Tasks

Create Task Info for Teachers

The Create Task is designed to encourage students to use their creativity. As such, they should be free to choose from any programming tool they have experience in but:

• It is a SUMMATIVE task.  They should not be using this time to learn a new tool/language.
• They will be required to identify Algorithms and Abstractions in their code.  Their choice of tool must therefore allow them to write functions, loops, conditional statements, etc.

You are required to provide a minimum of 12 hours for students to produce 3 items:

1. A video of your program running
2. Written responses
3. Full program code

I also require my students to complete a rigorous planning process and self evaluation plus present their program to the class.

There are a variety of ways you can implement the Create Task but you must keep in mind the following key points:

• Students may fully collaborate on the program but I recommend students assign group members specific features/modules so that they limit their dependency on others. 
• Students may NOT collaborate on the video and written responses
• Students must carefully document/source any code not written by them
• The teacher is VERY limited in how much they can aid the students in this task.  See the Course Description for specifics

Core Programming Components of the Create Task

There are only 3 things that must be part of the Create Task code written by students:

1. It must include input and output
2. The use of a list
3. A student written function that fulfills the following criteria:
   • It takes in at least one parameter
   • It contains a loop
   • It contains a selection statement (likely an IF statement) that is affected by the data passed in via the parameter. That is, students must be able to articulate how the flow of the code within the function can differ depending on the state of the parameter(s).

Subtask 1 - Introduce the Create Task

• Provide the handouts from the CSP Course and Exam Description (starting on page 189 of the CED?)
• Read through the handout in detail
• Explain your own class specific procedures and marking scheme. The Create Task Summary Doc for Students in the Resources folder has an example.
• Give students lots of heads up.
• Have them tour through the sample projects in our CodeTrain Student Examples Folder.  Remind them, however, that my students may have had substantially more time and/or access to different tools than yours will.  Use these examples to get their creative juices flowing rather than projects to strive for.
• Show them the official examples and scoring guides on the AP CS Principles website. 

Subtask 2 - Analysis and Proposal (Planning Doc #1)

• This doc can be found in the folder: 2.6 Year 2 - Create Task
• There is also a completed student exemplar in the Resources Folder
• It requires them to formally propose their project.  
• It also asks them to identify ‘user groups’ and create a Use Case diagram for their project.  If you have not used Use Case Diagrams earlier in the course, you should skip this component.
• Recommend ½ -1 class period

Subtask 3 -  Design and Evaluation Planning (Planning Doc #2)

• This doc can be found in the folder: 2.6 Year 2 - Create Task
• There is also a completed student exemplar in the Shared Activities Folder
• Recommend ½ -1 class period

There are 3 components to this doc:

Marking Criteria

• This doc requires them to design their own marking criteria. 
• I take a lot of time explaining what is an appropriate level of complexity and how to craft criteria.  Generally criteria should be mostly objective.
• As this is a self-directed project, the majority of their final grade will be based on this criteria
• Students will be given opportunities throughout the project to revisit this criteria.  
• See the Year 1 End of Year Project for details (as they are similar and not repeated here).

Gantt Chart

• Skip this requirement if short of time
• I highly recommend using a Gantt Chart to plan their time, even if you have not used such a tool in class before.
• See the Student Exemplar
• I set it up with them and then give time to fill in the details.

Design Phase Documents

• The UML Diagram is likely not something you have covered.  It its place, I recommend you require some sort of User Interface Sketch and/or Flow charts

Subtask 4 -  The Coding

• Recommend 7 class periods but give as much as you can spare.
• Have the students reflect on their Gantt Charts and revisit their marking criteria at various points
• Once about 75% of the class time is completed, their criteria is locked-in

Subtask 5 & 6 - Creating the Video and Written Responses

• For a complete walkthrough of the requirements and suggested order, see the doc called Create Task Video and Written Responses in the folder: 2.6 Year 2 - Create Task.  
• Tour them through the officially published sample submissions and how they were scored.
• Before they begin to write their responses, use the two Sample Written Responses docs  (in the folder: 2.6 Year 2 - Create Task) to discuss the expectations of those questions.
• Recommend 2 class periods for completing all the written submissions plus video production time. I usually give the video production for homework. 
• Note that the creation of the Full Program Code component often takes longer to gather and properly annotate than expected.
• Remember that they can NOT collaborate in any way for the Video and Written responses.

Subtask 7 - Self-Evaluate the Create Task

• You are not permitted to give the students any feedback until after the May deadline so I have them self-evaluate their submission based on their own criteria.  
• See the Create Task Project Self Evaluation doc in the folder: 2.6 Year 2 - Create Task
• Recommend 30 minutes

Subtask 8 - Final Edit & Submit Create Task

• Tour them through the Create Task Rubric once again and have them edit and update their responses.
• Pay close attention to the word limits.
• I recommend they submit their Create Task to the AP Digital Portfolio as soon as finished, then review their submission at some point in the future before the deadline.   This will allow you to browse their submissions and ensure compliance.
• At some point before the May deadline, they must indicate in the AP Digital Portfolio that their submissions are ‘FINAL’. 
• The Create Task Video and Written Responses doc reiterates the details before they submit.  
• Recommend 30 minutes

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