Exploring Computer Science - Harvard University

Version 3.0

Joanna Goode

University of Oregon

Gail Chapman

Computer Science Equity Alliance

? Computer Science Equity Alliance, 2010 Exploring Computer Science

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Acknowledgements

Contributing Writers George Benainous, Hollywood High School, Los Angeles, California Robb Cutler, Tutor Crossing, Inc., Santa Clara, California Judy Hromcik, Arlington High School, Arlington, Texas Michelle Hutton, The Girl's School, Mountain View, California John Landa, South East High School, South Gate, California

Curriculum Design Team Members Joanna Goode, University of Oregon Gail Chapman, Computer Science Equity Alliance Jane Margolis, UCLA David Bernier, UCLA Todd Ullah, Los Angeles Unified School District Diane Watkins, Los Angeles Unified School District Chris Stephenson, Computer Science Teachers Association

Sponsors & Supporters This curriculum was created under the auspices of the Broadening the Participation in Computing National Science Foundation grant, "Into the Loop: An University K-12 Alliance to Increase and Enhance the Computer Science Learning Opportunities for African-American, Latino/a, and Female Students in the Second Largest School District in the Country". Principal Investigator: Jane Margolis (UCLA); CoPrincipal Investigators Joanna Goode (University of Oregon), Todd Ullah (LAUSD), Deborah Estrin (UCLA).

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CONTENTS

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Course Overview........................................................................................5

Goals ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Standards ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Hardware......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Software .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Prerequisites.................................................................................................................................................... 5

The Instructional Philosophy of Exploring Computer Science.......................6

Introduction to Curricular Approach ................................................................................................................ 6 Concrete Instructional Strategies ................................................................................................................... 10 Assessment.................................................................................................................................................... 11

Overview of the Instructional Materials ................................................... 12 Unifying Themes and Practices ................................................................. 13 Scope and Sequence ................................................................................ 14 Overview Chart ....................................................................................... 17 Topic Descriptions and Objectives ............................................................ 21

Unit 1: Human Computer Interaction (~4 weeks) .......................................................................................... 21 Unit 2: Problem Solving (5 weeks) .................................................................................................................. 22 Unit 3: Web Design (6 weeks) ....................................................................................................................... 23 Unit 4: Introduction to Programming (7 weeks) ............................................................................................. 24 Unit 5: Robotics (8 weeks)............................................................................................................................. 25 Unit 6: Computing Applications (6 weeks) ...................................................................................................... 26

Unit 1: Human Computer Interaction........................................................28

Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 29 Daily Overview Chart ..................................................................................................................................... 30 Daily Lesson Plans.......................................................................................................................................... 31 Final Project................................................................................................................................................... 67

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Unit 2: Problem Solving ............................................................................ 69

Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 70 Daily Overview Chart ..................................................................................................................................... 71 Daily Lesson Plans.......................................................................................................................................... 72 Final Project................................................................................................................................................... 95

Unit 3: Web Design .................................................................................. 97

Introduction................................................................................................................................................... 98 Daily Overview Chart ..................................................................................................................................... 99 Daily Lesson Plans........................................................................................................................................ 100 Final Project................................................................................................................................................. 122 Flash Animation Supplement ....................................................................................................................... 125 Javascript Supplement ................................................................................................................................. 130

Unit 4: Introduction to Programming...................................................... 132

Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 133 Daily Overview Chart ................................................................................................................................... 134 Daily Lesson Plans........................................................................................................................................ 135 Final Project................................................................................................................................................. 187

Unit 5: Robotics...................................................................................... 191

Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 192 Daily Overview Chart ................................................................................................................................... 193 Daily Lesson Plans........................................................................................................................................ 194 Final Project................................................................................................................................................. 230

Unit 6: Computing Applications .............................................................. 238

Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 239 Daily Overview Chart ................................................................................................................................... 240 Daily Lesson Plans........................................................................................................................................ 241 Final Project................................................................................................................................................. 285

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Course Overview

Goals

Exploring Computer Science is designed to introduce students to the breadth of the field of computer science. The goal of Exploring Computer Science is to develop in students the computational thinking practices of algorithm development, problem solving and programming within the context of problems that are relevant to the lives of today's students. Students will also be introduced to topics such as interface design, limits of computers and societal and ethical issues of software engineering.

This curriculum has been developed for a culturally, linguistically, and socially diverse group of students in Los Angeles Unified School District. District-wide, student ethnicities include .3% American Indian, 3.7% Asian, .4% Pacific Islander, 2.3% Filipino, 73.0% Latino, 10.9% African American, 8.8% White, and .6% Other or multiple responses. Over 38% of students are English-language learners, with most English language learners students speaking Spanish as their primary language. Furthermore, 74% of students qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Standards

The standards used for the Exploring Computer Science curriculum are based on the topics and goals outlined in A Model Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science developed by the ACM K-12 task force curriculum committee. Most of the objectives in the course align with the Level III course, Computer Science as Analysis and Design, while some objectives are necessarily aligned with the Level II course, Computer Science in the Modern World, in order to provide appropriate background knowledge for the more advanced topics.

Hardware

An ideal laboratory environment for this course would include one computer for each student in the class. These computers can be either Macintosh or PC depending on availability. A networked system would make installation of software easier for the teacher.

Software

Each computer in the classroom should have a web browser installed that allows students to perform searches and make use of a variety of websites and internet tools. Teachers will need to download and install the Scratch programming language available at and the Python programming language available at .

Prerequisites This course will be considered a college preparatory elective for California students, geared towards 11th and 12th graders, and will require Algebra as a course prerequisite. Thus, the course should provide a rigorous, but accessible, introduction to computer science. No previous computer science course is required to take this course.

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