Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to animate a mini research project about the desert. The purpose of this project is to introduce using the message blocks with multiple sprites and pages.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create a multi-page story about being very tiny. The purpose of this project is to reinforce the “go to page” blocks and to apply previous understandings across multiple pages.

Coders review and apply a variety of blocks and sprites to animate a multi-page project about talking animals. The purpose of this project is to review using the message blocks with multiple sprites and pages.

Coders revisit a previously created project about outer space to add a short story about travelling to outer space. The purpose of this project is to apply newly acquired understandings to a prior project.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to animate multiple jokes. The purpose of this project is to reinforce understandings of storyboarding multiple pages and applying prior understandings into a project of interest.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create a multi-page story about a stinky robot. The purpose of this project is to apply previous understandings across multiple pages.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create a multi-page story about a day at the beach. The purpose of this project is to introduce multiple ways to have a sprite appear to switch costumes.

Coders revisit a previously created project about a dance party to add a short story about travelling to the dance party. The purpose of this project is to apply newly acquired understandings to a prior project.

Coders use the start on green flag block to create a silly dance party using motion blocks. The purpose of this project is to introduce young coders to adding sprites in code and triggering algorithms with the green flag in ScratchJr.

Coders will solve four different maze challenges that focus on a combination of vertical and horizontal movement, then create their own unique mazes that peers will solve. The purpose of this project is to reinforce understanding of predicting and sequencing a sprite’s movement using the motion blocks.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create an interactive story about giving a gift to an alien visiting Earth. The purpose of this project is to reinforce understanding of message blocks.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to animate a mini research project about creatures that fly. The purpose of this project is to reinforce the concept of parallelism by simultaneously triggering two or more algorithms that simulate flight.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create a mult-ipage story with a moral. The purpose of this project is to apply previously learned concepts in a new context. Although the example project is about lessons learned while playing tag, this project can be adapted to any story with a moral.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create a story about a wizard who either helps people or plays pranks on them. The purpose of this project is to reinforce understanding of message blocks to give the appearance of switching costumes.

Coders create their own fidget spinner sprite using the paint editor and motion blocks to animate their fidget spinner when they press the start on tap trigger. The purpose of this project is to introduce coders to creating their own sprites and the start on tap trigger.

Coders use a variety of blocks and sprites to create their own interactive diorama about animals on a farm. The purpose of this project is to introduce coders to the sound blocks.

Coders will trigger sound blocks to play a musical instrument made out of different sprites. The purpose of this project is to review creating sprites and triggering sound blocks when a sprite is tapped. Another purpose of this project is to also introduce remixing.

This book aims to be an accessible introduction into the design and analysis of efficient algorithms. Throughout the book we will introduce only the most basic techniques and describe the rigorous mathematical methods needed to analyze them.

The topics covered include:

The divide and conquer technique.
The use of randomization in algorithms.
The general, but typically inefficient, backtracking technique.
Dynamic programming as an efficient optimization for some backtracking algorithms.
Greedy algorithms as an optimization of other kinds of backtracking algorithms.
Hill-climbing techniques, including network flow.

The goal of the book is to show you how you can methodically apply different techniques to your own algorithms to make them more efficient. While this book mostly highlights general techniques, some well-known algorithms are also looked at in depth. This book is written so it can be read from "cover to cover" in the length of a semester, where sections marked with a * may be skipped.

This textbook is an introductory coverage of algorithms and data structures with application to graphics and geometry.

This web page contains a free electronic version of my self-published textbook Algorithms, along with other lecture notes I have written for various theoretical computer science classes at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign