AP® CSA Unit 4: Data Collections | Goldie's Projects & Activities

AP CSA Unit 4 Projects & Activities Bundle

Coding Projects, Hands-On Practice & Review Games

 

Goldie's AP Computer Science A Unit 4 Projects and Activities Bundle provides engaging, hands-on resources to help students master the concept of data collections, including arrays, reading text files, ArrayLists, 2D arrays, sorting and searching, and recursion.

 

Designed specifically for the College Board’s AP CSA curriculum, this bundle includes a variety of creative and rigorous activities, challenges, and project-based tasks that reinforce key topics needed for success on the AP Exam.

 

What’s Included:

 

6 Coding Projects

• Programming Assignment 1: Arrays
  • Students will code two programs involving reading user input and using arrays to process that input.

 

• Programming Assignment 2: Reading Text Files
  • Students will code three programs that involve reading in text files and working with the data.

 

• Programming Assignment 3: ArrayLists
  • Students will code a 5-question multiple choice quiz using data from a file. This program will help reinforce concepts involving file input, object-oriented programming, and ArrayList manipulation.

 

• Programming Assignment 4: 2D Arrays
  • Students will code three programs involving 2D arrays and their algorithms.

 

• Unit 4 Project 1: Daycare
  • In this project, students write a program that reads daycare student data from a text file and creates an object for each entry. The objects are stored in an ArrayList, and students apply basic array algorithms to analyze the data, reinforcing file handling, object creation, and list-based data processing.

 

• Unit 4 Project 2: Battleship
  • Students will be recreating the classic Battleship game using 2D arrays. A partner places ships on a 10×10 grid, and the player calls shots by selecting coordinates. The program tracks hits and misses, updates the board, and continues until all ships are sunk.

 

 

11 Hands-On, In-Class Activities

• Activity: Array Dominoes
  • Array Dominoes is a tracing activity where students follow a single array as it's passed through a series of methods, each modifying its contents. The goal is to determine the array’s state step-by-step so that it matches the final printed output.

 

• Activity: Stations with ArrayLists
  • Students will engage in a station activity using ArrayLists to practice coding tasks collaboratively with a partner. They will write or trace code to manipulate ArrayLists based on given tasks.

 

• Two Activities: Think-Pair-Share the FRQs
  • Students will collaboratively analyze and write code for two AP CSA Free Response Questions using a structured think-pair-share model to build confidence and familiarity with problem-solving strategies. Both of these activities focus on past FRQs from the AP Exam dealing with ArrayLists and 2D Arrays.

 

• Two Unit 4 Jeopardy Review Game
  • Students review all the learning objectives for the unit in a fun review game similar to the popular JeopardyÓ game. One game covers arrays and ArrayList and one game covers 2D Arrays and Recursion.

 

• Two Unit 4 In Class Review: Content Organizer
  • Students will review and reinforce key concepts from Unit 4 by going through a review packet to organize and review material from this unit.

 

• Activity: 2D Grid Matching
  • Students will interpret and trace nested loops that manipulate 2D arrays, then apply their understanding by matching Java code segments with the correct visual output of the 2D grid.

 

• Activity: Deck Sorting and Searching Challenge
  • Students will use cards to physically model searching (linear and binary) and sorting (selection and insertion) to better understand how these algorithms work.

 

• Activity: Tracing Recursion Circuit
  • Students will practice tracing recursive methods in a circuit-style worksheet.

 

 

Why Teachers Love It:

✅ Aligned to the new 2025 AP CSA CED

✅ All materials are editable in Word

✅ Designed to save you time with zero prep required

✅ Encourages active engagement and deeper understanding of Unit 3 concepts

✅ Includes rubrics and answer keys for easy grading

 

Perfect for AP CSA teachers who want meaningful, standards-based activities without the extra work.

 

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Interested in more of Goldie's Materials?

Goldie's FULL CURRICULUM for AP Computer Science A

 

Goldie's Complete Unit Curricula:

Unit 1 – Using Objects and Methods

Unit 2 – Selection and Iteration

Unit 3 – Class Creation

Unit 4 – Data Collection

 

Goldie's Assessments:

Unit 1 – Using Objects and Methods | Goldie's Assessments

Unit 2 – Selection and Iteration | Goldie's Assessments

Unit 3 – Class Creation | Goldie's Assessments

Unit 4 – Data Collection | Goldie's Assessments

Goldie's AP CSA Assessment Bundle

 

Goldie's Coding Projects and Activities:

Unit 1 – Using Objects and Methods | Goldie's Projects & Activities

Unit 2 – Selection and Iteration | Goldie's Projects & Activities

Unit 3 – Class Creation | Goldie's Projects & Activities

Unit 4 – Data Collection | Goldie's Projects & Activities

Goldie's AP CSA Projects & Activities Bundle

 

Goldie's Guided Notes and Homework:

Unit 1 Lesson Bundle

Unit 2 Lesson Bundle

Unit 3 Lesson Bundle

Unit 4 Lesson Bundle

 

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Unit 1 Individual Lessons:

• Lesson 1 – Welcome to Java
• Lesson 2 – Variables and Data Types
• Lesson 3 – Expressions and Output
• Lesson 4 – Casting and Range of Variables
• Lesson 5 – Creating and Storing Objects
• Lesson 6 – Creating and Calling an Object's Methods
• Lesson 7 – String Manipulation
• Lesson 8 – Math Class

 

Unit 2 Individual Lessons:

• Lesson 1 – Conditional Statements
• Lesson 2 – Nested Selection
• Lesson 3 – Compound Boolean Expressions
• Lesson 4 – while Loops
• Lesson 5 – Implementing Selection and Iteration Algorithms
• Lesson 6 – for Loops
• Lesson 7 – Implementing String Algorithms
• Lesson 8 – Nested Iterations

 

Unit 3 Individual Lessons:

• Lesson 1 – Impacts of Program Design
• Lesson 2 – Program Design
• Lesson 3 – Classes and Constructors
• Lesson 4 – Accessor and Mutator Methods
• Lesson 5 – Class Variables and Methods
• Lesson 6 – References, Scope, and this

 

Unit 4 Individual Lessons:

• Lesson 1 – Ethical and Social Issues Around Data Collection
• Lesson 2 – Data Sets
• Lesson 3 – One Dimensional Arrays
• Lesson 4 – Array Traversals
• Lesson 5 – Implementing Array Algorithms
• Lesson 6 – Using Text Files
• Lesson 7 – Wrapper Classes
• Lesson 8 – ArrayList
• Lesson 9 – ArrayList Traversals
• Lesson 10 – Implementing ArrayList Algorithms
• Lesson 11 – 2D Arrays
• Lesson 12 – 2D Array Traversals
• Lesson 13 – Implementing 2D Array Algorithms
• Lesson 14 – Searching Algorithms
• Lesson 15 – Sorting Algorithms
• Lesson 16 – Recursion
• Lesson 17 – Tracing Recursive Output
• Lesson 18 – Recursive Searching and Sorting

 

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