Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course!

In this approved AP course, students work with data and learn the skills of computing, problem-solving, programming, cybersecurity, and more. Prepare your student for the AP test, to earn college credit — or simply give your student AP credit on his or her transcript!

Note: This course prepares students for the AP Computer Science Principles test. In order to list this course as AP on a transcript, it must be taken as a live, interactive course. However, students taking the recorded version may still take the AP test.

How to get the most out of College Level Computer Science Principles, Part One with Margaret Morrow:

• First, read the course details below along with the syllabus and welcome letter.

• If you are an option 1 student - purchase an inexpensive android phone or tablet, the Welcome letter suggests some strategies. If you prefer, you can complete the programming projects using a tool of your choice. Each project specifies the elements that must be incorporated. Students have substituted Snap!, Python, and Java based projects for the App Inventor projects in the curriculum.

• Prepare either an electronic or paper notebook to keep track of information in the recorded lectures.

• Each week contains: a recorded lecture, the recording from the live session, and one or more lessons.

• Most units culminate in a quiz, and the course culminates in a final project.

• To begin the course, watch Professor Morrow’s recorded lecture for Class One and then complete the assignments for Class One.

• All lessons on both the Mobile CSP and Beauty and Joy of Computer sites have built-in quiz questions that are graded as students progress.  And most quizzes on the moodle site will be scored automatically. Answer keys are provided for those that are not.  

• Weekly assignments including apps can be graded for completion.

• The end-of-semester project will require grading using the grading rubric on the College Board Website (these are included in the Caravel site, The Beauty and Joy of Computing site, and in the Runestone Academy MobileCSP website).  This is referred to as the “Create” project both in the course and by the College Board.

• Several assignments and projects are demonstrated during the videos.

• If you need to review, go back and watch the recording again and/or go over the PowerPoint.

• Repeat until all 28 classes (14 weeks) are complete.

• Once the course is completed to the parent's satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Total classes: 14 (meets once a week for 14 weeks)

Duration: 60 minutes live Q&A with a 20 to 30-minute recorded lecture

Prerequisite: It is recommended that students have completed a first-year high school algebra class and have grasped an understanding of algebraic reasoning and problem solving. It is important to understand that computer science builds on a foundation of mathematical reasoning. Student should have a general familiarity with computers – the ability to open applications, use menu-driven commands, and type using the keyboard – so that the emphasis of time can be placed on specific programming lessons and computer science topics.  Additionally, the AP curriculum strives to make the course understandable for those with little background in coding or computer science.  Because of this emphasis, 30% of the AP Exam consists of creating reports or documentation (in written, video, mp3 file formats).

Suggested Grade Level: 10th to 12th grade

Suggested High School Credit: 1 full semester AP Computer Science Principles

Instructor: Margaret Morrow, Ph.D.

Course description: The course is designed to give students foundational computer science practice and experience at a college level.   Students will have two software options for the course: option one -  the Mobile CSP curriculum which was developed collaboratively by both by Trinity College and the College of St. Scholastica, and option 2 - the Beauty and Joy of Computing which was developed at University of California’s Berkely Campus.  Option 1 requires having a mobile device (android or apple) to test out apps, option two requires a browser.

During the course, students complete several programming projects (they will create Android based apps). At the end of the second semester, students can take the AP Computer Science Principles exam to earn college credit.

AP Computer Science Principles Exam Overview:

AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) is unique from other AP courses and exams in a number of ways, the assessment consists of two parts:  (1)  30% of the grade consists of a through-course assessment composed of a performance task that students complete in class, with 20 hours of in-class instruction time, and (2)  70% of the exam grade is a Two-hour end-of-course paper and pencil exam with 74 multiple-choice questions that is  administered in May (this part of the exam will need to be completed in a local school that proctors AP exams).

Course outline:

Unit 1 - Getting Started and Setup

Class 1: Introduction to course and resources, Mobile CSP and Blown to Bits

Unit 2 - Intro to Apps

Class 2 - Intro to Mobile Apps

Class 3: Event driven programming, Cloud Computing, Logic and terminology

Class 4: Algorithms and sensors, Abstraction and Binary

Class 5:  Binary and Hexadecimal Apps, Hardware Abstractions and Blown to Bits Part 1

Unit 3 - Creating Graphics & Images Bit by Bit

Class 6: Blown to Bits Part 1 Continued, Global Variables, Images

Class 7: Using the camera, decrement and increment, Refactoring and Procedural Abstraction

Class 8: Parity, Databases, and Maps, Blown to Bits Part 2

Unit 4 - Exploring Computing: Animation, Simulation, & Modeling

Class 9: randomness, scoring, looping, simulation and modeling

Class 10: modular arithmetic, real world applications, and privacy

Unit 5 - Algorithms and Procedural Abstraction

Class 11: Procedures with Parameters, Searching and Sorting

Class 12: Debugging and Algorithm Analysis

Class 13: Web Searches

Class 14: Final Project and Exam

Class 14: Semester Project

Course materials:

Required Textbooks:

1.     Blown to Bits Book - available online for free - http://www.bitsbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/B2B_3.pdf

Software:

1.     MIT’s App Inventor Developers: Google/MIT/College Board http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu

2.     Mobile CSP https://runestone.academy/ns/books/published/mobilecsp/index.html?mode=browsing

3.     Beauty and Joy of Computing

4.     The Snap! Editor Online  or Offline Version

5.     Chrome or other browser

Hardware:

1.     Windows based laptop or desktop for completing programming tasks (this is difficult from a phone or tablet device)

2.     For option 1 students - An Inexpensive android device to run their apps on (phone or tablet) or android emulator software that they can run on their PC.   As a side note, my husband purchased a $5.00 no-contract Trac-phone (he did not purchase minutes) it works great.    It does not have an accelerometer (a sensor that allows the phone to detect that it is turned or shaken), but it does the features needed to complete the coding assignments.

Other:

1.     A Google Account

Homework:  Assignments will include hands-on app development, reading, and writing.  Students can expect 2 to 5 hours of time per week (outside of class time) dedicated to homework. Regular feedback will be provided to the students and their parents to ensure that all are aware of the progress being made throughout the course.

Grading:

Learning experiences - 40%,

Quizzes - 20%

Final projects and exams - 40%.

©2022 Homeschool Connections and Margaret Morrow. All rights reserved.

This course is designed by Margaret Morrow.

• This material is only to be used for its intended purpose by active subscribers of Homeschool Connections. Any other use without explicit permission is in violation of the seventh commandment (yes, the 7th commandment) and in violation of US and International copyright laws.

• You may print or download to local hard disk extracts for your personal homeschool and non-commercial use only. This is not to be used for homeschool co-ops without express written permission from Homeschool Connections.

Technical Help: If you experience technical difficulty with watching the recorded classes or have a question about course content, please email us at homeschoolconnections@gmail.com.