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AP Computer Science A Syllabus
Based on the Course and Exam Description Effective Fall 2019
Course Design
The proposed syllabus is for a two-semester course, assuming 30-32 weeks are available prior to the AP exam. The course meets for five 45-minute class periods per week. The course includes a number of individual programming projects assigned for one week each. The time after the AP CS Exam is devoted to a team project and enrichment activities.
The course is based on numerous problem solving exercises, labs, and case studies, which require students to design and implement Java classes. The course requires 40-50 hours of hands-on work in a computer lab.
Course Objectives
Understand and apply the main principles of object-oriented software design and programming: classes and objects, constructors, methods, instance and static variables, inheritance, class hierarchies, and polymorphism Learn to code fluently in Java in a well-structured fashion and in good style; learn to pay attention to code clarity and documentation Learn to use Java library packages and classes within the scope of the AP Java subset Understand the concept of an algorithm; implement algorithms in Java using conditional and iterative control structures and recursion Learn to select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve a given problem Compare efficiency of alternative solutions to a given problem Learn common searching and sorting algorithms: Sequential Search and Binary Search; Selection Sort, Insertion Sort, and Mergesort Understand one- and two-dimensional arrays and the ArrayList class, and use them appropriately in programming projects Discuss ethical and social issues related to the use of computers Prepare for the AP Computer Science A exam; meet all of the curricular requirements defined by the College Board for this course. .
Texts and Supplementary Materials
Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin. Java Methods: Object-Oriented Programming and Data Structures, 3rd AP Edition , Skylight Publishing, 2015.
Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin. Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java , 7th Edition , Skylight Publishing, 2019.
The College Board’s Exemplar Labs Student Guides.
CodingBat, codingbat.com/java Practice It!, practiceit.cs.washington.edu/.
Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin. 250 Multiple-Choice Computer Science Questions in Java , Skylight Publishing, 2008.
Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin. Annotated Solutions to Free-Response Questions from Past Exams 2004-Present, www.skylit.com/beprepared/fr.html.
Current media sources and Internet articles and blogs discussing ethical and social issues related to computer use.
Teacher Materials
The College Board’s 2019 Computer Science A Course and Exam Description (CED).
AP Classroom (Topic Questions, Progress Checks) and other AP Central resources.
The College Board’s Exemplar Labs Teacher Guides.
Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin. Java Methods Test Package.
Java Methods student files, teacher files, powerpoints, additional resources at www.skylit.com/javamethods and www.skylit.com/projects/.
Course Outline
Chapter numbers for readings and exercises refer to Java Methods, 3rd AP Edition. Numbers in brackets, such as [1.1] , refer to CED topics.
The labs, case studies, and projects proposed below come from Java Methods and serve only as examples of possible assignments; the teacher’s favorites may be used instead.
Module 3: Arithmetic, logic, and control statements (7 weeks)
5. Data types, variables, and arithmetic (Weeks 6-7; duration 2 weeks)
The concepts of a variable and a data type. [1.2]^ Declarations of variables. Fields vs. local variables. The primitive data types: int, double [1.2]^ and char. Literal and symbolic constants. [2.6]^ Initialization of variables. Scope of variables. Arithmetic expressions. [1.3]^ Data types in arithmetic expressions. The cast operator. [1.5]^ The compound assignment (+=, etc.) and increment and decrement operators (++, --). [1.4]^ Converting numbers and objects into strings. [2.8]^ Math class methods (abs, sqrt, pow, random). [2.9]
Reading and exercises: Chapter 5. Lab: Exercises for Chapter 5. [1.2-1.5] Lab: Pie Chart (Section 5.11). [1.2-1.5] Lab: Rainbow (Exercise 27 p. 130). [1.2-1.5] Lab: Practice-It!, Chapter 2.
6. The if-else statement (Weeks 8-9; duration 2 weeks)
The if and if-else statement. [3.2-3.3]^ Boolean expressions, the boolean data type, true and false values. [3.1]^ Relational and logical operators. De Morgan’s laws. [3.6]^ Short-circuit evaluation. [3.5]^ Nested if-else and if-else-if. [3.4]^ Case Study: Craps. Elements of object-oriented design in Craps. The switch statement.
Reading and exercises: Chapter 6 (Section 6.11 is optional). Lab: Exercises for Chapter 6 (for example, 2-5, 10-12). Lab: The Die [2.1-2.2, 2.9 (random)]^ and CrapsGame classes for Craps : fill in the blanks and test in isolation (Section 6.9). Lab: Finishing and testing the Craps program (Section 6.12). [2.1-2.2] Lab: codingbat.com Logic-1 and Logic-.
7. Algorithms and iterations (Weeks 10-12; duration 3 weeks)
The concept of an algorithm. Properties of algorithms. [4.5]^ Iterations. while and for loops. [4.1-4.2]^ break and return in loops. Nested loops. [4.4]
Reading and exercises: Chapter 7. Lab: Exercises for Chapter 7. Case study and lab: Euclid’s GCF algorithm (Section 7.7 and Exercise 26 on p. 206). [4.1] Lab: Perfect Numbers (Section 7.8). [4.5]
Interlude: Ethical and social implications of computer use (Week 13)
Student papers, presentations, and debates on ethical, social, and privacy issues related to the use of computers and the Internet. [5.10, 7.7]
Reading: Sections 28.3 - 28.5; current news and commentary in the online media.
Module 4: Strings and arrays (5 weeks)
8. Strings (Week 14-15; duration 1.5 week)
String objects. [2.6]^ Literal strings. [2.6]^ Immutability. String methods. [2.7]^ Converting strings into numbers and numbers into strings. [2.8]^ The Character class and its methods.
Reading and exercises: Chapter 8. Lab: Magpie , Activities 1 and 2. [4.3] Lab: Consumer Review [4.3] Lab: Lipograms (Section 8.8). [4.3] Lab: codingbat.com String-1 , String-2 , String-.
9. One-dimensional arrays (Weeks 15-17; duration 2 weeks)
One-dimensional arrays. [6.1]^ Arrays as objects. Declaring and initializing. [6.1]^ Indices. Length. ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException. Traversals and the “for-each” loop. [6.2, 6.3]^ Inserting and removing elements. [6.4]
Reading and exercises: Chapter 9. Lab: Fortune Teller (Section 9.3). Lab: Magpie , Activity 5. Lab: Past free-response questions on arrays. Case study and lab: The Sieve or Eratosthenes (Section 9.8). [4.2, 6.2, 6.4] Lab: codingbat.com, Arrays-1 , Arrays-.
10. Two-dimensional arrays (Weeks 17-18; duration 1.5 weeks)
Declaring and initializing two-dimensional arrays. [8.1]^ Accessing the number of rows and columns. Traversals and nested “for-each” loops. [8.2]
Reading and exercises: Chapter 9. Lab: Past free-response questions on 2D arrays. [8.1-8.2] Lab: Chomp (Section 9.5).
Module 5: Classes and class hierarchies (6 weeks)
11. Details of defining classes and using objects (Weeks 19-20; duration 2 weeks)
Public and private fields and methods. [5.8]^ Constructors and the new operator. [5.2]^ References to objects. [2.2]^ this keyword. [5.9]^ Calling methods and accessing fields. [5.4-5.5]^ Passing parameters to constructors and methods. [2.4, 2.5]^ return statement. Overloaded methods. Static variables and methods. [5.7]
Reading and exercises: Chapter 10. Case study : the Fraction class (Sections 10.1 - 10.8). [5.1] Case study and lab: Snack Bar (Section 10.9). [5.6] Lab: Snack Bar Continued (Section 10.12). [5.1, 5.7]
Module 7: Review (3 weeks)
16. Review and practice for the AP exam (Weeks 29-31; duration 3 weeks)
Quick reference (library classes and methods). Past multiple-choice and free-response questions.
Reading: Be Prepared Chapters 1-5; Be Prepared Chapter 6 (past free-response questions and solutions), Be Prepared practice exams 1-5, 250 Multiple-Choice Computer Science Questions in Java.
Module 8: After the exam, enrichment (optional, duration varies)
17. Streams and files
Text and binary files. Streams vs. random-access files. Java I/O package. The Scanner class. Checked exceptions.
Reading and exercises: Chapter 15. Lab: Choosing Words (Section 15.5). Lab: Exercises and projects from exercises and the Test Package for Chapter 15.
18. Graphics and GUI
Computer graphics concepts. The Java Graphics class. GUI components and their events. Layouts. Handling mouse and keyboard events and images.
Reading and exercises: Chapters 16, 17, 18. Lab: Pieces of the Puzzle (Section 16.7). Programming project: Ramblecs (Section 17.6). Lab: Slide Show (Section 18.7).
19. Projects that demonstrate creative computer use.
Reading and exercises: Java Methods Chapter 28, “Computing in Context: Creative, Responsible, and Ethical Computer Use”, Section 28.2. Other suggested activities: a team project to implement a game (for example, the Game of SET, www.skylit.com/projects/ or the Elevens lab); or a potentially useful project for the school or community.
