AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP)
Course Description
AP Computer Science Principles (APCSP) is a rigorous, introductory course intended to familiarize students to the general concepts and thinking practices of computing, computer science, and information science. Students will develop computational thinking skills vital for success across all disciplines (College Board, 2016). Students will learn computing concepts through authentic visual and interactive projects using SNAP! (BJC, 2016) and Java programming languages. Students will focus on the “Six Computational Thinking Practices (CTPs) and Seven Big CS Ideas (SBIs)” in creative ways that emphasize conceptual knowledge and thinking practices rather than on programming alone. 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 (College Board, 2016). The students 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. The course emphasis is placed on problem solving, communication, creativity, and exploring the impacts of computing on how we think, communicate, work, and play. Finally, the students will be provided 20 in-class hours to complete the AP Through-Course Assessment Explore-Impact of Computing Innovations Performance Task and Create-Applications from Ideas of Performance Task.
Course Objectives
- Review oral communication and job seeking skills
- Apply advanced tools of visualization
- Demonstrate advanced principles of visualization
- Demonstrate advanced visualization (video-editing) processes
- Demonstrate advanced scientific visualization skills
- Summarize and synthesize electronic portfolios
Course MODULES
Getting Ready
- Introduction to Programming
- Internet
- Data and Information
- AP Explore Task
- Abstraction
- Algorithm
- AP Create Task
- How Computers Work
- Review
- Enrichment
- Showcase