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ICS3C/3U - Introduction to Computer Studies
This course introduces students to computer science concepts. Students will learn about the stages in software design; the fundamental programming constructs of sequence, selection, and repetition; the functions of internal and external computer components; the relationship among networks, operating systems, and application software and their uses; and how programming languages evolve. Students will also develop an awareness of computer-related careers.

B2. B3. || A2. A3. A4. A5. || B2. B3. || B2. B3. || C2. C3. C4. ||
 * Unit || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Title || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Desc​ription || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Approximate Duration || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Provincial Expectations Evaluated ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foundations of Programming I || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This unit focuses on basic programming structures. Students write simple programs, using variable assignment, repetition, and decision structures, and develop effective testing, validating, and documenting skills. They also explore roles of effective communicators and reflective thinkers when following a problem-solving model (e.g., user inputs a series of marks, each value is validated, the average is calculated, and a grade is assigned). || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">15 classes || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">B1.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hardware, Networks, Software - An Integrated Environment || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This unit <span style="color: #6f0606; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">focuses on basic computer and information science skills. Students identify hardware components, research ergonomic considerations, practise file management skills, access resources through local and wide area networks, and research the evolution of programming languages. They develop skills for success in <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> the computer and information science environment. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10 classes || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A1.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foundations of Programming II || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This unit focuses on data storage and manipulation. Students examine issues surrounding privacy, security, and ethical use of information. They also write programs that input data from existing files, process the data, and create files for external data storage, following an appropriate problem-solving model (e.g., Create a data file containing employee information including hours worked and rate of pay. Read from the file, compute, display, and write to a new file the gross pay for each employee.).. Students write programs using existing sub-programs and then progress to writing programs including their own sub-programs. They also explore careers in computer studies and develop skills in program modularity (e.g., a program to encrypt/decrypt a passage of text using substitution encoding). || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20 classes || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">B1.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foundations of Programming III || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This unit focuses on the programming techniques required to store and manipulate data and to solve problems through the development of a database. Each activity develops knowledge and skills that students apply in the culminating challenge of this unit: to develop a database for a school team (e.g., the hockey team or similar organization, consisting of personal data such as player name, position played, jersey number, phone number, goals, and assists). Students examine the structuring of one- and two-dimensional arrays and how data is represented and stored in these structures. They write programs that create lists and tables of data, manipulate the data, and output the result. Sorting and searching techniques are also applied. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20 classes || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">B1.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5 || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Computer and Society || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This unit focusses specifically on how computer technology has changed over time by using observation and research techniques to investigate changes and differences in operating systems, computer components, networks, and the history of programming languages. This prepares students to understand and critically evaluate the impact of computer technology on society as a whole. A resource collection of articles on Computers and Society is the culminating activity. || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5 classes || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">C1.