#  APIs and Requests in Flask ## Overview This is a lesson on creating an API in Flask. It starts by recapping web terms like HTTP, then has students create a JSON list in their Flask app. They `GET` the list with one route, then `POST` to it with another. ## Important Notes or Prerequisites There are a few notes on calling the OMDb API, but it's agnostic enough that it can be spun as an example, if you're teaching standalone. ## Learning Objectives In this lesson, students will: - Create an API that makes a `GET` request with Flask. - Create an API that makes a `POST` request with Flask. --- ## Duration 30 minutes --- ## Suggested Agenda | Time | Activity | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | 0:00 - 0:02 | [Welcome](#activity-welcome-2-min) | Introduce the lesson’s objectives and agenda.| | 0:02 - 0:10 | [APIs and HTTP](#activity-apis-and-http-8-min) | Recap the main terminology involved in APIs. | | 0:10 - 0:19 | [Creating a GET Request](#activity-creating-a-get-request-9-min)| Create an API that makes a `GET` request with Flask. | | 0:19 - 0:27 | [Creating a POST Request](#activity-creating-a-post-request-8-min)| Create an API that makes a `POST` request with Flask. | | 0:27 - 0:30 | [Summary](#activity-summary-3-min) | Wrap up the learning and share next steps. | --- ## Differentiation and Extensions - More advanced students may work on adding authentication into their Flask app. - Struggling students should review the lesson on APIs from Unit 5. - Students may also wish to explore their `POST`/`GET` requests in the Chrome extension Postman. - This is a GUI-friendly version of the command line version taught in the lesson. --- --- ## Lesson Procedure --- ### Activity: Welcome (2 min) > Introduce the lesson objectives and agenda. --- ### Activity: APIs and HTTP (8 min) > Recap the main terminology involved in APIs. > **Teaching Tips:** > - APIs are the vehicle that drive most of the modern web. > - Knowing how to create and consume APIs is important for a variety of coding tasks, regardless of job title. > - Flask provides an incredibly lightweight module for our purposes. > **Talking Points:** > - Ask students if they have any familiarity interacting with APIs outside of the last unit's materials. > - It's **important** to explain to students that in Unit 5 we *called* an API. Today we are *creating* an API. > - This can be explained with an example like, "In Unit 5 we were reading a book, and today, we're writing a book that others can read." > - Calling an API allows you to retrieve data, while creating an API makes some data that you want to publish accessible. --- ### Activity: Creating a `GET` Request (9 min) > Create an API that makes a `GET` request with Flask. > **Teaching Tips:** - Explain how this differs from just returning a variable. What makes this an API? - This is a code-along/We Do. Have students open code editors and terminal, then follow along. - We are actually doing two things at once here: We're creating data, and then we're creating an API where one could obtain that data. We're focusing more on the latter task, so as to emphasize creating the API. --- ### Activity: Creating a `POST` Request (8 min) > Create an API that makes a `POST` request with Flask. > **Teaching Tips:** > - This is a code-along/We Do. Students will extend the app they have been creating since the `hello_world` app. > - Similar to the `GET` activity, we're creating the data that we will append to the list with a `POST` request. > **Talking Points:** > - This `POST` request is using a simple example. > - Explain why we would do this! The example is very simple. This can extend to Create/Update data into a number of other applications: search bars, adding data into databases, and so on. --- ### Activity: Summary (3 min) > Wrap up the learning and share next steps.