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AP Computer Science Principles (Python)

A free AP CSP curriculum in Python, with slides, labs, and projects.

966 interactive problems.

New: Teachers can now log in, enroll their students, and assign problem sets that follow the AP CSP curriculum. Live coding problems and a full Python IDE are included. The IDE has a dedicated Create Task workspace where students write, run, and save their Create Performance Task program.

This is a resource for teachers and students for AP Computer Science Principles. This curriculum is being updated for newly revised 2020-21 College Board curriculum. The official language for the course is Python.

Course Outline and Lecture Notes

Introduction to Programming with Python

We will cover the essentials of the Python language: data types, conditionals, loops, basic data structures including lists, tuples and dictionaries, functions, object-oriented programming and inheritance.

1.Basic DatatypesPPT — Basic DatatypesPDF — Basic Datatypes
2.Operations and VariablesPPT — Operations and VariablesPDF — Operations and Variables
3.ConditionalsPPT — ConditionalsPDF — Conditionals
4.FunctionsPPT — FunctionsPDF — Functions
5.For Loops and StringsPPT — For Loops and StringsPDF — For Loops and Strings
6.ListsPPT — ListsPDF — Lists
7.While, Nested Loops and List of TuplesPPT — While, Nested Loops and List of TuplesPDF — While, Nested Loops and List of Tuples
8.Object-Oriented ProgrammingPPT — Object-Oriented ProgrammingPDF — Object-Oriented Programming
9.AlgorithmsPPT — AlgorithmsPDF — Algorithms
Breadth-First SearchPPT — Breadth-First SearchPDF — Breadth-First Search
Luhn's Algorithm: Validity of Credit Card NumbersPPT — Luhn's Algorithm: Validity of Credit Card NumbersPDF — Luhn's Algorithm: Validity of Credit Card Numbers
10.(optional)Tuples and DictionariesPPT — (optional)Tuples and DictionariesPDF — (optional)Tuples and Dictionaries
11.(Optional)An Introduction to Jupyter NotebookPPT — (Optional)An Introduction to Jupyter NotebookPDF — (Optional)An Introduction to Jupyter Notebook
12.(Optional)An Introduction to NumpyPPT — (Optional)An Introduction to NumpyPDF — (Optional)An Introduction to Numpy
13.(Optional)pandas for Tabular DataPPT — (Optional)pandas for Tabular DataPDF — (Optional)pandas for Tabular Data

The Create Task

The Create Task(PPT, PDF)

Computer Science Principles

We will cover general computer science principles here.

1.Understanding Data 1: Representing Data DigitallyPPT — Understanding Data 1: Representing Data DigitallyPDF — Understanding Data 1: Representing Data Digitally
2.Understanding Data 2: Images and CompressionPPT — Understanding Data 2: Images and CompressionPDF — Understanding Data 2: Images and Compression
Image Processing LabZIP — Image Processing LabColab — Image Processing Lab
3.Understanding Data 3: Extracting Information from DataPPT — Understanding Data 3: Extracting Information from DataPDF — Understanding Data 3: Extracting Information from Data
Intro Exploratory Data Analysis with PandasZIP — Intro Exploratory Data Analysis with Pandasonline notebook(MyBinder) — Intro Exploratory Data Analysis with Pandas
4.Securing Data: CryptographyPPT — Securing Data: CryptographyPDF — Securing Data: Cryptography
5.The Internet: An Introduction to NetworkingPPT — The Internet: An Introduction to NetworkingPDF — The Internet: An Introduction to Networking
6.Impact of ComputingPPT — Impact of ComputingPDF — Impact of Computing
7.(Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 1: Audio BasicsPPT — (Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 1: Audio BasicsPDF — (Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 1: Audio Basics
Audio Basics LabZIP — Audio Basics Labonline notebook(MyBinder) — Audio Basics Lab
8.(Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 2: The Discrete Fourier TransformPPT — (Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 2: The Discrete Fourier TransformPDF — (Optional)Digital Audio Processing with Python: Part 2: The Discrete Fourier Transform
(Optional)Discrete Fourier Transform LabZIP — (Optional)Discrete Fourier Transform Labonline notebook(MyBinder) — (Optional)Discrete Fourier Transform Lab
9.(Optional)Machine LearningPPT — (Optional)Machine LearningPDF — (Optional)Machine Learning
10.(Optional)Reinforcement LearningPPT — (Optional)Reinforcement LearningPDF — (Optional)Reinforcement Learning
AP Exam PreparationPPT — AP Exam PreparationPDF — AP Exam Preparation

Interesting Short Projects/Applications in Python

Computer Animation with Processing

We will introduce computer graphics using Processing.

1.Introduction to Processing(Python Version)PPT — Introduction to Processing(Python Version)PDF — Introduction to Processing(Python Version)
Processing Python TemplateZIP — Processing Python Template
2.Keyboard and Mouse InputsPPT — Keyboard and Mouse InputsPDF — Keyboard and Mouse Inputs
3.Working with SpritesPPT — Working with SpritesPDF — Working with Sprites
Create and Control Sprites LabZIP — Create and Control Sprites Lab
4.Collision DetectionPPT — Collision DetectionPDF — Collision Detection
Pick Up Coins LabZIP — Pick Up Coins Lab
Tank Shoots Bricks LabZIP — Tank Shoots Bricks Lab
5.Resolving Top-Down CollisionPPT — Resolving Top-Down CollisionPDF — Resolving Top-Down Collision
Top-Down Games CollisionZIP — Top-Down Games Collision

Processing Labs

Intro Processing LabZIP — Intro Processing Lab
Growing Circle LabZIP — Growing Circle Lab
Bouncing Ball LabZIP — Bouncing Ball Lab
Paddle and Ball LabZIP — Paddle and Ball Lab
Capture A FlagZIP — Capture A Flag
Capture the FlagsZIP — Capture the Flags
List of CirclesZIP — List of Circles
Intro OOP LabZIP — Intro OOP Lab
Creating a 2D Map of SpritesZIP — Creating a 2D Map of Sprites
AI: Eight Puzzle SolverZIP — AI: Eight Puzzle Solver

How to write a very simple platformer game!

This material uses Processing. Review the Processing lecture notes and labs(see above) before attempting this lab. The two video tutorials were created for my APCSA(Java) class but they discuss the math behind the algorithms and are language agnostic.

1.How to Resolve Platform CollisionsYoutube — How to Resolve Platform Collisions
2.How to JumpYoutube — How to Jump
Platformer Game LabZIP — Platformer Game Lab

Text Processing: Analyzing Shakespeare

A short problem set and tutorial on how to perform a simple word frequency analysis: total words, total unique words and most frequently used words in all of Shakespeare's collection of works. (HTML, ZIP)

Additional Topics

Introduction to Neural Networks

A 2-3 weeks curriculum designed for AP Computer Science Principles on Neural Networks. Students will implement from scratch a Python program that recognizes handwritten digits! The full course resources page can be found here.

Introduction to the Discrete Fourier Transform

This course explains the math behind the Discrete Fourier Transform and illustrates its utility through analyzing and manipulating audio files in Python. The full course resources page can be found here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.