AP Computer Science A is a CodeHS course that introduces students to computer science through programming. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The course emphasizes object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language.

The CodeHS AP Computer Science A course is a year-long course designed to help students master the basics of Java and equip them to successfully pass the College Board AP Computer Science A Exam at the end of the school year.

Lessons consist of video tutorials, short quizzes, example programs to explore, and written programming exercises, adding up to over 100 hours of hands-on programming practice in total. Several units have free response questions that have students consider the applications of programming and incorporate examples from their own lives.

College Board has launched the AP Classroom, a new resource for teachers with summative and formative assessments. At the end of each unit, we recommend that teachers give students the corresponding Personal Progress Check to understand student strengths and weaknesses.

Coures Outline

Semester B

Unit 1: Array

This unit focuses on data structures, which are used to represent collections of related data using a single variable rather than multiple variables. Using a data structure along with iterative statements with appropriate bounds will allow for similar treatment to be applied more easily to all values in the collection. Just as there are useful standard algorithms when dealing with primitive data, there are standard algorithms to use with data structures. In this unit, we apply standard algorithms to arrays; however, these same algorithms are used with ArrayLists and 2D arrays as well. Additional standard algorithms, such as standard searching and sorting algorithms, will be covered in the next unit.

· 1.1 Array

· 1.2 Traversing Arrays

· 1.3 Enhanced for Loop Arrays

· 1.4 Developing Algorithms Using Arrays

· 1.5 Array Quiz

Unit 2: ArrayList

As students learned in Unit 6, data structures are helpful when storing multiple related data values. Arrays have a static size, which causes limitations related to the number of elements stored, and it can be challenging to reorder elements stored in arrays. The ArrayList object has a dynamic size, and the class contains methods for insertion and deletion of elements, making reordering and shifting items easier. Deciding which data structure to select becomes increasingly important as the size of the data set grows, such as when using a large real-world data set. In this unit, students will also learn about privacy concerns related to storing large amounts of personal data and about what can happen if such information is compromised.

· 2.1 Array List

· 2.2 ArrayList Methods

· 2.3 Traversing ArrayLists

· 2.4 Developing Algorithms using Array Lists

· 2.5 Searching

· 2.6 Sorting

· 2.7 Ethical Issues Around Data Collection

· 2.8 ArrayList Quiz

Unit 3: 2D Array

In Unit 6, students learned how 1D arrays store large amounts of related data. These same concepts will be implemented with two-dimensional (2D) arrays in this unit. A 2D array is most suitable to represent a table. Each table element is accessed using the variable name and row and column indices. Unlike 1D arrays, 2D arrays require nested iterative statements to traverse and access all elements. The easiest

way to accomplish this is in row-major order, but it is important to cover additional traversal patterns, such as back and forth or column-major.

· 3.1 2D Arrays

· 3.2 Traversing 2D Arrays

· 3.3 2D Arrays Quiz

Unit 4: Inheritance

Creating objects, calling methods on the objects created, and being able to define a new data type by creating a class are essential understandings before moving into this unit. One of the strongest advantages of Java is the ability to categorize classes into hierarchies through inheritance. Certain existing classes can be extended to include new behaviors and attributes without altering existing code. These newly created classes are called subclasses. In this unit, students will learn how to recognize common attributes and behaviors that can be used in a superclass and will then create a hierarchy by writing subclasses to extend a superclass. Recognizing and utilizing existing hierarchies will help students create more readable and maintainable programs.

· 4.1 Inheritance

· 4.2 Writing Constructors for Subclasses

· 4.3 Overriding Methods

· 4.4 super Keyword

· 4.5 Creating References Using Inheritance

· 4.6 Polymorphism

· 4.7 Object Superclass

· 4.8 Inheritance Quiz

Unit 5: Recursion

Sometimes a problem can be solved by solving smaller or simpler versions of the same problem rather than attempting an iterative solution. This is called recursion, and it is a powerful math and computer science idea. In this unit, students will revisit how control is passed when methods are called, which is necessary knowledge when working with recursion. Tracing skills introduced in Unit 2 are helpful for determining the purpose or output of a recursive method. In this unit, students will learn how to write simple recursive methods and determine the purpose or output of a recursive method by tracing.

· 5.1 Recursion

· 5.2 Recursive Searching

· 5.3 Recursive Sorting

· 5.4 Recursion Quiz