AP CSP Day 2 - Collaboration in Computing

Course Information

• Course: AP Computer Science Principles
• Unit: Big Idea 1 - Creative Development (CRD)
• Lesson: Day 2 (50 minutes)
• Learning Objective: CRD-1.B - Explain how computing innovations are developed by groups of people

Learning Objectives

Primary Goals

Students will be able to:

1. Explain the role of collaboration in computing innovations
2. Identify different collaboration tools and methods
3. Demonstrate effective teamwork in a computing project
4. Analyze the impact of diverse perspectives in development

AP Exam Alignment

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

Lesson Structure (50 minutes)

Opening Hook (10 minutes)

2.1 Welcome & Lesson Preview (5 minutes)

Teacher Activities:

• Welcome students to Day 2
• Review previous lesson's key concepts
• Introduce today's focus on collaboration in computing

Student Activities:

• Review previous lesson's materials
• Think about: "How do you work with others in computing projects

2.2 Quick Collaboration Challenge (5 minutes)

Activity: "Silent App Design"
Instructions:

• Groups of 4-6 students
• One person knows the secret app purpose
• No talking allowed
• Rotate leadership every 5 minutes
• Final step: guess the app purpose

Purpose: Activate collaboration thinking

Core Content Instruction (20 minutes)

3.1 The Role of Collaboration in Computing (10 minutes)

Definition (CRD-1.B.1):

Collaboration is the process of working together to create computing innovations. It involves diverse perspectives and effective communication

Key Benefits:

• **Diverse perspectives lead to better solutions
• **Improved innovation through shared knowledge
• **Efficient problem-solving
• **Enhanced creativity through group brainstorming

Case Study: The development of the first smartphone

• Team composition: Engineers, designers, marketers, and developers
• Collaboration process: Design, testing, and iteration
• Outcome: A revolutionary computing innovation

3.2 Collaboration Tools (5 minutes)

Tools:

• **Google Docs for real-time collaboration
• **GitHub for version control
• **Slack or Discord for communication
• **Miro or Figma for design collaboration

Purpose: Support collaborative development

3.3 Collaboration Strategies (5 minutes)

Strategies:

• **Effective communication
• **Conflict resolution
• **Role assignment
• **Project management
• **Code review
• **Feedback mechanisms

Purpose: Ensure successful collaboration

Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

4.1 Group Project: Collaborative Innovation (15 minutes)

Activity: "Design a New App"
Instructions:

• Groups of 3-4 students
• Each group creates a new app idea
• Use collaboration tools
• Present the idea to the class
• Discuss the importance of collaboration

Materials:

• **Whiteboard or digital collaboration tools
• **Paper and pens
• **Access to collaboration platforms

Learning Goals:

• **Practice team collaboration
• **Develop creative solutions
• **Use collaboration tools
• **Present ideas effectively

Assessment:

• **Group participation
• **Idea quality
• **Use of collaboration tools
• **Presentation clarity

Closure & Preview (5 minutes)

5.1 Key Concepts Review (2 minutes)

Today's Learning Highlights:

1. ✅ Understanding collaboration in computing
2. ✅ Identifying collaboration tools
3. ✅ Practicing team projects
4. ✅ Understanding collaboration strategies

AP Exam Connection:

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

5.2 Next Class Preview (3 minutes)

Day 3 Topic: "The Role of Collaboration in the Development Process"

• Learning Objective: CRD-1.C - Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills during collaboration
• Activity: Analyzing successful collaboration cases
• Homework: Think about a recent project you worked on. What collaboration strategies did you use? What could you improve?