Unit 2

Unit Overview

As described in the APCSP course description, 

"The Internet is a network that most students use on a regular basis to look up information, to socialize with friends, and in many cases to complete their school work. In this big idea, students will learn how computer systems and networks, primarily the Internet, work. Students will learn about how information is transmitted on the Internet and about the safeguards that have been put in place to keep this system from breaking down. In addition, students will learn the effect that dividing tasks across multiple computing devices can have on the speed at which processes can occur. "

In this unit of study, students are going to examine the history of the Internet and examine the impact the Internet has had on society.   While looking at the history of the Internet, students will identify design decisions that have made the Internet scalable.  Then students will investigate the technical aspects of networks, such as comparing different types of materials for connectivity and  how data travels from one location to the next.  They will participate in simulations of data packets and develop an understanding some of the protocols that ensure a working internet.   For the ARC challenge in this unit, students will identify the company that owns the innovation and complete a business case study on this company, paying special attention to how the company has used the Internet and/or networking to fuel the growth of the business.  Students will explore another digital coding platform, EarSketch, and will code music in Python.  They will create music for a company recruitment artifact.