Day 23 - Final Project - Planning and Design

Day 23: Final Project - Planning and Design

Introduction to Final Project (7 minutes)
- Explain the purpose and goals of the final project:
  - Apply programming concepts learned throughout the unit
  - Demonstrate understanding of algorithms and programming
  - Create a program that solves a real-world problem
  - Practice the software development process
- Present the project requirements:
  - Program must solve a meaningful problem
  - Must use appropriate algorithms and data structures
  - Must include functions/procedures
  - Must use selection and iteration
  - Must include appropriate documentation
  - Must demonstrate good design principles
- Explain the project timeline and deliverables:
  - Day 23: Planning and design
  - Day 24: Implementation
  - Day 25: Presentations and unit review
- Discuss evaluation criteria and rubric
Brainstorming Project Ideas (3 minutes)
- Students individually brainstorm potential project ideas
- Consider problems that can be solved with programming
- Think about interests and real-world applications

Project Selection and Requirements Analysis (10 minutes)
- Students form project teams (2-3 students per team)
- Teams discuss and select a project idea
- Teams analyze the requirements for their chosen project:
  - What problem does it solve?
  - Who are the users?
  - What inputs and outputs are needed?
  - What functionality is required?
  - What data needs to be stored and processed?
- Teams document their project requirements
- Teacher circulates to provide feedback on project scope
Algorithm Design and Planning (10 minutes)
- Teams design the algorithms for their project:
  - Break down the problem into smaller components
  - Identify the main functions/procedures needed
  - Create pseudocode or flowcharts for key algorithms
  - Determine appropriate data structures
  - Plan the program structure and organization
- Teams document their algorithm designs
- Consider efficiency and usability in the design
- Plan for error handling and edge cases
Creating Project Specifications (10 minutes)
- Teams create detailed project specifications:
  - Program structure and components
  - Function/procedure interfaces
  - Data structures and their purposes
  - User interface design (if applicable)
  - Test cases and expected results
  - Implementation plan and task division
- Teams document their specifications
- Prepare for implementation in the next class
- Create a task list and assign responsibilities

Project Plan Presentations (7 minutes)
- Each team briefly presents their project plan:
  - Project idea and purpose
  - Key algorithms and data structures
  - Implementation approach
  - Expected challenges
- Class provides constructive feedback
- Teacher offers suggestions and guidance
Exit Ticket and Preview (3 minutes)
- Teams submit their project plans and algorithm designs
- Preview that next class will focus on project implementation
- Remind students to think about their implementation strategy