AP Computer Science Principles

2 Semesters - 10, 11, & 12th Graders

Description: The AP Computer Science Principles is designed to be equivalent to a first-semester introductory college computing course for students who may or may not be computer science majors. In this course, students will develop computational thinking skills vital for success across all disciplines, such as using computational tools to analyze and study data and working with large data sets to analyze, visualize, and draw conclusions from trends. The course is unique in its focus on fostering student creativity. Students are encouraged to apply creative processes when developing computational artifacts and to think creatively while using computer software and other technology to explore questions that interest them. They will also develop effective communication and collaboration skills, working individually and collaboratively to solve problems, and discussing and writing about the importance of these problems and the impacts to their community, society and the world.

What is this class

Type: Elective- Partially Fulfills Fine/Practical Arts Requirement

Prerequisites: Students should have successfully completed a high school algebra course with a strong foundation in function notation, problem-solving strategies and a Cartesian coordinate system. Students do not need to have prior knowledge of any programming language.

Course Objectives:

The course outline is built on seven big idea principles:

1. Computing is a creative human activity that engenders innovation and promotes exploration.

2. Abstraction reduces information and detail to focus on concepts relevant to understanding and solving problems.

3. Data and information facilitate the creation of knowledge.

4. Algorithms are tools for developing and expressing solutions to computational problems.

5. Programming is a creative process that produces computational artifacts.

6. Digital devices, systems, and the networks that interconnect them enable and foster computational thinking.

7. Computing enables innovation in other fields including science, social science, humanities, arts, medicine, engineering business.

Expectations: Students will be expected to critical think and problem solve individually and as a group member in order to complete extensive computer programming labs, frequent homework assignments including practice AP problems, and research to present about various topics. As with any other AP course, a great deal of responsibility is placed on the student. There will be tests including free response that will help students prepare for the AP exam which all students are expected to take.