AP® Computer Science A

Girls-Only & ​All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - Successful completion of a One Schoolhouse computer science course or permission from the administration; Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The AP® Computer Science A course introduces the key concepts of programming in Java. The analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills that students develop in this course transfer to programming in other languages as well. This course is designed with the idea that programming should be fun, engaging, and intuitive. Students will learn to apply the main principles of object-oriented software design and programming using classes and objects, constructors, methods, instance and static variables, inheritance, class hierarchies, and polymorphism. Students work creatively and collaboratively with their classmates to discuss ethical and social issues relating to the use of technology and develop a solid foundation from which to launch into a wide range of computer science areas. This course prepares students for the AP® Computer Science A Exam in May.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

"As someone who wants to go into Computer Science in the future, I'm absolutely loving this course! I feel like it's really giving me a good foundation."

"I had a ton of fun creating new classes, utilizing complex boolean statements, and most recently programming GUI applications. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been extremely motivated to fully engage in and succeed in this course.”

“I enjoy this course and it is challenging myself to go above my limits!”

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • ​During the first quarter, students will build a calculator program. Each week, new programming concepts are learned and added on to the program. By the end of the quarter, students have a fully functioning calculator. As an extension, students can incorporate additional calculator features. During the winter break period, students can choose to turn the calculator into a GUI application.
  • Later in the semester, students learn about images, pixels, and RGB colors, then apply their knowledge of for loops and enhanced for loops to create image filters. Students can write their code to change a color image to grayscale, or filter out all the red, or increase the blue, etc. During the week, students also discuss the concept of “photoshopping” and the ethics, consequences, and considerations of manipulating images.
  • In one of the AP labs, students learn about “chatbots” and then work iteratively and collaboratively to create their own chatbot. They can make it as complex as they want and personalize it with creative questions and responses that can add humor, interest, or drama.
  • Toward the end of the second semester, students use their accumulated knowledge to develop several versions of a tic-tac-toe game. The first version is designed for two human players, and the computer checks for a winner. In the second version, the computer is programmed to play against a human. The computer randomly selects an open square and then checks for a winner. Students wanting a bigger challenge can make the computer intelligently select an open square that blocks the human player while trying to win. 
COURSE APPROVAL
​This course is approved by the College Board and the NCAA. 

One Schoolhouse is fully accredited with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges through December 1, 2025; we are an approved online publisher for the University of California. ​
Christine Murakami
she/her/hers
Computer Science Teacher
BA University of California, Berkeley
MEd University of Washington