Core Python Programming Constructs

This unit develops foundational Python skills in data types, operations, control flow, collections, and functions. Students will apply numeric, string, and datetime operations; learn branching and looping; manipulate common collection types; and design documented, reusable functions to prepare for larger program design and advanced topics in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Apply Python numeric, string, and datetime operations to perform calculations, format outputs, and handle rounding and floating-point edge cases.
• Demonstrate the use of operators and control-flow constructs (if, for, while) to implement branching logic and iterative processes that solve computational tasks.
• Analyze and manipulate Python collections (lists, tuples, sets) by creating, indexing, iterating, and applying common operations (add, remove, membership, and set operations) to organize data.
• Evaluate and create reusable functions by defining parameters, returning values, documenting behavior with comments, and passing information to support modular program design.