A Numpy-First Approach to Teaching CS1 to Natural Science Students.

Numpy (Numerical Python) and Scipy (Scientific Python) are Python libraries for doing numerical/scientific work that are popular with research scientists, as they allow for matrix-based computation in Python. I report on my initial experiences teaching a CS1 in Python to natural/social science students using a "numpy-first" approach. Students were taught about numpy arrays and matrix manipulations before learning lists and loops. I found this approach helped this audience appreciate the relevance of CS to their own fields, and possibly better learn topics such as logic and file I/O.