AP CSP Day 10 - Nested Control Structures

Course Information

• Course: AP Computer Science Principles
• Unit: Big Idea 1 - Creative Development (CRD)
• Lesson: Day 10 (50 minutes)
• Learning Objective: CRD-1.J - Use nested control structures appropriately

Learning Objectives

Primary Goals

Students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of nested control structures
2. Create programs using nested if statements, loops, and combinations thereof
3. Test and refine nested control logic
4. Analyze real-world scenarios that require nested control structures

AP Exam Alignment

• Big Idea 1: Creative Development (10-13% of AP Exam)
• Essential Knowledge: CRD-1.J.1, CRD-1.J.2, CRD-1.J.3
• Computational Thinking Practice: 1.A - Investigate the situation, context, or task

Lesson Structure (50 minutes)

Opening Hook (10 minutes)

1.1 Welcome & Lesson Preview (5 minutes)

Teacher Activities:

• Recap previous day's content on advanced loops
• Introduce today's topic on nested control structures

Student Activities:

• Think about: "What are some examples where we use nested control structures in daily life?"

1.2 Nested Control Examples Challenge (5 minutes)

Activity: "Identify the Nested Control Structure"
Instructions:

• Groups of 4-6 students
• Identify nested control structures in given scenarios
• Discuss the importance of nested control structures

Purpose: Activate thinking about nested control structures

Core Content Instruction (20 minutes)

2.1 What are Nested Control Structures? (10 minutes)

Definition (CRD-1.J.1):

Nested control structures involve placing one control structure inside another.

Key Concepts:

• Nested if statements: if inside if
• Nested loops: loop inside loop
• Combinations: if inside loop, loop inside if

Case Study: Using nested control structures in a simple program

• Program: Determine if a number is prime
• Control structure: for i in range(2, num): if num % i == 0:

2.2 Types of Nested Control Structures (5 minutes)

Examples:

• Nested if: if condition1: if condition2:
• Nested loop: for i in range(...): for j in range(...):
• Combined: for i in range(...): if condition:

Discussion Questions:

1. What makes a good nested control structure?
2. Can you think of an example where nested control structures are used in daily life?
3. Why are nested control structures important in programming?

2.3 Advanced Nested Control (5 minutes)

Why is it important?:

• Complex logic: Handling multiple conditions and iterations
• Efficiency: Reducing unnecessary checks and repetitions

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we handle complex logic with nested control structures?
2. Why is efficiency important in nested control structures?

Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

3.1 Group Project: Create a Program with Nested Control Structures (15 minutes)

Activity: "Design a Program"
Instructions:

• Groups of 3-4 students
• Design a program that uses nested control structures
• Test the program for correctness
• Present the program to the class

Materials:

• **Program design worksheet
• **Nested control usage checklist

Learning Goals:

• **Understand nested control structures
• **Create programs using nested control structures
• **Test nested control logic
• **Present ideas effectively

Assessment:

• **Group participation
• **Program quality
• **Testing thoroughness
• **Presentation clarity

Closure & Preview (5 minutes)

4.1 Key Concepts Review (2 minutes)

Today's Learning Highlights:

1. ✅ Understanding the concept of nested control structures
2. ✅ Creating programs using nested if statements, loops, and combinations thereof
3. ✅ Testing and refining nested control logic
4. ✅ Analyzing real-world scenarios that require nested control structures

AP Exam Connection:

• These concepts will appear in AP exam multiple choice questions
• Understanding nested control structures is crucial for the Create Performance Task

4.2 Next Class Preview (3 minutes)

Day 11 Topic: "Introduction to Functions"

• Learning Objective: CRD-1.K - Use functions appropriately
• Activity: Practicing function creation
• Homework: Think about a recent program you used. What nested control structures did it employ?