ALABAMA SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

Computer Science Courses

CS101                         Introduction to Computational Science .5 CU

Students learn to make decisions and construct models using tools such as Excel, HTML, and
JavaScript.  Also, communication skills are emphasized by writing and verbalizing and with
PowerPoint productions.  Students work and interact in both teams and as individual team
members to resolve real world problems.

 

CS106                         Web Site Development .5 CU

Students create web sites using HTML and other web design and graphic design tools.  This
course may not be substituted for an upper division mathematics course beyond Trigonometry.
   

 

CS110                                   Flash .5 CU

This course is designed to teach students how to design and deliver cross-platform,
low-bandwidth animations, presentations, and web applications using Macromedia Flash.  It is
a task-based course, with students learning by doing.  Along with covering the basics of 
Flash, the course focuses on best practices and design, stressing the importance of
usability, accessibility, optimization, and performance.  Topics include the Macromedia 
Flash development environment, graphics and text, layers, frames, and the timeline, masks,
symbols, instances and libraries, animations including frame-by-frame, motion tweens, and 
shape tweens, motion guides, document structure, actions and actionscript, navigation 
buttons, sound, video, and publishing.  No prerequisite. This course may not be substituted
for an upper division mathematics course beyond Trigonometry.
   

 

CS205                         Database Design and Programming .5 CU

Students learn principles of current database design techniques and the uses and
capabilities of databases.  They design tables, queries, forms, reports, and learn to create
macros.  Students build functional database applications using Microsoft’s relational 
database system, Access.  Prerequisite:  Junior or Senior status.
 

 

CS209                         Visual Basic .5 CU

Students create applications using event-driven, object-oriented programming methodologies
with Microsoft’s Visual Basic programming language.
 

 

CS215                         C++  .5 CU

This one-quarter course covers an introduction to programming concepts including variables,
constants, declarations, definitions, enumerations, formatting, scope, arithmetic 
expressions, data types and type casting, arrays, conditional statements, relational 
operators, logical operators, the order of operations, and loops.  A team project involves 
simulating portions of the Shakespeare play, Hamlet, using C++.  No prerequisite.
 

 

CS311, 312, 313         Java                1/3 - 2/3 -3/3  .5 CU/quarter

Java is a three-quarter sequence that includes compilation of programs and applets,
variables, types, operators, assignments, algorithms, syntax, software development, style, 
Boolean expressions, conditional statements, methods, constructors, fields, iterative 
statements and classes. Java is a prerequisite to taking AP Computer Science.

 
 

CS321, 322, 323         AP Computer Science    1/3 - 2/3 -3/3  .5 CU/quarter

Topics include programming methodology, software engineering, blocks, data types, control 
structures, procedures, functions, recursion, text files, linked lists, pointer variables, 
stacks, queues, trees, searching algorithms and sorting algorithms and the AP case study.
This course targets seniors with a ‘B’ or above average.  Students are expected to take the
AP Computer Science Exam in the spring.  Prerequisites: Java 1/3-3/3.