[Edu-sig] Textbooks

[Scott David Daniels]

Peter Chase wrote:
> I'm teaching some prospective K-12 teachers this summer and propose to 
> introduce them to Python....
> SO:  Any recommendations as to course textbooks?  Or just go with Zelle 
> and/or O'Reilly's latest wood rat book?
> -   The students presumably have had programming courses already.
> -   I would think that K-12 students would be happier if they could 
> generate some graphics.
> -   This is a 6-weeks course.  Little leisure time.

For the weirdest suggestion you'll get, at least take a look at
Ruth Chabay & Bruce Sherwood's book, "Matter and Interactions"
     http://www4.ncsu.edu/~rwchabay/mi
They teach both physics and "enough" programming to do 3-d programming
on the way to teaching physics.  You might be able to make a short
course out of the "how to program" part of the books.

--Scott David Daniels
Scott.Daniels at Acm.Org