SAMPLE SYLLABUS #1

AP Computer Science A
®

Curricular Requirements
CR1 Students and teachers have access to a college-level computer science See page:
textbook in print or electronic format 2

CR2 The course provides opportunities to develop student understanding of the See page:
required content outlined in each of the units described in the AP Course and 2
Exam Description (CED).

CR3 The course provides opportunities to develop student understanding of the See page:
big ideas. 8

CR4 The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills related See page:
to Computational Thinking Practice 1: Program Design and Algorithm 8
Development.

CR5 The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills related to See page:
Computational Thinking Practice 2: Code Logic. 8

CR6 The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills related to See page:
Computational Thinking Practice 3: Code Implementation. 8

CR7 The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills related to See page:
Computational Thinking Practice 4: Code Testing. 8

CR8 The course provides opportunities for students to develop the skills related to See page:
Computational Thinking Practice 5: Documentation 9

CR9 This course provides students with hands-on lab experiences to practice See pages:
programming through designing and implementing computer-based solutions 2, 8
to problems.
Advanced Placement Computer
Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Overview
Students in this class will exceed the 20 hour in-class programming requirement, probably
before the end of the first quarter. CR9 In addition to writing dozens of programs CR9
throughout the year, students will also complete a larger programming project at the end The syllabus must include
of each semester. an explicit statement that
at least 20 hours of in-class
Texts and Resources instructional time is spent
in computer-based lab
The following texts are used in the course:
experiences.
ƒ Java Concepts: AP® Edition (JC), Cay Horstmann, 5th Edition, 2008, John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. CR1 CR1
ƒ AP Computer Science Study Guide (APSG), Frances P. Trees, 4th Edition, 2006, John The syllabus must list the
Wiley & Sons, Inc. title and author of a college-
level computer science
ƒ Introduction to Computing & Programming with JAVA: A Multimedia Approach (MM),
textbook.
Guzdial & Ericson, 2007, Pearson Education, Inc.
The classroom has laptops for each student and internet access. In addition, ours is a bring-
your-own-device school, and most students have laptops at least equal to the school laptops.

Student Practice
Throughout each unit, Topic Questions will be provided to help students check their
understanding. The Topic Questions are especially useful for confirming understanding of
difficult or foundational topics before moving on to new content or skills that build upon
prior topics. Topic Questions can be assigned before, during, or after a lesson, and as in-
class work or homework. Students will get rationales for each Topic Question that will
help them understand why an answer is correct or incorrect, and their results will reveal
misunderstandings to help them target the content and skills needed for additional practice.

At the end of each unit or at key points within a unit, Personal Progress Checks will
be provided in class or as homework assignments in AP Classroom. Students will get a
personal report with feedback on every topic, skill, and question that they can use to chart
their progress, and their results will come with rationales that explain every question’s
answer. One to two class periods are set aside to re-teach skills based on the results of
the Personal Progress Checks.

CR2
Course Outline The syllabus must include
CR2 In this outline, the CED Unit designation matches each of my units with a unit from an outline of course content
the 2019–2020 course description. I have assignments to discuss general ethical concerns by unit title using any
in computing and the responsibilities of programmers specifically. Assignment marks a organizational approach to
programming or written assignment; those with asterisks before the names are described demonstrate the inclusion
in a separate section after the outline. of required course content.

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 2

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Unit 1: Primitive Types

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

1.1 Why Programming? Why Java? 2.B, 4.B

1.2 Variables and Data Types 1.A, 1.B

1.3 Expressions and 1.B, 2.A

Assignment Statements

1.4 Compound Assignment Operators 2.B, 5.A Assignment: Dollars

and Cents
Assignment: Paper to IDE

1.5 Casting and Ranges of Variables 2.B, 5.B

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 1 Check MCQ Part A
Personal Progress
Check MCQ Part B

Unit 1 Review

Unit 1 Test

Unit 2: Using Objects

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

2.1 Objects–Instances of Classes 5.A

2.2 Creating and Storing 1.C, 3.A

Objects (Instantiation)

2.3 Calling a Void Method 1.C, 3.A

2.4 Calling a Void Method 2.C, 3.A

with Parameters

2.5 Calling a Non-void Method 1.C, 3.A

2.6 String Objects: Concatenation, 2.A

Literals, and More

2.7 String Methods 2.C, 3.A Lab 1: Splitting Strings

2.8 Wrapper Classes: 2.C

Integer and Double

2.9 Using the Math Class 1.B, 3.A

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 2 Check MCQ Part A
Personal Progress
Check MCQ Part B
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 2 Review

Unit 2 Test

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 3

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Unit 3: Boolean Expressions and if Statements

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

3.1 Boolean Expressions 2.A Assignment:

*Output or Trick

3.2 if Statements and Control Flow 2.B, 3.C

3.3 if-else Statements 3.C, 4.A

3.4 else if Statements 3.C, 4.C

3.5 Compound Boolean Expressions 2.B, 3.C

3.6 Equivalent Boolean Expressions 4.C

3.7 Comparing Objects 2.C, 3.A

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 3 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 3 Review

Unit 3 Test

Unit 4: Iteration

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

4.1 while Loops 1.B, 2.B, 3.C Lab 2: *Rolling Dice

4.2 for Loops 3.C, 4.C, 5.C Assignment: Matching

Positions
Assignment:
For-loop Patterns

4.3 Developing Algorithms 2.C, 3.C

Using Strings

4.4 Nested Iteration 1.B, 3.C, 5.C Lab 3: Processing

from a File

4.5 Informal Code Analysis 2.D

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 4 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 4 Review

Unit 4 Test

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 4

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Unit 5: Writing Classes

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

5.1 Anatomy of a Class 1.A, 1.B Lab 4: Investments

and Investors

5.2 Constructors 1.C, 3.B

5.3 Documentation with Comments 5.D Assignment: *Documenting

Classes with Javadoc

5.4 Accessor Methods 3.B, 5.B

5.5 Mutator Methods 3.B, 4.B

5.6 Writing Methods 1.B, 3.B

5.7 Static Variables and Methods 3.B, 5.A Lab 5: *Parity Functions

5.8 Scope and Access 3.B, 5.B Lab 6: *Set Ops

Lab 7: Three-Method
Breakdown

5.9 this Keyword 2.C

5.10 Ethical and Social Implications

of Computing Systems

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 5 Check MCQ Part A
Personal Progress
Check MCQ Part B
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 5 Review

Unit 5 Test

Unit 6: Array

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

6.1 Array Creation and Access 1.C, 3.D

6.2 Traversing Arrays 2.B, 3.D, 4.B

6.3 Enhanced for Loop for Arrays 3.D, 4.C

6.4 Developing Algorithms 1.B, 3.D, 5.D Assignment: *Test Cases

Using Arrays

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 6 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 6 Review

Unit 6 Test

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 5

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Unit 7: ArrayList

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

7.1 Introduction to ArrayList 1.B, 3.D Assignment: Why Don’t

We Always Use This?

7.2 ArrayList Methods 2.C, 3.D

7.3 Traversing ArrayLists 2.C, 3.D

7.4 Developing Algorithms 3.D, 4.A

Using ArrayLists

7.5 Searching 3.D, 5.C

7.6 Sorting 2.D Assignment:

*Practical Big-O
Assignment: Insertion Sort
Assignment: Selection Sort

7.7 Ethical Issues Around Assignment:

Data Collection *Computing Ethics

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 7 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 7 Review

Unit 7 Test

Unit 8: 2D Array

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

8.1 2D Arrays 1.B, 1.C, 3.E Lab 8: 2D Array Shifter

8.2 Traversing 2D Arrays 2.B, 2.D, 3.E, 4.A Lab 9: Taxman

Assignment: Star
Trek Revisited

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 8 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 8 Review

Unit 8 Test

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 6

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Unit 9: Inheritance

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

9.1 Creating Superclasses 1.A, 3.B Lab 10: Taxable and

and Subclasses Non-taxable
Lab 11: Foreign Investment

9.2 Writing Constructors 3.B, 5.A

for Subclasses

9.3 Overriding Methods 3.B, 5.D

9.4 super Keyword 1.C, 3.B

9.5 Creating References Using 3.A, 5.B

Inheritance Hierarchies

9.6 Polymorphism 3.A, 5.B Assignment: ArrayList

of Investments

9.7 Object Superclass 1.C, 3.B Assignment: Auto-Test

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 9 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 9 Review

Unit 9 Test

Unit 10: Recursion

Topic Suggested Skills Highlighted

Assignments & Labs

10.1 Recursion 1.B, 5.A Lab 12: Almost the Largest

Assignment: It Might
As Well Be Recursion
Assignment: Now
It’s Recursion

10.2 Recursive Searching and Sorting 2.C, 2.D Lab 13: Recursion-
a-palooza
Assignment: Recursive
Mergesort
Assignment: Mergesort

Complete Personal Progress Personal Progress

Checks for Unit 10 Check MCQ
Personal Progress
Check FRQ

Unit 10 Review

Unit Test

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 7

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

Select Assignment Descriptions

[CTP1] [CTP3] Lab 2—Rolling Dice: CR9 In this assignment, we want to write a CR9
program that inputs a specially formatted string that indicates how many times to roll dice The syllabus must include
with different numbers of sides, and uses random numbers to simulate a roll. For example, titles and descriptions for
1d8 + 2d6 + 3 means to simulate rolling an eight-sided die once, a six-sided die twice, at least two labs. Labs must
then add all results together plus 3. (Skills 3.A, 3.C) CR6 Instead of attacking this dead- be explicitly labeled.
on though, we’ll brainstorm ways to reduce this problem to simpler versions we can tackle
first. (Skill 1.A) We’ll make lists of each individual task in this assignment and see what If the course uses labs
additional Java library methods we’ll need to investigate. (Skill 1.C) CR4 provided by College Board,
titles must be included
[CTP2] Practical Big-O: Students will be given a series a code examples and asked to to satisfy this curricular
determine the Big-O running time based on the input size. Examples will include single requirement.
loops, nested loops, single and nested loops in series, and disguised nesting that occurs
when code inside a loop calls other methods, including library methods. (Skill 2.D) CR5 CR6
The syllabus must include
[CTP2] Output or Trick: Throughout the year, students will be given code examples and a brief description of an
asked to determine the output. In some cases, the answer is straightforward, e.g., a series of assignment describing
if statements with output that only requires understanding boolean expressions. In other how students will
cases, there’s a trick. For example, a loop that looks like it adds ten Integer objects to an engage with one skill in
ArrayList but actually adds ten references to the same Integer object. (Skills 2.B, 2.C) Computational Thinking
Practice 3. Assignments
[CON] [CTP3] Lab 5—Parity Functions: CR9 Write a program with two static
must explicitly label which
methods called evenParity and oddParity. These functions each take a String
skill(s) they address.
and return a boolean. The evenParity method should return true if the String
represents a binary number with evenparity, and false otherwise. For example. CR4
evenParity(“1100101”) would return true but evenParity(“11001”) would The syllabus must include
return false. The oddParity method does the same, but of course for odd parity. a brief description of an
(Skills 3.A, 3.C) CR3 assignment describing
how students will
For the sake of robustness, if the String contains anything other than ‘0’ or ‘1’
engage with one skill in
characters, it should return false. For example, oddParity(“2374”) would return false.
Computational Thinking
[VAR and MOD] [CTP3] Lab 6—Set Ops: CR9 Create your own Set class for storing Practice 1. Assignments
and manipulating sets of String objects. The class should include methods to add a must explicitly label which
String to the set and to determine if a String is in the Set. The class should also skill(s) they address.
include methods to find the intersection, union (with no duplicates), and difference of two
CR5
sets. For example, S1.intersect(S2); should set S1 to the intersection of S1 and S2.
The syllabus must include
(Skills 3.A–3.C) CR3 CR6
a brief description of an
[CTP 4] Test Cases: After another programming assignment has been provisionally assignment how students
completed, students will be asked to design a series of test cases for testing another will engage with one skill
student’s unseen implementation. (Skill 4.A) CR7 in Computational Thinking
Practice 2. Assignments
[IOC] Computing Ethics: CR3 Choose one question to argue for or against in a
must explicitly label which
short essay, documenting all sources. We’ll choose in class to make sure all questions
skill(s) they address.
are covered.
CR3
1. The Morality of Theft
The syllabus must include
Choose one of the following to answer in a brief essay (several paragraphs). Support four student activities, each
your answer with sound reasoning. of which describes how it
relates to one of the four big
A. Is it morally permissible to inflict a DDoS attack on a target you think is
ideas. All of the big ideas
itself immoral?
must be represented. Each
B. Is digital theft “better” than physical theft? activity must be labeled with
C. Is it permissible to steal something you want if you could not otherwise afford it? the related big idea(s).

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 8

Advanced Placement Computer Science A Sample Syllabus #1

2. The Duty of Developers CR7

Choose one of the following to answer in a brief essay (several paragraphs). Support your The syllabus must include
answer with sound reasoning. a brief description of an
assignment describing
A. Do programmers have a responsibility to develop code that is as reliable as possible? how students will
B. Do programmers have a responsibility to develop code that is as readable as possible? engage with one skill in
Computational Thinking
C. Should programmers be held legally responsible for code failures in the way that
Practice 4. Assignments
doctors are held legally responsible for medical failures?
must explicitly label which
[CTP5] Documenting Classes with Javadoc: Each student is given a method to skill(s) they address.
investigate. Students must explain the purpose of the method using Java documentation.
CR8
(Skill 5.A) From there we will construct, as a class, our own method header
The syllabus must include
documentation requirements for future programming assignments. CR8
a brief description of an
assignment describing
how students will engage
with one skill (skill
5.A, 5.B, 5.C, or 5.D) in
Computational Thinking
Practice 5. Assignments
must explicitly label which
skill(s) they address.

AP-Course Audit Teacher Resources © 2020 College Board 9