Upper School Course of Study: Computer Science

COURSE OF STUDY 2008-09

(All courses are not offered every year.)

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Advanced Placement Computer Science AB (full year)
This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement exam in Computer Science AB. It covers all of the required subsets of Java: Programming Basics, OOP, Data and Information Processing, Software Development, Graphical User Interfaces and Event-Driven Programming, and Web Basics.  This is a college-level class that is run as though it were being offered to college students. There is a strong emphasis on developing the requisite analytical and problem-solving skills. 

Advanced Programming (full year)
This course explores advanced topics in Computer Science and is designed for highly motivated Computer Science students.  The course includes a semester each of advanced C++ and advanced Java programming with an emphasis on understanding complex data structures and the operations that can be performed in these environments.  Stand-alone projects and programming related cases will be developed as part of the course structure. 

Computer Concepts (semester course required for graduation unless student takes Introduction to Programming)
This course is a single semester introduction to the fundamental ideas of computers. It covers the components of a computer system, application software, input, output, and storage devices, as well as operating systems. Additionally, students gain a basic knowledge of the electronics of a computer system. All of this is accomplished using the textbook, interactive CDs, classroom discussions and demonstrations, and a hands-on circuitry kit.
 
Game Development (semester elective)
For the first time, gaming has driven the development of the latest microchips, taking over from Defense. The game industry is a multi trillion dollar business. This course is a single semester introduction to game development. Basic ideas like graphics, audio formats, storage, design and development are reviewed. Students create 2D and 3D games using concepts and creativity; they program using “point and click” tools. Logical programming and object oriented programming concepts are emphasized.

Honors Programming (full year)
This course explores suitably advanced topics in Computer Science (which may in part overlap the AP Computer Science A curriculum, but typically goes beyond that curriculum). This course is designed for highly motivated Computer Science students.  VB.NET is the medium of instruction, with in-depth discussion of programming concepts and techniques. In addition, there are several out of text logical constructs, algorithms, and real-world applications.

Programming I (full year course required for graduation unless student takes Computer Concepts)
This course serves as an introduction to computer programming using several programming languages. The focus is programming in C++ and Java. Functions, loops, if-else structures, arrays are some of the topics covered. Object Oriented Programming concepts are covered via Java. Problem solving and algorithm development are emphasized throughout the year.

Simulations (semester elective)
Computation is used in a wide array of contexts to simulate the real world and thereby derive insight into real world problems.  This course introduces students to various software packages that simulate some aspect of the world.  Current software packages include: Capitalism II, which simulates the business world; Real Lives, which models the lives of people from different parts of the world; Zoo Tycoon, which challenges the students to design, build, and manage a zoo including animal behavior; and SimCity 3000, which offers a realistic 3-D environment with businesses and other facilities to control.  The text, Entrepreneurship, teaches business topics in a more traditional way, and is intended to support Capitalism II.

2D Graphics (semester elective)
Computer graphics are employed everywhere in our world today.  Movies, games, the Internet, and scientific modeling are a few such arenas.  This course first introduces Adobe Creative Suite 2, a unified, industry-strength design environment with the ability to produce the next level of integration in creative software.  It is used to design, create, and edit graphics, publications, and web pages.  The suite consists of Adobe Illustrator CS2, used for creating illustrations, Photoshop CS2, used for photo editing, InDesign CS2, a page layout program, GoLive CS2, a publishing program to publish and manage websites, and Acrobat 7.0, a tool used for reading PDF files. The course concludes with an introduction to digital movie and video creation on a PC using Microsoft Windows Movie Maker.

3D Animation and Architecture (semester elective)
3-D Computer animation and architectural modeling are employed everywhere in our world today.  Movies, games, the Internet, and scientific modeling are a few such arenas.  This course introduces 3D animation and architectural design and modeling.  Students learn the basic properties of 3D computer objects. Subsequently, they proceed to character animation and CAD (computer-aided design).  The software packages for this course include: Animation Master, an industry-strength animation tool; Chief Architect, a powerful industrial software package used for architectural modeling; and Toon Boom, an all-inclusive digital animation tool. 

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