AP CSP Day 14 - Libraries and APIs

Course Information

• Course: AP Computer Science Principles
• Unit: Big Idea 1 - Creative Development (CRD)
• Lesson: Day 14 (50 minutes)
• Learning Objective: CRD-1.N - Use libraries and APIs appropriately

Learning Objectives

Primary Goals

Students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of libraries and APIs in programming
2. Use libraries and APIs effectively in programs
3. Test and refine program logic involving libraries and APIs
4. Analyze real-world scenarios that require libraries and APIs

AP Exam Alignment

• Big Idea 1: Creative Development (10-13% of AP Exam)
• Essential Knowledge: CRD-1.N.1, CRD-1.N.2, CRD-1.N.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 function design and documentation
• Introduce today's topic on libraries and APIs

Student Activities:

• Think about: "What are some examples where we use libraries and APIs in daily life?"

1.2 Library and API Examples Challenge (5 minutes)

Activity: "Identify the Library or API"
Instructions:

• Groups of 4-6 students
• Identify libraries and APIs in given scenarios
• Discuss the importance of libraries and APIs

Purpose: Activate thinking about libraries and APIs

Core Content Instruction (20 minutes)

2.1 What are Libraries and APIs? (10 minutes)

Definition (CRD-1.N.1):

Libraries and APIs provide pre-written code that can be reused in programs.

Key Concepts:

• Libraries: Collections of functions and classes
• APIs: Interfaces for interacting with external services
• Importing: Using libraries in programs

Case Study: Using a library in a simple program

• Program: Generate random numbers
• Library usage: import random; random.randint(1, 100)

2.2 Types of Libraries and APIs (5 minutes)

Examples:

• Standard libraries: math, datetime
• Third-party libraries: requests, numpy
• Web APIs: Google Maps API, Twitter API

Discussion Questions:

1. What makes good library and API usage?
2. Can you think of an example where libraries and APIs are used in daily life?
3. Why are libraries and APIs important in programming?

2.3 Advanced Library and API Usage (5 minutes)

Why is it important?:

• Efficiency: Reduces development time
• Functionality: Adds advanced features

Discussion Questions:

1. How can we make efficient use of libraries and APIs?
2. Why is functionality important when using libraries and APIs?

Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

3.1 Group Project: Create a Program with Libraries and APIs (15 minutes)

Activity: "Design a Program"
Instructions:

• Groups of 3-4 students
• Design a program that uses libraries and APIs
• Test the program for correctness
• Present the program to the class

Materials:

• **Program design worksheet
• **Library and API usage checklist

Learning Goals:

• **Understand libraries and APIs
• **Create programs using libraries and APIs
• **Test program logic involving libraries and APIs
• **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 libraries and APIs in programming
2. ✅ Using libraries and APIs effectively in programs
3. ✅ Testing and refining program logic involving libraries and APIs
4. ✅ Analyzing real-world scenarios that require libraries and APIs

AP Exam Connection:

• These concepts will appear in AP exam multiple choice questions
• Understanding libraries and APIs is crucial for the Create Performance Task

4.2 Next Class Preview (3 minutes)

Day 15 Topic: "Program Development with Functions"

• Learning Objective: CRD-1.O - Develop programs using functions
• Activity: Practicing program development with functions
• Homework: Think about a recent program you used. What libraries and APIs did it employ?