AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES

Course Number:
Computer Science Pathway
Information Technology Career Cluster

Teacher: Dr. Tiffany W. Alexander

Phone Number: 706-769-7760 x. 2104
Room Number: 2-104
Email: twalexander@oconeeschools.org

COURSE DESCRIPTION
AP Computer Science Principles introduces you to the foundations of computer science with a focus on how computing
powers the world. Along with the fundamentals of computing, you will learn to analyze data, create technology that has
a practical impact, and gain a broader understanding of how computer science impacts people and society.

The AP CSP course is organized around seven big ideas, which are essential to studying computer science.

Big Ideas:
The seven big ideas of the course encompass foundational ideas of the field of computer science, and are denoted here
by B1 through B7:
B1: Creativity
 How can a creative development process affect the creation of computational artifacts?
 How can computing and the use of computational tools foster creative expression?
 How can computing extend traditional forms of human expression and experience?
B2: Abstraction
 How are vastly different kinds of data, physical phenomena, and mathematical concepts represented on
a computer?
 How does abstraction help us in writing programs, creating computational artifacts, and solving
problems?
 How can computational models and simulations help generate new understanding and knowledge?
B3: Data and Information
 How can computation be employed to help people process data and information to gain insight and
knowledge?
 How can computation be employed to facilitate exploration and discovery when working with data?
 What considerations and tradeoffs arise in the computational manipulation of data?
 What opportunities do large data sets provide for solving problems and creating knowledge?
B4: Algorithms
 How are algorithms implemented and executed on computers and computational devices?
 Why are some languages better than others when used to implement algorithms?
 What kinds of problems are easy, what kinds are difficult, and what kinds are impossible to solve
algorithmically?
 How are algorithms evaluated?
B5: Programming
 How are programs developed to help people, organizations, or society solve problems?
 How are programs used for creative expression, to satisfy personal curiosity, or to create new
knowledge?
 How do computer programs implement algorithms?
 How does abstraction make the development of computer programs possible?
 How do people develop and test computer programs?
 Which mathematical and logical concepts are fundamental to computer programming?
 B6: The Internet
 What is the Internet? How is it built? How does it function?
 What aspects of the Internet’s design and development have helped it scale and flourish?
 How is cybersecurity impacting the ever-increasing number of Internet users?
B7: Global Impact
 How does computing enhance human communication, interaction, and cognition?
 How does computing enable innovation?
 What are some potential beneficial and harmful effects of computing?

Course Objectives:
The course is based on Computational Thinking Practices (CTP). Computational thinking practices capture important
aspects of the work that computer scientists engage in. These practices are essential to the experience of doing work in
computing. These practices are not something that one covers once and then is done. Rather they represent higher
order thinking skills, behaviors, and habits of mind that need to be constantly visited, repeatedly honed, and refined
over time. Here are the Computational Thinking Practices as define by the College Board:

Computational Thinking Practices:

The six computational thinking practices represent important aspects of the work that computer scientists engage in,
and are denoted here by P1 through P6:
P1: Connecting Computing
1. Identify impacts of computing.
2. Describe connections between people and computing.
3. Explain connections between computing concepts.
P2: Creating Computational Artifacts
1. Create an artifact with a practical, personal, or societal intent.
2. Select appropriate techniques to develop a computational artifact.
3. Use appropriate algorithmic and information management principles.
P3: Abstracting
1. Explain how data, information, or knowledge is represented for computational use.
2. Explain how abstractions are used in computation or modeling.
3. Identify abstractions.
4. Describe modeling in a computational context.
P4: Analyzing Problems and Artifacts
1. Evaluate a proposed solution to a problem.
2. Locate and correct errors.
3. Explain how an artifact functions.
4. Justify appropriateness and correctness of a solution, model, or artifact.
P5: Communicating
1. Explain the meaning of a result in context.
2. Describe computation with accurate and precise language, notations, or visualizations
3. Summarize the purpose of a computational artifact.
P6: Collaborating
1. Collaborate with another student in solving a computational problem.
2. Collaborate with another student in producing an artifact.
3. Share the workload by providing individual contributions to an overall collaborative effort.
4. Foster a constructive, collaborative climate by resolving conflicts and facilitating the contributions of a team
member
5. Exchange knowledge and feedback with a partner or team member.
6. Review and revise their work as needed to create a high-quality artifact.
 The AP Performance Tasks:
The through course assessment is a set of performance tasks designed to gather evidence of student proficiency
in the learning objectives. The AP Performance Tasks (PTs) are in-class assessments, administered by the
teacher, that allow students to exemplify their learning through authentic, “real-world” creations. For more
information about the AP Performance Tasks, refer to the curriculum framework.

The two performance tasks as defined by College Board are:

1. Explore - Implications of Computing Inventions
Students explore the impacts of computing on social, economic, and cultural areas of our lives.
2. Create - Applications from Ideas
Students create computational artifacts through the design and development of programs.

Students will gain the experience necessary to complete the PTs in class. Each unit comes with practice PTs in
which students will research topics in computing, and create their own digital artifacts. Students will create and
maintain a website that will hold each student creation throughout the course. This will serve as a running
portfolio of each creative project the student completes. Sufficient time is set aside in the course for students to
prepare for and complete both PTs.

The AP Exam:
This course will prepare students for the multiple choice AP Computer Science Principles examination. Each
lesson comes with quizzes to test essential knowledge for the AP Exam. Each unit includes a cumulative AP style
multiple choice exam to test understanding of the concepts in the unit, and provide immediate feedback to the
student.

AP Computer Science Principles (APCSP) curriculum is a course designed around the AP Computer Science Principles
Framework. The course contains four core units of study, with a fifth unit devoted almost exclusively to students
working on their AP Performance Task (PT) projects:

Unit 1: The Internet

This unit largely explores the structure and design of the Internet and the implications of those design decisions
including the reliability of network communication, the security of data, and personal privacy. Topics include the
Internet Protocol (IP), DNS, TCP/IP, cryptography and other security and hacking concerns. The unit also makes
the link between the existence of computationally hard problems and encryption schemes that are “hard” for
computers to crack.

Topics EU LO [P] ( K) Lessons

Chapter 1: Representing and Presenting Information
Getting Started 7.1 7.1.1 [P4] (AO) Personal Innovations
7.2 7.2.1 [P1] (AC,G)
7.3 7.3.1 [P4] (AO)
7.4 7.4.1 [P1] (AD)
Sending Binary Messages 2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AC,E) Build a Bit Sending Device
2.1.2 [P5] (DF)
2.3 2.3.1 [P3] (AD) Sending Binary Messages
2.3.2 [P3] (A) with the Internet
3.3 3.3.1 [P4] (AB)
6.1 6.1.1 [P3] (AD) Simulator Sending Bits in
6.2 6.2.1 [P5] (A,D) the Real World (Optional)
6.2.2 [P4] (AK)
Encoding and Sending 2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AG) Number Systems Circles,
Numbers 2.3 2.1.2 [P5] (AF) Triangles, Squares Binary
3.1 2.3.1 [P3] (AD) Numbers Sending
 3.3 2.3.2 [P3] (AE) Numbers Encoding
6.2 3.1.1 [P4] (A,B,D,E) Numbers in the Real
3.3.1 [P4] (A,B) World (Optional)
6.2.2 [P4] (D,G,H)
Encoding and Sending 2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AE) Encoding and Sending
Text 3.1 2.1.2 [P5] (BF) Formatted Text
3.3 3.1.1 [P4] (A,D,E)
6.1 3.1.2 [P6] (AD)
6.2 3.1.3 [P5] (A,E)
3.3.1 [P4] (A,B,G)
6.1.1 [P3] (AD)
6.2.2 [P4] (D,FH)
Chapter 2: Inventing the Internet
Internet Addresses, 2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AC,E) The Internet is for
Packets, and Redundancy 3.3 2.1.2 [P5] (DF) Everyone Internet
6.1 3.3.1 [P4] (AF) Addressing Routers and
6.2 6.1.1 [P3] (BE) Redundancy Packets and
6.3 6.2.1 [P5] (D) Making a Reliable
7.3 6.2.2 [P4] (B,D,G) Internet
7.4 6.3.1 [P1] (A)
7.3.1 [P4] (A,D,E,G,L)
7.4.1 [P1] (CE)
Algorithms of the 4.1 4.1.1 [P2] (B,H,I) Minimum Spanning Tree
Internet: Routing 4.2 4.1.2 [P5] (AC,F,I) (Optional)
(Optional) 4.2.1 [P1] (A,B) Shortest Path Problem
4.2.4 [P4] (AD,G) (Optional)
How Routers Learn
(Optional)
Protocols and Abstraction 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.1.1 [P3] (AI) The Need for DNS
6.2.1 [P5] (B,C) HTTP and Abstraction on
6.2.2 [P4] (CE,H) the Internet
6.3.1 [P1] (B)
Practice PT 6.3.1 [P1], Practice PT The Internet
7.1.1 [P4], and Society
7.3.1 [P4],
7.4.1 [P1]
7.5.2 [P5]
Unit 2: The Digital Representation of Information

This unit sets the foundation for thinking about the digital (binary) representation of information and how that
affects the world we live in. This unit explores the technical challenges and questions that arise from the need to
represent digital information in computers and transfer it between people and computational devices. Topics
include: the digital representation n of information - numbers, text, images, and communication protocols.

Topics EU LO [P] ( K) Lessons

Chapter 1: Encoding and Compressing Complex Information
Compression and 1.1 1.1.1 [P2] (A,B) Text Compression
Encoding Images 1.2 1.2.1 [P2] (A) Encoding B&W Images
1.3 1.3.1 [P2] (C) Encoding Color Images
2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AC) Lossy Compression and
2.2 2.1.2 [P5] (DF) File Formats
2.3 2.2.1 [P2] (A,B)
3.1 2.3.1 [P3] (AD)
3.2 3.1.1 [P4] (A,D,E)
3.3 3.1.2 [P6] (AD)
3.1.3 [P5] (A,E)
3.2.1 [P1] (GI)
3.3.1 [P4] (AE,G)
Practice PT 2.1 2.1.1 [P3] (AE) Practice PT Encode an
2.2 2.1.2 [P5] (A,B,D,F) Experience
2.2.1 [P2] (A,B)
Chapter 2: Manipulating and Visualizing Data
Collecting Data 3.2 3.2.1 [P1] (A,B,C) Introduction to Data
5.1 5.1.1 [P2] (F) The Data Tracker Project
7.1 7.1.1 [P4] (C)
7.2 7.2.1 [P1] (A,B,G)
Interpreting Visual Data 1.1 1.1.1 [P2] (A,B) Finding Trends with
1.2 1.2.1 [P2] (A,B,E) Visualizations Check Your
3.1 1.2.5 [P4] (AD) Assumptions Good and
3.2 3.1.1 [P4] (A,B,D,E) Bad Data Visualizations
7.1 3.1.2 [P6] (AF)
7.4 3.1.3 [P5] (AE)
3.2.1 [P1] (AE)
7.1.1 [P4] (EG)
7.4.1 [P1] (A,C,D)
Communicating with 1.1 1.1.1 [P2] (A,B) Making Data
Visualization 1.2 1.2.1 [P2] (AC) Visualizations Discover a
3.1 1.2.4 [P6] (A,B,F) Data Story Cleaning Data
3.2 3.1.1 [P4] (AE) Creating Summary Tables
3.3 3.1.2 [P6] (AF)
7.3 3.1.3 [P5] (AC)
3.2.1 [P1] (AG,I)
3.2.2 [P3] (C,G)
3.3.1 [P4] (F)
7.3.1 [P4] (G)
Practice PT 1.2 1.2.1 [P2] (AC,E) Tell a Data Story
3.1 1.2.2 [P2] (A,B)
7.3 1.2.5 [P4] (AD)
7.5 3.1.3 [P5] (AD)
7.3.1 [P4] (J)
7.5.2 [P5] (A,B)
Unit 3: Algorithm & Programming

This unit introduces students to programming in the JavaScript language and creating small applications (apps)
that live on the web. This introduction places a heavy emphasis on understanding general principles of computer
programming and revealing those things that are universally applicable to any programming language. Students
will program in an online programming environment called App Lab that has many features, chief among them
the ability to write JavaScript programs with click-and-drag blocks or just typing text - allowing the user to switch
back and forth at will.

Unit 4: Big Data & Privacy

In this unit students continue programming and building apps, but now with a heavier focus on data. Being able
to extract knowledge from data is an important aspect of CS Principles and in this unit students will do that in a
number of ways. Students will write programs that generate data to model or simulate a scenario they wish to
investigate. Students will process large lists of data imported from other sources and also pull data from live
data APIs. Students will also more fully use App Lab’s cloud data storage capabilities to create databases to use
with their own apps.

Unit 5 – Building Apps

The data-rich world we live in introduces many complex questions related to public policy, law, ethics and
societal impact. The goals of this unit are to develop a well-rounded and balanced view about data in the world,
including the positive and negative effects of it, and to understand the basics of how and why modern encryption
works.

Unit 6 - Performance Tasks

This unit is primarily set aside to ensure that students have enough time in class to work on and complete their
performance tasks for submission.
COURSE CURRICULUM CONTENT
Course Standards

COURSE STANDARDS UNITS/TOPICS

IT-CSP – 1 Demonstrate employability skills required Semester :
by business and industry 1. FBLA – leadership development, community
IT-CSP- 2 Create digital artifacts that foster creative service, and employability skills
expression including programs, digital
2. The Digital Representation of Information
music, videos, images, documents, and
combinations of these such as 3. The Internet
infographics, presentations, and web 4. Data
pages. 5. Programming
IT-CSP-3 Apply abstractions in digital data to 6. Performance Tasks
explain how bits are grouped to represent
higher-level abstractions such as numbers
and characters.
IT-CSP-4 Design and create computer programs to
process and extract information to gain
insight and knowledge.
IT-CSP-5 Develop, express, implement, and
analyze algorithms analytically and
empirically.
IT-CSP-6 Create programs that translate human
intention into computational artifacts
including music, images, visualizations,
and more while exploring the concepts,
techniques and development used in
writing programs.
IT-CSP-7 Gain insight into the operation of the
Internet, study characteristics of the
Internet and systems built upon it, and
analyze important concerns, such as
cybersecurity.
IT-CSP-8 Develop a logical argument from the
many ways in which computing enables
innovation and our methods for
communicating, collaborating, problem
solving, and doing business, and analyze
the potential benefits and harmful effects
of computing in a the way people think,
work, live, and play.
IT-CSP-9 Explore how related student
organizations are integral parts of career
and technology education courses
through leadership development, school
and community service projects,
entrepreneurship development, and
competitive events.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
Published Materials Instructional Supplies
Composition Notebook, Paper, pen or pencil,
headphones, USB Jump Drive

3-REQUIRED COURSES FOR PATHWAY COMPLETION:

Introduction to Digital Technology, Computer Science Principles or AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A

END OF PATHWAY ASSESSMENT:

NOCTI Computer Programming Assessment (Test Code: 4023 Version: 01) is the End of Pathway Assessment for the
Computer Science Pathway.

AP Computer Science Principles Test will be given on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 12:00 Noon. The cost to take this exam is
$98 (College Board has increased the AP exam fee). All students enrolled in an AP course have made a commitment to
take the exam. Students will need to register and pay for their exam online using Total Registration beginning in
September.
EVALUATION AND GRADING
Students will be assessed in a variety of ways. This will include formative assessments (daily quizzes, brief progress checks, daily
class practice, journals, weekly article reviews, class work, rough drafts, and outlines of projects ), summative assessments (major
tests, major performance tasks, projects, presentations, essays and reports), professional development activities (joining FBLA and
participating in required activities or reading three business related novels over the course of the semester which includes a three
page minimum written report for each novel, and an oral presentation to the class) and a final exam.
Assignments Grade Weights Grading Scale
Classwork & Homework Formative Assessments 30% A: 90 and above
Projects Daily Work, Quizzes, e-portfolio B: 80 – 89
Unit Tests Summative Assessment 40% C: 74 – 79
Quizzes Projects, Unit Tests, Quizzes, Mini D: 70 – 73
Final Exam Projects F: 69 or below
Professional Development Activities 20%
FBLA Membership, Business Related
Novels
Final Exam 10%
OTHER INFORMATION
Expectations for Academic Success Additional Requirements/Resources
1) Complete daily classwork assignments  Acceptable Computer Use Policy
2) Participate in class discussions and ask questions  Tutoring Available
3) Participate constructively as a team member
4) Problem solve and accept challenges
5) Challenge yourself to continuously improve
Discipline:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Student/teacher conference
3. Phone call to parent(s) (allows parents to have an opportunity to correct the problem)
4. Teacher Detention (before and/or after school. Need to give at least 24 hours notice)
5. Parent Contact (invite the parent to a conference)
6. Referral to counselor (academic/personal issues)
7. Referral to an administrator (discipline)

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Computer Support Technician* Server Administrator* Database Administrator*Web Developer*& Windows Developer*
Specialist Producer * Production Assistant * Programmer * Streaming Media Specialist * Virtual Reality Specialist
Designer * Producer * Specialist Administrator * Page Developer * Producer * Site Developer * Specialist Webmaster

CTSO-FBLA-The Career Technical Student Organization for Business & Computer Science is Future Business Leaders of
America (FBLA). Our mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through
innovative leadership and career development programs.
FBLA Goals

§ Develop competent, aggressive business leadership

§ Strengthen the confidence of students in themselves and their work
§ Create more interest in and understanding of American business enterprise
§ Encourage members in the development of individual projects which contribute to the improvement of home,
business, and community
§ Develop character, prepare for useful citizenship, and foster patriotism
§ Encourage and practice efficient money management
§ Encourage scholarship and promote school loyalty
§ Assist students in the establishment of occupational goals
§ Facilitate the transition from school to work

“It is the policy of the Oconee County School District to offer the opportunity to students to participate in appropriate
programs and activities without regard to color, creed, national origin, handicap, or gender.”