Day 10: Acknowledging Sources

Learning Objectives

• CRD-2.H: Acknowledge code segments used from other sources.

Essential Questions

• Why is it important to acknowledge code from other sources?
• How should programmers properly cite code they use?

Materials Needed

• Presentation slides on intellectual property in programming
• Examples of properly cited code
• Citation templates
• Quiz on code acknowledgment

Vocabulary

• Intellectual property
• Copyright
• Open source
• License
• Attribution
• Plagiarism
• Citation

Procedure (50 minutes)

Opening (8 minutes)

1. Review and Connection (3 minutes)

   • Review documentation concepts from previous lesson
   • Connect to today's focus on acknowledging sources

2. Warm-up Discussion (5 minutes)

   • Prompt: "Why might programmers use code from other sources?"
   • Discuss benefits and potential issues of using others' code

Main Activities (32 minutes)

3. Lecture: Intellectual Property in Programming (12 minutes)

   • Explain the concept of intellectual property in software
   • Discuss different types of software licenses:
     • Proprietary
     • Open source (GPL, MIT, Apache, etc.)
     • Creative Commons
   • Explain the importance of acknowledging code sources:
     • Legal requirements
     • Ethical considerations
     • Academic integrity
     • Professional standards
   • Discuss consequences of improper attribution

4. Discussion: Importance of Acknowledging Code Sources (5 minutes)

   • How attribution benefits the programming community
   • When attribution is required vs. when it's optional
   • How attribution differs from plagiarism

5. Activity: Proper Citation Practice (15 minutes)

   • Show examples of properly cited code from various sources
   • Demonstrate citation formats for different contexts:
     • Code comments
     • Documentation files
     • Project READMEs
   • Provide students with code segments from different sources
   • Students practice writing proper citations including:
     • Original author/source
     • Date accessed/retrieved
     • URL/reference
     • License information
     • Any modifications made

Closing (10 minutes)

6. Quiz: Proper Acknowledgment of Code Sources (7 minutes)

   • Students complete a quiz covering:
     • When citation is necessary
     • Proper citation formats
     • Identifying improper citations
     • License compatibility

7. Preview Week 3 (3 minutes)

   • Explain that next week will focus on error identification and project work
   • Ask students to reflect on what they've learned so far

Assessment

• Formative: Participation in citation practice activity
• Quiz: Accuracy of answers about proper code acknowledgment

Differentiation

For Advanced Students

• Research more complex licensing scenarios
• Explore license compatibility issues
• Create guidelines for code attribution in a team project

For Struggling Students

• Provide citation templates
• Focus on basic attribution requirements
• Offer additional examples of proper citations

Homework/Extension

• Find an example of open-source software and examine how it handles attribution
• Create a reference sheet of different citation formats for different contexts
• Write a short reflection on the importance of intellectual property in programming

Teacher Notes

• Emphasize that proper attribution is both an ethical and legal requirement
• Connect to collaboration concepts from Week 1
• Point out that the AP exam may ask about proper acknowledgment of code sources
• Remind students that proper citation will be required in their final project
• This concludes Week 2 of the unit