Friday, September 29, 2006
Turing, Ch. 5: Variables and Constants
The topic of variables and constants is not difficult, but it's important to learn it well in order to continue with programming.
Work on Chapter 5 the same way you worked on Chapter 4:
• read the chapter carefully
• make notes from the question sheet in the Pickup Folder
• try the programs as you read
• do the exercises at the end of the chapter
- Become familiar with how to declare a variable using var. For example:
var maxTempDay1 : real - Know the three data types -- int, real, string.
- Try to think of a variable as a named memory location, that is, an area of RAM the computer gives a name and waits for it to be given a value.
Work on Chapter 5 the same way you worked on Chapter 4:
• read the chapter carefully
• make notes from the question sheet in the Pickup Folder
• try the programs as you read
• do the exercises at the end of the chapter
# posted by D. Schreiber @ 7:36 a.m. 
Monday, September 25, 2006
Turing Chapters 2 and 4
Chapter 2: The Turing Environment introduces you to how to use the Turing program. Most of it is familiar to anyone who has used a computer before, so I demonstrated it quickly with the computer and projector. Your assignment is to try the programs on page 55, 57 and 58 #3.
Ch. 4: Simple Programs - In the Pickup Folder there is a file waiting for you entitled "Ch4Put_makingNotes.doc." Copy it to your Home Drive, then read through the chapter and fill in the blanks in the file. When you're done, print the file to have a set of notes for the chapter. As you're working through the chapter, be sure to try all the programs given as examples.
After reading the chapter, making the notes and trying the programs, do the exercises at the end of the chapter -- Questions 1-3 are so simple you might want to just read them, but you should certainly write programs for Questions # 4-10.
Once you are finished with the chapter, you can look at the second file in the Pickup Folder, entitled "Ch04_Selftest.doc." It quizzes you on some of the key points in the chapter. Answers are in the table, but they are white-on-white, so if the keyboard shortcut (Control key and the Plus sign on the numeric keypad) doesn't work, highlight everything in the Answer cell and change the format of the text to black.
Ch. 4: Simple Programs - In the Pickup Folder there is a file waiting for you entitled "Ch4Put_makingNotes.doc." Copy it to your Home Drive, then read through the chapter and fill in the blanks in the file. When you're done, print the file to have a set of notes for the chapter. As you're working through the chapter, be sure to try all the programs given as examples.
After reading the chapter, making the notes and trying the programs, do the exercises at the end of the chapter -- Questions 1-3 are so simple you might want to just read them, but you should certainly write programs for Questions # 4-10.
Once you are finished with the chapter, you can look at the second file in the Pickup Folder, entitled "Ch04_Selftest.doc." It quizzes you on some of the key points in the chapter. Answers are in the table, but they are white-on-white, so if the keyboard shortcut (Control key and the Plus sign on the numeric keypad) doesn't work, highlight everything in the Answer cell and change the format of the text to black.
# posted by D. Schreiber @ 1:36 p.m.
