Course Title: CSS Fundamentals

Course Overview: This course introduces students to the fundamentals of CSS for styling web pages. Students will learn CSS syntax, selectors, properties, layout techniques, and best practices for creating visually appealing and responsive web designs.

Course Duration: 8 weeks (2-3 hours per week)

Module 1: Introduction to CSS

  • Overview of CSS and its role in web development
  • Importance of separation of concerns (HTML for structure, CSS for presentation)
  • Inline, internal, and external CSS stylesheets
  • Linking CSS stylesheets to HTML documents

Module 2: CSS Syntax and Basic Selectors

  • CSS syntax rules (selectors, properties, values)
  • Different types of selectors (element, class, ID, attribute)
  • Grouping selectors and applying styles to multiple elements
  • Understanding specificity and cascade in CSS

Module 3: Text Styling and Fonts

  • Applying styles to text (font family, size, weight, style)
  • Using web-safe fonts and Google Fonts in web pages
  • Styling text with CSS properties (color, text decoration, line height)
  • Creating custom font stacks and fallbacks

Module 4: Box Model and Layout

  • Understanding the CSS box model (content, padding, border, margin)
  • Controlling box dimensions and proportions
  • Creating fixed-width and fluid layouts
  • Setting up basic layout structures using divs and CSS

Module 5: Styling Links and Lists

  • Styling hyperlinks with CSS (color, text decoration, hover effects)
  • Creating custom link styles for different states (visited, active)
  • Styling lists (unordered lists, ordered lists, list items)
  • Customizing bullet points and list styles

Module 6: Display and Positioning

  • Understanding CSS display property (block, inline, inline-block)
  • Controlling the layout and positioning of elements with CSS
  • Using CSS positioning (static, relative, absolute, fixed)
  • Creating basic layout structures with float and clear properties

Module 7: CSS Flexbox Layout

  • Introduction to CSS Flexbox and its properties
  • Creating flexible and responsive layouts with Flexbox
  • Aligning and justifying content using Flexbox properties
  • Building common layout patterns with Flexbox

Module 8: CSS Grid Layout

  • Introduction to CSS Grid Layout and its capabilities
  • Creating complex grid-based layouts with CSS Grid
  • Defining grid tracks (rows, columns) and grid areas
  • Building responsive grid layouts with auto-fill and auto-fit

Module 9: Responsive Web Design and Media Queries

  • Understanding responsive web design principles
  • Using media queries to create responsive layouts
  • Designing websites for different devices and screen sizes
  • Testing and debugging responsive web pages across multiple devices

Module 10: CSS Transitions and Animations

  • Introduction to CSS transitions and animations
  • Creating smooth transitions between CSS property values
  • Animating CSS properties using keyframes and animation properties
  • Building interactive and engaging animations with CSS

Module 11: CSS Preprocessors (Optional)

  • Overview of CSS preprocessors (Sass, Less, Stylus)
  • Installing and setting up a CSS preprocessor
  • Working with variables, mixins, and functions in preprocessors
  • Compiling preprocessed CSS to standard CSS for deployment

Module 12: CSS Frameworks (Optional)

  • Introduction to CSS frameworks (Bootstrap, Foundation, Bulma)
  • Setting up and using CSS frameworks in web projects
  • Building responsive web designs with CSS frameworks
  • Customizing and extending CSS frameworks for project needs

Module 13: CSS Best Practices and Optimization

  • Best practices for writing clean and maintainable CSS code
  • Using CSS methodologies (BEM, SMACSS, OOCSS) for scalable stylesheets
  • Optimizing CSS performance (minification, concatenation, gzip compression)
  • Debugging and troubleshooting common CSS issues

Module 14: Cross-Browser Compatibility

  • Understanding cross-browser compatibility challenges in CSS
  • Testing and debugging CSS across different web browsers
  • Using vendor prefixes and browser hacks for CSS compatibility
  • Implementing feature detection and progressive enhancement techniques

Module 15: CSS3 Features and Modern Techniques

  • Overview of CSS3 features and enhancements
  • Working with advanced CSS selectors (pseudo-classes, pseudo-elements)
  • Using CSS3 transitions, transforms, and gradients
  • Exploring newer CSS features like custom properties (variables) and calc()

Module 16: Capstone Project

  • Students will work on a capstone project to apply the skills learned throughout the course
  • Project topics may include designing and building a responsive website, creating a web application UI, or implementing specific CSS features

Assessment:

  • Assignments and projects after each module
  • Mid-term and final exams covering the entire syllabus
  • Evaluation of the capstone project