FINAL PROJECT: Abstract and Reader's Reponse > Supplementary AP computer science material for after the AP exam
Looks like a good plan. :) Wish I could code to really enjoy this fully.
May 8, 2016 |
Marybeth Shea
Marybeth Shea
In many school districts there is nearly a month between when the AP exam takes place and when students are released for summer vacation. As a result, teachers are in need of supplementary material that can be covered in the last month of the school year. My document will provide AP computer science teachers with a convenient way of teaching students about polymorphic binary search trees. BSTs are a common type of data structure that are commonly used in applications such as data compression and sorting. Since BSTs are almost guaranteed to show up at some point during a student’s undergraduate career if they decide to become a computer science major, learning about BSTs at the end of AP computer science will provide students with knowledge that is sure to help them in the future. My document will have two parts. The first part will explain what BSTs are and describe some of the algorithms that are commonly used for modifying and traversing them. The first part of my document will also provide a brief review of recursion and polymorphism, two topics from the AP exam that students will need to understand to complete my project. The second part will be directions for a coding project in which students will write their own implementation of a BST.
WC: 217
READER’S PROFILE:
I imagine a lazy burned out high school senior who sees my document as a nuisance.
READER’S RESPONSE:
Ha. I see the leaf nodes in the picture of a BST on the first page are Star Wars themed. I wonder if there are any more easter eggs in the directions… after skimming the directions, this project doesn’t look too hard and BSTs are fairly interesting. I’m going to start coding and read the directions a little more carefully.