• HS course descriptions being revised for 2022-3, HS courses overview

• MS course descriptions being revised for 2022-3, Middle School overview page

• [Dept Staff only: overview CHART for visual & #s of signups in spring 2019, 2018, 2017.]

• Public web page listing our 2021-2 classes with short address tinyurl.com/sacc2021classes

• And here are the archived 2021-2 course catalogs for Middle School and High School.

Course Offerings 2021-2 Please Don't Edit This Page, use Links above

(The following is not the place to edit: work on our google doc (HS course descriptions) instead. (This is a copy of our google doc as of 27 Feb 2022.)

Extra: Mike's Pilot School (flight training) seminar for high school, 2018-9 and 2019-20 is not being offered 2022-3. For 2020-21 Mike offered a seminar about Space Colonies.

COMPUTER

We are surrounded by science fiction—portable computers, social media, artificial intel- ligence, 3D printing, electronic games, online journals, instant reference books, genetic sequencing, nanotech, increasingly massive datasets—built by people who know how to design, dream, and code. With computer science we can make art, crunch numbers, translate languages, and solve many human problems.

Our courses show students how to be more than just consumers or users: they will be independent creators on computers, able to control and shape the tools of today and tomorrow. Using software that runs similarly on Mac, Windows, Unix/Linux, and tablet computers, our courses teach a range of topics including programming, graphics, circuitry, web, spreadsheet analysis, logic, and other skills that are useful for doing everything from analysis to artwork to running social movements. Classes are full year and meet twice a week unless otherwise noted. Visit tinyurl.com/sacc2022classes for more information about any of the courses below.

3D Modeling and Printing

(The Department)

There is an engineer and an artist in all of us, and learning to design and print in 3D unites them both. Careful planning and measuring are used in the service of creative visions, and the process of printing failures is a way to get comfortable with the iterative design process and cultivate patience, problem-solving, and grit. Different software and approaches will be covered over the year, leaving students with a toolbox of skills. Students are also challenged to think critically about design, asking how the world can be improved for more people by coming up with better solutions to problems. Prerequisite(s): none

AI Machine Learning

(Verdi)

What if computers could be told to learn for themselves, slurping up data like a vacuum? They are faster and able to store and process more information than ever before. In fact, we are surrounded by computer learning already! We are used to computers filtering spam, recommending books and videos, translating languages, and recognizing your voice. Drivers are experimenting with semi-autonomous cars. How do computers accomplish this? Machine Learning, a branch of computer science, is rapidly developing to use data to mimic human learning with implications across a wide range of fields from transportation to medicine to social justice. This course will introduce students to the foundations of machine learning and neural networks. They will become familiar with the trends driving the rise of machine learning; we will use pre-trained models to explore classifying images and feature extraction. We will also build and train our own models and neural networks. Through this course, students will better understand the capabilities and limitations, challenges and consequences of Machine Learning while opening up possibilities for further studies.

Prerequisite(s): Programming 2 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.

Computer Animation

(Caccamise)

Learn about computer-aided methods of animation with frame-by-frame animation includ- ing the traditional walk-cycle and bird flap projects. Use more advanced techniques including digital puppets within a 3D space, and explore special effects such as lightning and explosions. Additional projects may include stop motion, green screen projects, 3D movie title sequences (like the iconic Star Wars titles), music videos, and a final animated movie using techniques of the student’s choosing. No prior experience is required, but attention to detail and perseverance are a must! Prerequisite(s): none

Designed for Disaster

(Caccamise)

This class allows students to follow one of two possible tracks. The first is an applied design course in which students will use engineering, 3d printing, and computer aided drafting skills to deal with potential changes from climate change, extreme weather, and rising sea levels. Students will dream up, design, and build renewable energy sources and other inventions that may help to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The second element of this class is a critical examination of media literacy, misinformation and political polarization and their roles in our understanding of climate change. No experience needed. Prerequisite(s): none

Physical Computing 1

(The Department)

Move beyond the idea that a computer is a box or a system of information retrieval and processing, and learn how to interact physically with a computer without using the mouse, keyboard or monitor. Using a microcontroller (a single-chip computer that can fit in your hand), write and execute interactive computer programs that convert movement into digital information. Work with components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors as well as integrated circuits. Through lab exercises and longer creative assignments, learn how to program, prototype, and use components effectively. Control motors and interpret sensor data, as well as explore advanced concepts in interface, motion, and display. Prerequisite(s): some programming experience or permission of the department chair

Physical Computing 2

(The Department)

Students combine theory and practice to interface microcontrollers and transducers. We learn how to make devices respond to a wide range of human physical actions. Building on knowledge acquired in Physical Computing 1, we build projects from schematics, make programs based on class examples, and make interfaces talk to each other. Topics may include: networking protocols and network topologies, mobile objects and wireless networks of various sorts, digital logic building blocks, and digital numbering systems. Students are involved in short production assignments and final projects, and create a digital portfolio to document their work and research.

Creating interactive work relies on building a relationship between the object and the viewer. By gathering information in the form of input, processing that into meaningful data, and outputting that contextually, new forms of engagement and interaction with an audience can be established. This class is for students who have prior experience with Physical Computing and would like the opportunity to develop their own project and spend time researching, testing, prototyping and documenting it. Prerequisite(s): Physical Computing 1 or permission of the instructor

Programming 1

(The Department)

Explore the science and art of computer programming. For students who want to create and modify their own computer software, this course uses JavaScript (the language of the web) and web technologies to introduce the basics of computer control and interactive web sites. We use loops, variables, procedures, input, output, and branching decisions (with Boolean logic) to control graphics, sounds, and information. Expect to work with JavaScript and the “P5.js” tools to create animated color graphics that respond to key and mouse movement. Prerequisite(s): none

Programming 2

(The Department)

A continuation of Programming 1, for students who are becoming more confident in their ability to combine data types and complex computer routines. We look more deeply at object-oriented programming: class definitions, inheritance, methods, fields, arrays, and collections. Large projects include writing an interactive, animated project with control win- dows and graphics. Prerequisite(s): Programming 1 or permission of the department chair

"Pilot School" (Seminar)

(Roam)

“Cessna niner-niner-zero-eight-golf is departing from runway one-eight.” Licensed pilot Mike Roam is offering ground school for future aviators. We will fly flight simulator programs, practice maneuvers and navigation, study maps and charts, memorize emergency procedures, and practice our radio calls. Landing is important, of course, but there are many other things to learn including the physics of flight, the power of weather, and the rules of the sky. Both of my parents are licensed pilots and flight instructors--Mom often flew a plane with the same tail number as Amelia Earhart's plane--and we encourage all young people to visit the sky.