Thinking about learning to code? This is a great first course for students who have had little or no prior experience with computer programming. This foundational course introduces computer programming through the language of Python, one of the most widely-used programming languages today. Students will learn the logic of programming step-by-step, including pseudocode, algorithms, data types, commenting, variables, control structures, loops, functions, lists, objects, and other fundamental programming building blocks. Each week in class, students will walk through a coding exercise together. They will be assigned readings and brief reinforcement activities in our online textbook. Students are also assigned a coding challenge each week, alternating between a practice assignment and a graded coding project. Students will close the year by spending time with Turtle, a drawing tool that allows them to put all these new skills together dynamically in a fun way.
Note: Students with considerable prior programming experience or interest are encouraged to consider TPS Computer Programming in Java instead of this introductory course.