First Summer 2006

A201 will have:

• about 10 homework assignments (worth 18% of the final grade)
• 10-13 lab assignments (worth 18% of the final grade)
• a practical exam (worth 20% of the final grade)
• a midterm and a final exam (worth 20% each)
• minute papers (one per lecture, worth 4% total)

We will be using Alice and Python in this class:

A program is a carefully designed sequence of steps.

We present Alice and will write a simple program.

Writing a program in Alice has two parts:

1. creating a scene (setting up the data), and
2. writing a method (the actual program to be executed).

We emphasize the importance of knowing one's tools when one tries to come up with a program.

The program that we might write could be by and large like this:

One might have a bit of trouble locating the right methods, and we'll talk about that again later.

We should discuss a bit the calendar and the grading and we will indicate that we'll post info in the evening.

Chapters 1 and 2 are to be practiced in lab today, and need to be known for tomorrow's lecture.