NINTH GRADE CS: Syllabus
MY NAME
1 What is computer science?
Computer science is the science of problem solving. Which problems can we solve? How do we know if a
solution is good, or a waste of time? What’s the best way to describe our solution to somebody else, or to
a machine? How can we work together to solve a problem faster?
This year, we will learn about the history of computing from the ancient world to the present day, cryptography
and spycraft, binary math, logic and how a CPU works, networking, and more. This course asks:
“How is a modern computer structured, and why?” “How does the Internet work, and why?”
and “How can we apply ethics, logic, and REDACTED to be better people?”
2 Major course topics
1. Computer Organization
(a) Cryptography
The history of secret codes, from ancient Greece to World War II, when codebreakers invented the
modern computer. You will encrypt, decrypt, and crack mono- and polyalphabetic shift ciphers,
as well as substitution ciphers, steganography, and more.
(b) Number theory
Modular arithmetic, binary arithmetic, and hexadecimal arithmetic are how computers are structured,
and they’re much easier than the movies want you to think. You will later build calculating
circuitry in a logic circuit simulator.
(c) Logic
The ancient art of reasoning, logic will help you structure your arguments and your code. You will
study syllogism logic, set reasoning, implication-based reasoning, as well as logical fallacies (invalid
argument techniques), so you can identify a bad argument. This unit concludes by building the
bridge between logic and math, and constructing the basics of a CPU in a logic circuit simulator.
(d) History of computing and fine machinery
You will choose from a wide variety of history lessons going all the way from ancient Babylon
(base-60 math) and Phoenicia (trade network technology) through medieval Mesoamerica (quipu
data storage) and England (Mary, Queen of Scots’ failed cipher), mainframes to minicomputers,
the video game crash, the dot-com bubble, and more.
(e) Modern computer organization
How is a computer structured? We will see how the idea of ‘computing’ developed through the 20th
century, including human computers, von Neumann architecture, and the layers of abstraction in
a modern computer. This unit concludes with a project where you will take a laptop completely
to pieces, and document its parts.
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2. Computer Networking
(a) Graph theory
Unlike Cartesian graphs in algebra class, discrete graphs are fun and help us solve puzzles. We
will look at many classic problems, such as the Traveling Salesman, Bridges of Königsberg and
Knight’s Tour. This unit will focus on cycle and tree based graphs, and conclude with a look at
mazes, minimal spanning trees, and pathfinding algorithms.
(b) Automaton theory
An automaton is a special graph that simulates a computer as pure math. We will look at several
classes of automata, play games based on state machines, and learn about the fundamentals of
computational linguistics, Turing completeness, and the Halting Problem.
(c) History of trade and communication tech
As with organization, computer networks are the way they are because of a variety of historical
factors, including the Persian royal road, the culture of the telegraph, the SAGE missile defense
system, and Al Gore. You will continue to pick and choose lessons that interest you.
(d) Protocols: IP, DNS, DHCP, NAT, HTTP
Learn the fundamental protocols that make networks (including the Internetwork) work. How is
network data organized? How does it get from here to there? How is the school network set up?
What about your home WiFi? What is a web browser?
(e) Network probing
Get into the command line and learn the tools for testing a network, including nameserver lookups,
network sonar (aka ping), registry lookups through whois, and more. You will learn how to
diagnose problems, and test a network’s capabilities.
(f) HTML/CSS
What networking unit would be complete without building a website?
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3. Digital Citizenship
(a) Ninth grade research paper
All ninth grade students write an argumentative research essay. You will learn how to tell good
sources from bad, read articles for detail, research in an academic database, identify keywords,
organize yourself in a digital notecard system, construct a thesis, and argue it with rigorous
support. Teachers in your FRESHMAN class will help you with this process.
(b) Ethics
We will discuss ethical problems involving computer technology, including security and privacy
issues, human rights, corporate responsibility, and more, depending what comes up in the news.
(c) Current events readings and discussion
We’ll often read articles about what’s going on in the news with computer technology, especially
when it relates to the topics you study in this class. This will also help prepare you for your
research paper.
(d) Intellectual property law
We’ll discuss copyrights, trademarks, the public domain, ownership of ideas (especially in the tech
industry), piracy and sample culture, and more, so you can make informed, responsible decisions
with your data.
(e) Digital security
Is your digital world secure? We’ll learn about options for securing devices, modern cryptography
algorithms including RSA and PGP, the math behind password security, and conduct an audit of
your home wifi and digital security.
(f) Artificial intelligence
We’ll spend some time on the development of artificial intelligence, and play with a variety of AIs.
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3 Grading
We are transitioning away from percentage-based grading. This year, you will receive grades on this scale.
0? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
F D- D D+ C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A A+
We’ve provided vague letter equivalents to help you understand the new system.
30% Classwork
Assignments will be posted on Google Classroom. They are graded on a 12 point scale.
20% Projects
Each project has its own rubric, but is worth as much as the others. They all have opportunities for XP.
15% Class Discussion
You are expected to participate substantively in discussions on Google Classroom: asking questions, reply
to classmates, and otherwise contributing your knowledge and thoughts.
15% History
History assignments will be posted on Classroom throughout the course, consisting of curated videos and a
short quiz. A small number are required. Otherwise, you can select and complete half of the new histories
each grading period for full credit. Completing extra will earn XP.
10% Assessments
Assessment is how I can make sure you’re mastering the skills in this course, and get you help if you need
it. I didn’t want it to be a big part of your grade, but it is the difference between an A and a B.
10% Extension Points (XP)
XP is earned by going above and beyond, in ways specified in many assignments. Your XP bar resets each
grading period. Two weeks before grades are due, I’ll tell you the amount of XP required to earn an A+.
The entire class pools XP all year. If they reach certain XP thresholds, they can earn special rewards.
To determine students’ overall grades at SCHOOL, we consider student performance on all summative
assessments as a “body of evidence” and then use our best professional judgment to determine a final letter
grade.
At the end of the quarter, the letter grades given will not merely be a simple calculation of an average
or weighted average — we consider the mean, median, and modal grades in this process.
We place extra importance on cumulative assessments later in the year, when work demonstrates
improved mastery. That is: more recent evidence of learning is more important than earlier evidence for
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determining grades.
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4 Notetaking
Neuroscience tells us how to move knowledge from RAM to storage — from short term memory to long term.
You need to keep engaging your brain — you can’t just reread what you’ve already read or written!
During class, take quick notes on what sounds important. Write questions you have about the material
for later, and highlight important terms and definitions.
When you get home, rewrite your notes. Add detail, organize them, write clearer definitions.
Look things up if you need to.
When you study for an exam, rewrite your notes again.
You know more now, and things will make more sense in context.
5 Lateness
We no longer penalize late work, but falling behind on your studies will really affect your ability to understand
the new material. This class builds from the ground up.
6 Communication
Whenever you have questions about the class or an assignment, please send me an email at my SCHOOL
address.
Expect me to communicate with you by email, and by posting in Google Classroom.
If we use any other tool or website, I’ll post about how to use it on Classroom.
I will make sure important information, like this syllabus or our Zoom link, is posted to Classroom.
When you write emails, include a subject, capitalize sentences, and use punctuation.
I expect you to communicate like a professional — this is your job!
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7 Academic Integrity
We’ll learn about proper citations, copyright and other IP law, debate digital ethics, and spend a lot of time
sharing ideas with each other. There are fuzzy lines when it comes to remixes and memeing, and we’ll argue
about those lines in class, but we do our best to do the right thing.
Always be clear about what is your work, and what isn’t. Give people credit for their work, whether
that’s putting citations in your paper’s bibliography, writing two names on a worksheet where you collaborated,
or releasing your code with a GNU Public License and thanking collaborators in the readme.
This course is also about taking our REDACTED values online. As the saying goes, “with great power
comes great responsibility.” While it’s never been easier to learn, play, and connect, digital resources can be
abused to hurt people like nothing else in history.
We are called to treat everybody with respect, help people with their problems, and bring joy into others’
lives. Misusing digital resources to hurt others, whether inside SCHOOL or out, will not be tolerated.
In my classroom, I expect you to to work together, listen to others’ ideas, argue only in good faith, and
respect people’s personal space at all times, whether that be their body, computer, backpack, or locker.
8 Have fun!
Computer science is an exciting discipline that allows us to learn and grow through play, solve problems in
new and exciting ways, and live as upright citizens in our community. I’m thrilled to spend this year with
you, and I look forward to what we accomplish together!
