Calderbank AP Comp Sci 2014-2015
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AP Computer Science
Instructor:
Mr. Calderbank
Email: mdcalderbank@cps.edu
Webpage: lindblomeagles.org. Go to Academics, Computer Science Department, Calderbank’s AP Comp Sci
Room: 100
Text:
Introduction to Programming with Greenfoot , Michael Kolling
Tutoring:
After school Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday from 3:15 to 4:15
Course Description:
This is the AP level Computer Science course using Java. We will examine object oriented programming using an
interactive Greenfoot GUI as well as a more robust NetBeans environment. This class emphasizes the methods for writing
programs, an in-depth study of algorithms, data structures, search and sort. This class is very much lab-based; there are
structured lab components composed of at least 40 hours of class lab time. At the end of the year, you should have a clear
understanding of Java and the confidence to adapt your own programs into any other language.
Course Goals:
There are 6 main goals for this AP Class, from CollegeBoard, in addition to the mandatory lab component:
 Design and implement computer-based solutions to problems
 A) Use and implement commonly used algorithms
B) Use commonly used data structures
 Select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve problems
 Code fluently in an object-oriented paradigm using the Java programming language
 Use elements of the standard Java library from the AP Java subset tested on the AP Comp. Science Exam
 Recognize the ethical and social implications of computer use
Nuts and Bolts of the Course
Since the AP test is a written test (there is no computer lab part), and you’ll be asked to write java code for the
free response part, our unit exams (every 3 or 4 weeks) will be written, and there will be some written parts for projects.
Most of the time, you will turn in Java projects online. The way we’re going to set this up is with a DropBox account shared
with me: mcalderbank@gmail.com and you can automatically save your files and access them online or at home. This will
also be the way that I give files to you.
You will want a 3-ring binder for all the lab handouts. I do not have an online copy of all the lab handouts (yet).
Grading:
You will receive a half-credit at the end of the first semester and another half-credit at the end of the second semester.
The grades for this class will be based on the following items:
Assignment
Weight
Description
Grading
In-Class Labs
40%
These labs come from Introduction to
The in-class labs have several check+
Greenfoot as well as NetBeans initial projects I points, you get a 1 pt for every
Mini-Quizzes
have created.
checkpoint you reach, as you show me
in class you have finished.
Tests
25%
Ties material from labs with sample AP
Grading will be based on completeness
multiple choice and free response, 1 hr
and conceptual understanding. Minor
written tests.
syntax errors will not count against
you.
Projects
25%
These are mostly extension from in-class stuff, Submit this in the DropBox folder,
and may involve some minor HW if unfinished along with all your code. It should run
in class. There are also some Coding Bat
in Greenfoot. Be sure to include
Projects
appropriate comments
Final
10%
Comprehensive of each Semester; this will be
Same situation as an In-class Test
a written test based off of AP materials. You
will be given a Java Reference Guide.
Grading Scale:
A 100 – 90%
B 89 – 80%
C
79 – 70%
D
69 – 60%
F 59% and below
Calderbank AP Comp Sci 2014-2015
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Make – Up Work:
Students are permitted to revise assessments to encourage mastery of content and/or skills. For quizzes, students
will have an opportunity to make corrections to quizzes. Upon successful completion of corrections, students can retake
quizzes in an effort to improve their grade.
Late work: If a student was present but did not turn in an assignment on the due date, the student will lose 10%
per school day. If a student has an excused absence from school, then s/he is responsible for collecting the missing work
on or before the day that the student reports back to school. Otherwise, it will be considered late work. Late homework
will be accepted up until one week before the end of the quarter (for a minimum grade of 50% per assignment), as long as
the assignment is fully complete. Late POWs may be accepted, but no minimum grade is guaranteed.
If a student needs additional support to achieve mastery on the assignment, the onus is on the student to seek out
their teacher to establish a support session outside of class time.
Code and Projects:
1. The most important thing for your code is that it must be readable, piece by piece. That’s not just for this class, but
for anyone else that needs to use or modify your code. It is also especially important when you need to go back
and make changes to your code.
2. I’ll be checking to see if your code runs, please put all your files in a DropBox Folder called,
“APCompSci1415_firstname_lastname”
3. Comments are helpful! Use them when you initialize your method to explain what it can do. Each method should
correspond to an English sentence. If you need more sentences, split your method into more parts.
Leaving the classroom: Only if it is not disruptive to do so, and during your own classroom work time. We have a small
class, so just let me know discretely.
Advice:
Be aware, be flexible, creative, come to class on time and have fun working on your projects.
Student Java Resource Websites
Resources online for Greenfoot book: http://www.greenfoot.org/book
CodingBat. Great immediate feedback exercises: http://codingbat.com/java
A free Java Book! http://www.bluepelicanjava.com/
The Ultimate Java Resource: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/index.html
Here’s the AP Central site: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/home
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Course Outline
Unit and # of
Weeks
Unit 0
( 2 weeks)
…in computer
science, we start
counting at 0.
Unit 1
(4 Weeks)
BeachWorld
Key Topics to be Learned
Labs/Assessment
-Introduction to Object Oriented Programming (Inheritance,
Has-a or Is-a classification, classes, subclasses)
Lab: Successful completion of
checkpoints in Chapter 1: Creating
instance of subclasses and
identifying the has-a or is-a
relationship
-Ethics of Programming: Where is the line between helping
another student learn and helping them fail (by giving code)?
-Chapter 1 of Greenfoot with World class, Actor class and
subclasses Wombat and Leaf that extend Actor, also have
methods inherited from Actor
-Essay on honor code for coding
-Basic class structure including instance variables, local
variables, parameters, methods and refinement of methods,
constructors, main method, return types.
Lab: Successful completion of
checkpoints in Chapters 2 -4 of
Greenfoot. Involves student creation
of code so that all subclasses of
actors interact with each other
-Creation of Worm, Crab, Lobster subclasses of Actor
with different act(), turn(), eat() methods.
Inheritance and public access of private instance.
-If / else, Java.lang.Math.random(), line by line
sequencing of code , typcasting
-Written Test using BeachWorld
structure with new Animals and a
modified act() and
eat()structure.
-Error correction and Debugging: 1st steps.
Unit 2
(4 Weeks)
-For loops: For each structure, increment structure, step by
step process. Array Index starts at 0! If / else statements
contained within the loops, System.out.println
Lab: RandomArray lab, students
find min, max, indices, partial sums,
Sequential and Binary Search
Loops, Arrays,
Search,
-while loops: Avoiding infinite loops, base case necessary,
call to public methods
Greenfoot (Piano Lab): students use
while and for loops with if
statements to construct a Piano
using black and white key,
subclasses of actor
-Sequential Search and Binary Search: How many steps do
they take? Choosing the correct indices and condition for the
loops. Applied to random lists of integers and arrays.
Unit 3
(? Weeks)
Strings and
Magpie
-Computer Ethics: Open source vs. closed source code. What
are benefits of each philosophy?
-Familiarity with AP Java Subset of String methods:
length, substring, indexOf methods
-Apply Magpie findKeyword method to generate more
appropriate responses, and modify responses to give Chatbot
a different personality (i.e. nagging parent)
-Use of Arrays with Strings to get and generate response,
emphasize that Arrays can hold ANY data objects, including
Boolean, int, double and other constructors.
Unit 4
(6 Weeks)
2D Arrays,
Interfaces and
Picture Lab
-Nested For loops. We can have two indices crawling through
the array, going forwards and backwards. Access an element,
set value, get the number of rows or columns
-Use of the Java Color class to define a color using Red, Green
and Blue numbers.
-Written Test on concepts from
Labs, applying search to an array
and constructing a loop
Lab: Students manipulate an array
of strings which contains all their
actual names. Apply all the methods
of array listed above, as well as
finding lengths and substrings
within text
Magpie Lab: Students modify code
to add new functionality of more
responses, and changing structure
of input sentences
-Written Test with extensions from
Lab work as well as vocabulary
All concepts come from within the
Picture Lab
Lab: Students are able to apply the
methods in ColorChooser and
PictureExplorer to find indices, and
change colors. Students use their
Calderbank AP Comp Sci 2014-2015
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own picture to create a new
-Interfaces, specifically that a SimplePicture is an
SimplePicture that they manipulate,
implemented of the DigitalPicture Interface. Note that
changinging colors and creating
this can only have public abstract methods, no body.
vertical and horizontal mirrors
Important distinction for how Java handles inheritance.
Implements vs. Extends for SimplePicture, Picture,
Student apply concepts of mirrors
DigitalPicture
with a random number array to
reverse the order and manipulate
-With Picture Lab, use nested for loops to create vertical or
each half of the array
horizontal mirrors, or apply a color change filter
Unit 5
(5 Weeks)
Sort: Insertion
and Selection Sort,
ArrayList
-Step by step, how insertion sort and selection sort work:
Selection sort finds the minimum element in the rest of the
array and puts it first; insertion sort looks to place the next
element in the array in the correct spot.
-Apply both sorts to various Data Objects already studied:
String array of names, random integer arrays. Discussion of
how many steps each algorithm takes and how much memory
is used
-Student examine ArrayList as
-Ethics of Programming: Copyright law. What are the forms of
copyright out there? If something is released for free to the
public, is it copyrighted? How do you feel about your current
Computer Science work?
-Written Test with extensions of
Picture Lab, Interfaces, and nested
for loops
Lab:
-Students do not create the
insertion or selection sort, but they
are responsible for analyzing the
code and showing a step by step
implementation of each algorithm
-Students examine how long the
program takes, how many times it
goes through each for loop, and
whether it creates new memory
space. Best case and worst case
-Students see that there is a form of
license where the product is
licensed freely but under specific
conditions, and other products are
necessarily not free
Unit 6
*Using the AP Professional Development Curriculum Module*
(5 Weeks)
Recursion
-Examine cases of recursion without code, and how a process
can call itself to repeat in a self-similar manner: Fractals,
increasing lengths. Recursion has a bail-out, a way to deal
with the base case, and a call to itself (Activity 1)
-Written Test: Application of both
sorts with time and different lists
Lab:
Students examine how fractals like
Koch snowflake are created, by
showing step by step how the
program executes. (line by line case,
with physical examples)
-Use the structure of a recursive method with Russian dolls.
How many inner dolls, how many wearing babushkas, red
hair, etc (Activity 2)
-Students modify an example of a
recursive structure to create new
recursive methods
-Discussion of when recursion makes sense and it saves time
and space. Note: It doesn’t make sense for combinations, since
that take a lot of time already, but it does for examples that
are naturally repeating: Like a Racquetball game (Activity 3)
-Students apply Merge-sort to their
list of names or a list of strings,
showing how it operates line by line
Unit 7
(3 Weeks)
AP Exam Review
and Ap Test on
May 7th
-MergeSort, divide and conquer strategy of using a helper and
splitting up the array and merging elements.
-Barrons Multiple choice problems (Inheritance,
polymorphism, loops, nested loops, recursion, arrays, indices,
etc)
-Practice Free Response questions with guided analysis of
how the responses will be scored
-Create working solution for all 21 CodingBat AP-1 problems:
http://codingbat.com/java/AP-1
-Written Test: Students are able to
write a recursive method for an
iterative math Process
-Daily practice with small multiple
choice quizzes and a discussion of
common misconceptions
Unit
APCourse.length1
(4 weeks)
Post AP Exam
Project
Calderbank AP Comp Sci 2014-2015
-Greeps! Students work in pairs to create a working Greeps
GREEEEEEEEEEPS!!!
game that can pass the ten level muster
Courtesy of Greenfoot Interlude Project
-Students program alien Greeps to collect tomatoes and bring
them back to the mothership.
Greeps can only see in front of them, but they can spread little
paint clouds to help other Greeps see them.
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