiple Choice Questions Free Response Problems |
2 weeks |
| Advanced Topics | Complexity Search & Sort Recursion |
2 weeks |
| Final Project | Java Applications | 4 weeks After the AP Exam ! |
MATERIALS
We will use the same textbook that the UW uses in its introductory CSE 142/143 programming course sequence:
Reges, Stuart, and Marty Stepp. Building Java Programs: A Back to Basics Approach. 2nd ed. (Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2011).
Students will be issued a school copy of this text at the beginning of the fall semester.
Most of the teaching materials (handouts, presentation slides, resource lists, assignments, etc.) will be found online, either on a website that I have developed specifically for this course (see below), or other public website resources. In addition, there are many other resources available in conjunction with the textbook, and from the College Board for exam preparation.
If you intend to work on your projects outside of school, you will need to use a service such as DropBox, your online storage space through the school’s website (Roosevelt High School), or a flash drive to transport digital files back and forth.
We will be using many different software tools in the course. All of them are installed on the computers in the lab. Most of the software is “open source,” which means it is free and available for anyone to download and use on their own computers. So you can also work at home or anywhere else you have access to another computer.
COURSE WEBSITE
You have obviously found the course website online, since you are reading this text.
I intend to use the website as the main source of all reference materials. Grades will be posted on the Source. Detailed information about assignments can be found on the class’s Fusion Page through the school website.
ASSIGNMENTS
This course is based primarily on the philosophy that you learn complex concepts and practices best by applying them in programming assignments. There will be weekly or bi-weekly assignments that require you to use the computer science knowledge and programming techniques covered in lectures to solve computing problems in a variety of domains.
The techniques used in these larger assignments will be reinforced in a series of smaller exercises and worksheets, typically done as part of daily classwork.
There will also be short weekly quizzes to provide frequent feedback on the depth of your understanding of the material. A larger midterm exam and comprehensive final exam each semester will provide practice for the AP exam near the end of the course.
Finally, a component of all Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses is a demonstration of professionalism. Students are expected to actively participate in class, show leadership, and exhibit responsible behavior in preparation for life beyond high school. There will be activities and tasks in the classroom that emphasize these skills.
GRADES
Grades will be based on the components as shown below.
| Assignments | 45% |
| Tests | 35% |
| Classwork | 10% |
| Professionalism | 10% |
Grades will be posted on the Source, generally within two weeks of the due date of the assignment.
LATE WORK
This course is structured so that you can accomplish most of the required work during class sessions. But it is up to you to budget your time, and you may need to work on the programming assignments outside of class time, as homework.
And since so much of the work depends on the prior work, you will need to keep up with it in order to succeed. But things always come up, from absences to illness to just needing extra time. So for the programming assignments, you will have a total of 6 late days, which you can use during each semester, with a maximum of 3 for any one assignment. Otherwise each day an assignment is late will be marked down 10%. Unused late days can be converted to extra credit at the end of the semester. (Special arrangements can be made for excused absences, but you must discuss them with me.)
POLICIES
A complete list of general course policies can be found on the “Course Policies” page of this site.
RooseveltCS.org 