PPM Image Modifier is a loops/file I/O/strings programming assignment for a CS0/CS1 course. For this assignment, students open a PPM image file, apply a modification to the image, and write the modified image to an output image file. The modifications for the students to perform include: negate, high contrast, gray scale, remove red, remove green, and remove blue. Students are to work individually on the assignment.
Consider asking a faculty member from the art department to come talk to your students about the intersections between art and computer science. This would be one way to make Interdisciplinary Connections.
PPM Image Modifier is meaningful and relevant because students play around with media (images). Many university-level students are familiar with image manipulation software like Adobe Photoshop and Gimp. By showing students in CS0/CS1 that they can write code to implement algorithms that fancy software like Photoshop use, students are inspired by what can be done with computer science. This assignment also incorporates student choice by allowing students to supply images on their own or choose to use the supplied image file(s).