Session Details

Week 1, Session 1 — Mon Mar 8

Reading

1. Syllabus
2. Home page of course web site
3. Angel: Lessons → Homework (this is where you take Reading Quizzes and turn in homework in Drop Boxes)

HW Due

1. none

Topics

1. Introductions:
   • Students and instructor
   • Course administration / background
   • The Python programming language
   • zellegraphics
   • Constructing and using objects
   • Loops and animation!

Outline

1. [10 min] Introductions: Students and instructor
2. [10 min] Administrative details, tour of web resources
3. [10 min] Course background
4. [5 min] Install Python and zellegraphics if not already installed
   See instructions here.
5. [55 min] Hands-on with Python
   • Evaluation in the interactive Python Shell
   • Variables – Case matters, Assignment (e.g. width = width + 2 )
   • Error messages (Traceback ...)
   • Defining a function, Invoking (calling) a function
   • Built-in functions, Importing modules
   • Strings and comments
   • Saving and running a Python script
   • print
   • zellegraphics, constructing objects
   • Loops, range(...)
   • time.sleep(...) and animation
6. [15 min] Begin homework 1

Resources

1. Slides: Introduction to the course, Python and zellegraphics
2. Instructions for installing zellegraphics
3. How to use zellegraphics

HW Assigned

1. Homework 1