Girls Who Code @ Columbia University
Class 3: Intro to Data Science with Python
Class 3 Syllabus
What: 8 classes introducing data science using python
Where: Zoom/Google Colab
When: Saturdays 10am-12:30pm; Spring 2022
Who: High school girls with a basic introduction to python
Course Learning Goals
Broad Goals:
- Teach fundamentals of data science using python with an emphasis on its applications
- Show how data science is used to solve real world problems
- Show that data science is relevant to things students may be interested in
- Show other career avenues for students interested in CS
Skill-based Goals:
- Import, manipulate, and plot datasets
- Learn to analyze data, pose questions that can be answered by investigating relationships among variables in a dataset
- Use graphics to identify patterns in data
- Manipulate graphics to visualize data in the most effective way
- Connect patterns in data back to the real world
- Distinguish between different types of data - time series, geographic, etc
Course Outline
Week 1: Intro/Review of Python Basics
- Google slides introduction to the course (GWC_Class3_Day1)
- Review of Python basics: (Week1.ipynb)
- Intro to Google Colab
- Print statements
- Strings and numbers
- Mathematical operations
Week 2: Python Review Continued
- Review of statements, variables: (Week2.ipynb)
- Lists
- Assigning variables
- Indexing and slicing
- Mathematical calculations
- Boolean statements
- If statements
- For loops
Week 3: Intro to Python Packages
- Numpy, pandas, matplotlib (Week3_Intro_to_packages.ipynb)
Week 4: Intro to Data Visualization
- Use planet facts to explore variables and relationships between multiple variables in a NASA dataset (Week4_Data_Visualization.ipynb)
- Customize matplotlib plots
- Data manipulation and representation
- Efficient data representation
- Answering questions using visualizations of data
- Correlation vs causation
Week 5: Visualizing Geographic Data
- Use gloabal and local maps to visualize data (Week5_Geographic_DataVisualization.ipynb)
- Need to download: LGMR_SST_climo.nc, LGM_ice_sheet_extent.zip
- Intro to cartopy package
- Visualize spatial data
- Understand various geographic projections and how they can distort data
Week 6: Working with Time Series Data
- Learn about time series data (Week6_TimeSeriesData.ipynb)
- Track trends through time
- Calculate daily, monthly, and annual averages
- Find relationships between variables