AP CSP Day 7 - Program Investigation and Requirements

Course Information

• Course: AP Computer Science Principles
• Unit: Big Idea 1 - Creative Development (CRD)
• Lesson: Day 7 (50 minutes)
• Learning Objective: CRD-2.D - Identify output(s) produced by a program

Learning Objectives

Primary Goals

Students will be able to:

1. Explain the importance of program investigation and requirements
2. Identify different types of program requirements
3. Analyze program requirements in real-world examples
4. Develop a program using investigation and requirements

AP Exam Alignment

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

Lesson Structure (50 minutes)

Opening Hook (10 minutes)

7.1 Welcome & Lesson Preview (5 minutes)

Teacher Activities:

• Welcome students to Day 7
• Review previous lesson's key concepts
• Introduce today's focus on program investigation and requirements

Student Activities:

• Review previous lesson's materials
• Think about: "What makes a program successful?"

7.2 Quick Requirements Challenge (5 minutes)

Activity: "Identify the Requirements"
Instructions:

• Groups of 4-6 students
• Each group identifies requirements for a given program
• Discuss the importance of requirements

Purpose: Activate thinking about program requirements

Core Content Instruction (20 minutes)

8.1 What is Program Investigation and Requirements? (10 minutes)

Definition (CRD-2.D.1):

Program investigation involves understanding the problem and requirements, while requirements are the specific features and functionalities a program must have.

Key Concepts:

• User requirements: What the program must do for users
• Technical requirements: What the program must do technically
• Functional requirements: What the program must do functionally
• Non-functional requirements: What the program must do in terms of performance, security, usability

Case Study: The development of a mobile app

• Investigation process: Understanding user needs and requirements
• Requirements: Features, functionality, usability, performance
• Outcome: A successful mobile app

8.2 Types of Program Requirements (5 minutes)

Types:

• Functional requirements: What the program must do
• Non-functional requirements: How the program must do it
• User requirements: What the program must provide
• Technical requirements: What the program must support

Examples:

• E-commerce app: Functional requirements - shopping cart, payment processing; Non-functional requirements - security, performance
• Social media app: Functional requirements - user profiles, content sharing; Non-functional requirements - scalability, reliability

8.3 Importance of Requirements (5 minutes)\n

Why are requirements important?

• Clarity: Requirements define what the program must do
• Focus: Requirements guide the development process
• Quality: Requirements ensure the program meets expectations
• Efficiency: Requirements help avoid rework and miscommunication

Discussion Questions:

1. How do requirements affect program development?
2. What are the different types of requirements?
3. Why are requirements important for successful programs?

Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

9.1 Group Project: Program Requirements Analysis (15 minutes)

Activity: "Identify Program Requirements"
Instructions:

• Groups of 3-4 students
• Each group analyzes a different program
• Identify functional, non-functional, user, and technical requirements
• Discuss how requirements guide development
• Present findings to the class

Materials:

• **List of programs to analyze
• **Analysis worksheet
• **Access to computers or devices

Learning Goals:

• **Identify program requirements
• **Understand their importance
• **Practice analysis skills
• **Present ideas effectively

Assessment:

• **Group participation
• **Analysis quality
• **Use of analysis tools
• **Presentation clarity

Closure & Preview (5 minutes)

10.1 Key Concepts Review (2 minutes)

Today's Learning Highlights:

1. ✅ Understanding program investigation and requirements
2. ✅ Identifying different types of requirements
3. ✅ Analyzing requirements in real-world examples
4. ✅ Developing programs using requirements

AP Exam Connection:

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

10.2 Next Class Preview (3 minutes)

Day 8 Topic: "Program Design and User Interface"

• Learning Objective: CRD-2.F - Design a program and its user interface
• Activity: Practicing program design and UI creation
• Homework: Think about a recent program you used. What were its requirements? What could be improved?