Fall 2024 - P4
| Big Idea 3 | .1 | .2 | .3 | .4 | .5 | .6 | .7 | .8 | .10 |
Programming Fundamentals - P4
An introduction to College Board's Big Idea 3, part one. This is a collection of Python lessons to help students understand the fundamental algorithm and programming elementes required by College Board's AP Computer Science Principles curriculum.
Big Idea 3: Programming Fundamentals
Track every lesson in the Period 4 pathway for Big Idea 3. Move through fundamentals at your own pace, mark lessons as complete, and watch your progress light up as you head toward Victory!
What You Will Learn
Part 1 — Fundamentals (This Unit)
- 3.1 Variables
- 3.2 Data Abstraction
- 3.3 Mathematical Expressions
- 3.4 Strings
- 3.5 Booleans
- 3.6 Conditionals
- 3.7 Nested Conditionals
- 3.8 Iteration
- 3.10 Lists
Part 2 — Core Concepts (Next Unit)
- 3.9 Developing Algorithms
- 3.11 Search
- 3.12 Calling Procedures
- 3.13 Developing Procedures & Procedural Abstraction
- 3.14 Libraries
- 3.15 Random Values
- 3.16 Simulations
- 3.17 Algorithmic Efficiency
- 3.18 Undecidable Problems
Why It Matters
Algorithmic thinking is the backbone of the Create Performance Task and every technical project you build this year. These lessons fuel the skills you will use for full-stack development, data science, and the AP exam.
As you work, connect each concept back to real projects. The more often you apply these fundamentals, the more confident you will be on assessments and when building your own software.
How to Stay Sharp
- Review new vocabulary before diving into code cells.
- Experiment inside Jupyter notebooks and push beyond the sample hacks.
- Reflect in your blog about wins, blockers, and how you solved them.
- Ask questions early and pair up to debug complex problems.
Lesson Progress Tracker
Mark lessons as complete to build momentum and unlock the next stage.
Key Terms to Know
- Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or performing a task.
- Pseudocode: A way to describe algorithms using a mixture of natural language and programming elements.
- College Board Pseudocode: The AP Exam language for describing programming logic.
- Debugging: The process of finding and fixing errors in a program.
- Debugger: A tool that allows developers to step through code and inspect variables.
- Control Structures: Constructs that control the flow of execution (loops, conditionals, etc.).
Resource
For official AP CSP guidance, visit the College Board AP CSP page .