Syllabus and Grading

Class Outline

1. Using Python. How do we write and run Python programs?
   Technical content: Numbers and strings.
2. Food quiz: make up an on-line quiz on a food-related topic.
   Technical content: Input and output, saving data in variables, if,then,else.
3. Compound Interest. Say you have 10 thousand dollars of credit card debt. How long will it take you to pay it off?
   Technical content: Loops: while, for, range.
4. Brownian motion: simulate a particle moving randomly on a line. Our first program that uses graphics.
   Technical content: Functions and modules, lists.
5. Census data: Select data out of files from the US Census Bureau. Most programming that you'll have to do in real-life is like this: read in some data, munge it around, and then write it out in some different format.
   Technical content: Reading and writing files, lists, string manipultion.
6. Name surfer: Graph the popularity of baby first names, using data from the Social Security Administration.
   Technical content: Structuring a big program. Reinforcing everything we have learned.

Grading

You will be allowed to use the textbook and all your notes in the midterms and final. No calculators, computers or phones.

Late Days Policy

1. Any assignment handed in more than 3 days late will not be graded. This will allow us to hand out solutions to the homework quickly.
2. You get three free late days for the whole quarter.
3. One late day is anywhere from one hour to 24 hours late.
4. Weekend days count as late days.
5. After your 3 free days are used up: 30% penalty if one day late, 50% for two days late, 70% for three days late, no grading for more than three days late.

Regrading requests