AP CSP Day 9 - Program Documentation

Course Information

• Course: AP Computer Science Principles
• Unit: Big Idea 1 - Creative Development (CRD)
• Lesson: Day 9 (50 minutes)
• Learning Objective: CRD-2.G - Describe the purpose of a code segment or program by writing documentation

Learning Objectives

Primary Goals

Students will be able to:

1. Explain the importance of program documentation
2. Identify different types of program documentation
3. Write effective documentation for a program
4. Analyze the impact of documentation on program understanding

AP Exam Alignment

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

Lesson Structure (50 minutes)

Opening Hook (10 minutes)

9.1 Welcome & Lesson Preview (5 minutes)

Teacher Activities:

• Welcome students to Day 9
• Review previous lesson's key concepts
• Introduce today's focus on program documentation

Student Activities:

• Review previous lesson's materials
• Think about: "What makes program documentation useful?"

9.2 Quick Documentation Challenge (5 minutes)

Activity: "Write a Code Description"
Instructions:

• Groups of 4-6 students
• Write documentation for a given code segment
• Discuss the importance of documentation

Purpose: Activate thinking about program documentation

Core Content Instruction (20 minutes)

10.1 What is Program Documentation? (10 minutes)

Definition (CRD-2.G.1):

Program documentation is written information that explains how a program works and what it does.

Key Concepts:

• User documentation: Helps users understand how to use the program
• Developer documentation: Helps developers understand how the program is built
• API documentation: Explains how to use program interfaces
• Technical documentation: Details program architecture and components

Case Study: The development of a mobile app

• Documentation process: Writing user guides, API references, and technical specifications
• Outcome: A well-documented mobile app

10.2 Types of Program Documentation (5 minutes)

Types:

• **User documentation: For end-users
• **Developer documentation: For developers
• **API documentation: For interface users
• **Technical documentation: For technical staff

Examples:

• E-commerce app: User documentation for shopping features
• Social media app: Developer documentation for API integration
• Mobile app: Technical documentation for app architecture

10.3 Importance of Documentation (5 minutes)

Why is it important?:

• Clarity: Documentation explains program functionality
• Maintenance: Helps with program updates and fixes
• Collaboration: Facilitates team work on the program
• User experience: Improves user understanding and satisfaction

Discussion Questions:

1. How does documentation improve program understanding?
2. What are the different types of documentation?
3. Why is documentation important for successful programs?

Hands-On Activity (15 minutes)

11.1 Group Project: Documentation Practice (15 minutes)

Activity: "Write Program Documentation"
Instructions:

• Groups of 3-4 students
• Each group writes documentation for a different program
• Identify user, developer, API, and technical documentation
• Discuss how documentation improves understanding
• Present the documentation to the class

Materials:

• **List of programs to document
• **Documentation worksheet
• **Access to coding environment

Learning Goals:

• **Write effective program documentation
• **Understand different documentation types
• **Practice documentation skills
• **Present ideas effectively

Assessment:

• **Group participation
• **Documentation quality
• **Use of documentation tools
• **Presentation clarity

Closure & Preview (5 minutes)

12.1 Key Concepts Review (2 minutes)

Today's Learning Highlights:

1. ✅ Understanding program documentation
2. ✅ Identifying different documentation types
3. ✅ Writing effective documentation
4. ✅ Analyzing documentation impact

AP Exam Connection:

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

12.2 Next Class Preview (3 minutes)

Day 10 Topic: "Program Testing and Debugging"

• Learning Objective: CRD-2.E - Develop a program using a development process
• Activity: Practicing program testing techniques
• Homework: Think about a recent program you used. What documentation did it have? What could be improved?