2.1. Unit Overview

This unit provides an introduction to the MIT App Inventor programming platform and your first programming project, the I Have a Dream app. You will be introduced to MIT App Inventor’s event-driven programming model and learn how mobile apps are examples of computing innovations. First you will work through a two-part guided tutorial that plays an excerpt of the famous I Have a Dream speech by civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and then you will be presented with several exercises that challenge you to extend your understanding by solving problems on your own and by working in pairs. This is followed later in the unit by several creative enhancement projects where you will be invited to express your own ideas by developing your own mobile apps. You will also be introduced to several important CS Principles themes and topics. Two lessons focus on hardware and software concepts. You will get your first look at binary numbers learning how to count in binary and how to view number systems such as binary and decimal, as instances of the higher-order data abstraction of a positional number system.

Vocabulary Terms

Below are the vocabulary terms that you'll learn in this unit separated into categories. You will find a vocabulary section similar to this at the end of each lesson. Hover over the terms to review the definitions. You'll be able to practice your knowledge of the vocabulary with a quizlet at the end of the unit.

MIT App Inventor
event handler	event-driven programming	horizontal arrangement
UI components	user events	user interface

Computer Science Principles
abstracting	abstraction	algorithm
base	binary number system	binary sequence
bit	Boolean	byte
computing innovation	constant	control structure
data	data abstraction	decimal number system
HTTP	if/else	input
Internet	iteration	network
output	overflow error	procedural abstraction
program	program function	program purpose
protocol	pseudocode	repetition
selection	sequence	software
special purpose computer	TCP/IP	variable
WWW	WWW as a higher level of abstraction

General Computing
blacklist	browser	character
compilation	computer	cyberspace
data center	data network	flowchart
general purpose computer	hexadecimal number system	high level language
IDE	IETF	interpretation
logic gate	machine language	Moore’s Law
octal number system	open standard	positional number system
social network	Tim Berners-Lee	whitelist

Hardware
AND gate	chip	CPU
disk drive	flip flop	hardware
integrated circuit	motherboard	NOT gate
OR gate	processor	RAM
transistor

2.1.1. Self-Check

Q-1: Identify 1-2 vocabulary terms from the table above that you know and define them in your own words. If you don’t know any of these words yet, that’s ok! Instead, write 1-2 sentences on how you plan to practice learning the vocabulary for this unit.

Q-2: Identify 1-2 vocabulary terms from the table above that you have heard before but don’t know the definition for.

Q-3: Identify 1-2 vocabulary terms from the table above that you don’t know but want to learn in this unit.

2.1.2. Reflection: For Your Portfolio

Answer the following portfolio reflection questions as directed by your instructor. Questions are also available in this Google Doc - you will be prompted to make your own editable copy.

If you are using a Google Sites portfolio, see the videos on the portfolio help page on how to embed your google document in your web page.