Autumn term Year 11

Scheme of Work

GCSE (9-1) Computer Science

Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Computer Science (1CP1)
Autumn term Year 11

Assumptions
This scheme of work is based on the assumption that the students have followed the Free Support Materials Schemes of Work for Year 10. If not, it is
important to check the content of each lesson to confirm that it has or has not been previously covered. However even if it has already been covered
teachers may find some of the suggestions and activities I the associated booklet useful to reinforce knowledge or use as revision.

The lessons in the various schemes of work total 150 hours altogether (see course planner); the guided learning hours for GCSE Computer Science are
120. It is expected that centres will modify the schemes of work and the course planner as required to fit their own timetabling.

The programming language used here is Python 3.0. Centres can of course use any of the other languages in the specification, namely Java and C-
derived (C, C++, C#) and use equivalent examples from these languages.

All the Year 11 resources now account for the revised submission date of 31 March as required by Ofqual.

Explanations
The course has been broken down into six terms. Over the course, lessons are split into the six topics in the subject content and the colours in the
schemes of work mirror the colours of the topics in the course planner.

Weeks are numbered from one in each term and there are two lessons each week. This scheme of work details the content to be covered in the Autumn
term of Year 11. Where applicable, problem solving and programming are taught together to increase computational thinking skills, which will also be
used in the other subject content topics.

The references to the specification represent the specification content that is covered in the lesson. During the problem solving and programming
topics, many lessons cover a range of content but only the main specification reference is given. You are strongly advised to use the specification
alongside this scheme of work.

The lesson summary gives an overview of the lesson content. The title in bold refers to the subject content headings given for each topic in the
specification.

The lesson content gives suggestions on how this material could be taught. Example activities for each lesson are given in the activities files. The
activities are numbered with the lesson number, for example Activity 1.2.3 is the third activity for Lesson 2 in Week 1. These activities are provided to
give teachers ideas of activities and programming.

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Autumn term Year 11
Week 1

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources

1 3.3.1 Problem solving and Welcome students back. Explain the course for this year, go through overall course cs4fn, Queen
programming planner if you have used it. Mary,
University of
Problem solving activity: Go to http://www.cs4fn.org/algorithms/hoteldoors.php and London
ask the students to complete the activity. You might want to copy out the activity (www.cs4fn.or
rather than direct students to the website so that they do not go directly to the g).
solution!
2015
Start problem solving and programming activity for this and next lesson which is Task
Controlled
1 from the 2015 Controlled Assessment. This is a secure download from Assessment
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/computer-science- Task 1 (legacy
2013.coursematerials.html#filterQuery=Pearson-UK:Category%2FExam-materials specification
2013)
If you do not have access to this speak to your examination office for advice.

This task should take about 1 ½ hours to complete. SAM NEA

Homework: Issue Sample Assessment Material for NEA. Go through very

briefly. Ask students to read through it and note down questions/comments to
discuss next lesson.

2 3.3.1 Problem solving and Ask students if they have any questions on the Sample Assessment Material issued 2015
programming for homework. Controlled
Assessment
Students should then complete Task 1 2015 Controlled Assessment. Task 1 (legacy
specification
Extension: Ask students to validate the data and write the data to a file (this is NOT 2013)
a requirements in the original task).

Homework: Ask students to complete the extension to Task 1. SAM NEA

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1 3.3.1 Compression Starter: card sort activity in Activity 2.1.1 to elicit prior knowledge/recall of data Week 2
size units. Lesson 1
3.3.2
activities
Share what students will be learning i.e. how and why computers compress and
3.3.3 encrypt data.

Remind students that bitmaps, audio and video files can be very large. Explain that
compressing data reduces its file size. Ask students to suggest reasons why reducing
file size is desirable (to save on storage space and speed up file transfer).
Files in Autumn
Give students an opportunity in Activity 2.1.2 to discover how compression affects term Year 11
file size. Resources

Use the ‘Honey I shrunk the data!’ animation and game to introduce three different ‘Honey I
strategies for shrinking data – ‘keep them all and make them small’ (lossless), shrunk the
‘squeeze them more and open the door’ (lossy) and ‘save the best and scrap the rest’ data!’
(superchannel): http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/data-compression/en/. Discuss with the animation and
class the pros and cons of each strategy. Make sure that students understand the key game
difference between lossless and lossy compression techniques, i.e. that the former
retains all the original data while the latter permanently discards some of it.

Show the YouTube video ‘Run Length Encoding Visualization’ to introduce the concept ‘Run Length
Encoding
of Run Length Encoding (RLE): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypdNscvym_E
Visualisation’
YouTube video
Give students the opportunity to experience RLE compression in action by
decompressing a 4-bit colour image encoded using RLE (Activity 2.1.3). Read the
binary numbers aloud to students or give them the binary codes to read for
themselves
(see endnote i).

Homework: Ask students to complete Activity 2.1.4.

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2 Stage 1: NEA Preparation: Introduce the NEA Prep lessons (use lesson summaries). SAM NEA
Analysis Requirements
Go thought the differences between the preparation session and the ‘real thing’. Specification
Discuss the restrictions there will be when completing the real NEA (page 15 Security,
and page 35 in the specification). NEA Delivery
Guide (use for
Explain that there will be less class time when doing the NEA prep so they will be reference
asked to do some work at home. Reinforce that they will not be able to do this in the throughout the
real NEA. NEA
preparation)
Explain that their work has to be presented in a written report but that there is not
much writing! Only what has to be assessed. Note that all that has to be included is
in the SAM itself with more details on page 19 of the specification.

Go through the questions that the students have noted as homework.

Explain the first task – they must create a list of requirements which are what the
user wants from the final programmed solution. Refer to specification and SAM.

Split the students into small groups and get them to jointly create a draft list.

Homework: Ask students to take the draft requirements from their group and
finalise with any more they can think of. The work should be presented as a
well formatted, detailed list.

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1 3.3.2 Compression: Start the lesson by recapping why files are compressed, i.e. to make them more Week 3
lossless run-length space-efficient and to enable them to be transferred quickly. If you feel students need Lesson 1
3.3.3 encoding more practice encoding or decompressing 4-bit colour images using RLE, you could activities
select one student to read out their data (Lesson 1 homework activity) and ask the
3.3.4 Autumn term
rest of the class to decode and draw the image. Alternatively, you could put students
Year 11
into pairs and have them decode each other’s images. Some groups may need to
Programming
recap the data size units i.e. bits, bytes, MB. Solutions
Use the 4-bit colour image in homework Activity 2.1.4 to walk students through how
to calculate the size (in bytes) of the uncompressed and the compressed files,
pointing out the small size reduction.

Size of compressed file in bytes

= number of codes x number of bits in each code / 8

= 84 x 6 / 8 = 63 bytes

Size of uncompressed file in bytes

= number of squares in grid x 2 / 8

= 256 x 2 / 8 = 64 bytes

Explain to students the need to multiply the number of squares in the grid by 2 as
each square in the grid is one of four colours, which is represented by a 2-bit number.

Now give students the opportunity to do these calculations for themselves on the
image they encoded in their Lesson 1 homework activity in Activity 3.1.1.

Point out that the advantage of a smaller file is gained at the expense of the
computer having to carry out more processing – the file has first to be compressed
and then it has to be decompressed before it can be used. This is especially true in
this case, where compression only saves 1 byte. Ask students to consider whether the

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file would compress more or less if colours were represented by 4-bit codes.

Introduce students to the RLE calculator: http://mathcelebrity.com/runlencode.php.

Give them an opportunity to try it out and get to grips with how it works in Activity
3.1.2.

Show students the outline design for an RLE algorithm written in structured English.
Ask them to complete the algorithm and check that it works. (Activity 3.1.3)

Homework: Challenge students to write a program to implement the RLE

algorithm in Activity 3.1.4.

Extension: Ask students to write a program to decompress text encoded

using RLE in Activity 3.1.5.

2 Stage 1: NEA Preparation: Make the point that requirements for a solution are the users’ point of view but that SAM NEA
Analysis decomposition these requirements are going to be turned into a programmed solution.
Specification
This requires taking the requirements and decomposing them into sub-problems
which can be used in the design and potentially programmed later. There might not Pseudo-code
be a 1 to 1 match between requirements and sub-problems. booklet

They should submit:

 A short description of what each of the sub-problems will do

 A short explanation of the reasoning behind the decomposition submitted
(reinforcing computational thinking)
Stage 2: NEA Preparation:
Homework: Ask student to start depicting the sub-problems they have
Design designing the
identified in a flowchart, or pseudo-code, or a written description. They can
algorithm(s)
2.1 use all three conventions if they want to. Refer them to the pseudo-code
booklet but remind them that when doing the real NEA they will not be able to

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Solution work on it outside of the classroom.
Design
Ask them to note down any problems they have in starting the decomposition.

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1 3.3.2 Compression: Start the lesson by recapping what students have learnt so far about RLE Week 4
lossless methods of compression. Reiterate that RLE works best on files that contain long runs of Lesson 1
compressing data repeating data. It is not much use for files where this is not the case and, in some activities
instances, can make the file size bigger rather than smaller. (Students should have
realised this for themselves after completing Activities 2.1.3 and 2.1.4 in the last Computer
lesson.) Science
Unplugged
Use the nursery rhyme ‘The wheels on the bus’ to introduce a different approach to (http://csunplu
compressing files with repeating patterns of data: the LZ algorithm (Activity 4.1.1). gged.org/

Demonstrate that a considerable size reduction can be achieved by using a lookup

table and that the original file can still be reconstructed without any loss of quality
(Activities 4.1.2 and 4.1.3).

Using the Computer Science Unplugged worksheet ‘Short and Sweet’ (page 31 of
http://csunplugged.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/CSUnplugged_OS_2015_v3.1.pdf), demonstrate how even
better compression can be achieved if, instead of words, repeating patterns of letters
are stored in a lookup table.

Homework: Ask students to complete Activity 4.1.4.

2 Stage 2: NEA Preparation: Review any major problems that the students might have had when starting the SAM
Design designing the algorithm(s).
Specification
algorithm(s)
2.1 Go through the bullet points on page 21 so that they are clear what their algorithm(s)
Pseudo-code
Solution should include. booklet
design
Go through the mark scheme and reinforce that they need to keep referring to their
requirements. Let them add to them if they need to.

During this lesson go round the class and check individual work – and reinforce that

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the real NEA must be their own work.

Homework: Students should complete their algorithms and cross-check with

their requirements and decomposition from Analysis.

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1 3.3.2 Compression: lossy Start the lesson by reminding students of the ‘squeeze them more and open the door’ Week 5
methods of approach to compression introduced in the ‘Honey I shrunk the data!’ game. Lesson 1
compressing data activities
Show students the bitmap image. Point out that, although large parts of a photograph
may look the same, each individual pixel is likely to be slightly different from the
pixels on either side of it. This is why a lossless compression algorithm can’t do much
with this type of data.

Explain that lossy compression algorithms exploit characteristics of human beings:

there are some sounds the human ear can’t hear and some subtle differences in
colour the human eye can’t detect, and our brains can ‘fill in the gaps’ if they notice
something is missing.

Use the bitmap image to explain in simple terms how the JPEG compression algorithm
works. (The picture is divided into blocks of 8x8 pixels; the data within the 8x8 pixel
block is analysed and ranked for its importance to visual perception; key data is
retained and less important data is discarded.) This is achieved by replacing the
colour values of some pixels.
Online photo
Ask the students to complete Activity 5.1.1 which gives them the opportunity to
editor, e.g.
experiment with JPEG image compression, using an online photo editor.
pixlr
Explain that the MP3 compression algorithm works by removing sounds that cannot
Image in
be detected by the human ear. Supply students with a WAV file of your choice and
Autumn term
give students the opportunity to experiment with different compression algorithms for
Year 11
music (Activity 5.1.2).
Resources
Homework: Ask students to complete Activity 5.1.3 to create a summary
sheet for themselves by answering the questions on lossless and lossy
compression.

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2 Stage 2: NEA Preparation: Check progress with the solution design. SAM
Design what is a test
Explain what a test strategy is (their overall plan on how to test). They should write Specification
strategy?
2.2 Test a short paragraph including their method (top-down, bottom-up, both), the data they
Initial test plan
strategy Creating the initial will be using (normal, boundary and erroneous) and their reasons for following this template
and initial test plan strategy. High marks for this section should consider their own requirements for
test plan testing rather than general terms, and be followed through in the test plan itself
(page 23).

Explain to the students that they will now create an Initial Test Plan which will test
against their requirements. This will then be ‘banked’ but when they start their
implementation they will be expected to add to it, e.g. refinements, error corrections
etc. as would happen in a real life development.

Homework: Complete any unfinished work on the test strategy or Initial Test
Plan then critically review it to check that it is complete.

Week 6

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources
1 4.2.4 Data storage: Recap how some computers need to store data and instructions permanently in Week 6
magnetic secondary storage and review the units used for data storage. Lesson 1
activities
Explain that there are three main ways in which data is stored permanently on

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devices. Pass round examples (or show images) of the three main types of secondary
storage and ask students to identify them:
Examples (or
1. Magnetic storage, e.g. a hard disk drive: images of)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Laptop-hard-drive-exposed.jpg magnetic,
2. Optical storage, e.g. a CD or DVD drive: optical and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dvdburner.jpg solid state
3. Solid state, e.g. a solid state drive: storage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vertex_2_Solid_State_Drive_by_OCZ-
top_oblique_PNr%C2%B00307.jpg

Tell students that each storage device has a maximum storage capacity which is
measured in bytes.

Ask students to continue to research the type of storage devices that are available
(Activity 6.1.1)
How is data stored magnetically?

Show this Royal Institution ‘Ghost in the machine’ video to give students an idea of
how data is stored magnetically: http://richannel.org/christmas-lectures/2008/2008-
chris-bishop#/christmas-lectures-2008-chris-bishop--the-ghost-in-the-machine Royal
(12.00–13.45 minutes). Hard disks contain metal platters coated in iron oxide and Institution
data is stored by magnetising the surface of the disk. The platters rotate and the ‘Ghost in the
read/write heads float above the surface detecting and modifying the magnetisation machine’ video
of the surface.

To reinforce the video, show students a labelled diagram of a hard disk drive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hard_drive-en.svg and an image of the surface of a
hard disk drive:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aufnahme_einzelner_Magnetisierungen_gespeicherte
r_Bits_auf_einem_Festplatten-Platter..jpg. Images of

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Outline the extended homework and ask students to suggest and agree assessment labelled hard
criteria for it, for example by think-pair-share then agree best three, or similar. In disk drive and
Activity 6.1.2 they should note this. surface of a
hard disk drive
Homework: (Activity 6.1.3). Students should produce a presentation using
an application of their choice (e.g. Powerpoint, Photostory, Prezi, Powtoon)
explaining the three types of data storage (magnetic, optical and solid state).
Note: this homework will extend over three lessons.

2 Stage 3: NEA Preparation: Collect in the students Initial Test Plan. SAM
Implement continue
This stage is split into 3.1 Implementing the design and 3.2 Building the Solution to Specification
ation programming the
solution accommodate the marking criteria. It is expected that teachers will mark both
Pseudo-code
together and that students will simply program their solution.
booklet
Reinforce what can be done now but can’t in the live NEA (pages 15 and 16).
Program
Students will have four lessons plus homework time to complete their solution. Ask Syntax Guide
students to create a plan of how they are going to achieve this, perhaps by splitting
Data file
the implementation of the algorithm over the allocated weeks. However it is
important that they realise that this is a preparation and that they may not complete
the solution.

Refer students to the data file provided.

2.1.2
Make sure good programming practice is used, e.g. comments, indentation, sensible
variable names.

Make students aware that they can use the pseudocode booklet and the class
Program Syntax Guide (sample in specification page 50).

Students should be reminded to iterate back to the design and requirements during

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their implementation.

Homework: Continue programming the solution.

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1 4.2.4 Data storage Recap success criteria for extended homework: what information do I need from this Week 7
lesson to produce excellent homework? Lesson 1
Optical & solid state
activities
Either recap the three main ways in which data is stored permanently on devices or
ask students to try Activity 7.1.1.

How is data stored optically?

In a CD drive, the data is recorded in a spiral platter with individual bits recorded by Reading head
burning small pits on to the disk surface. The disk is read by shining a laser at the CD movement and
surface and examining the reflected light to see if there is a pit or a flat. Show magnified pits
students the reading head movement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cd-rom- on CD
drive-reading-head-movement.gif) and the magnified pits on a CD
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Compact_disk_data_layer_2d_3d.PNG). ‘Explaining
Solid State
How is data stored in electronic circuits (solid state)? Disks’ YouTube
video
There are no moving components in solid state storage. The data is stored as electric
charge in the silicon. Increasingly computers are using solid state storage devices as
the main data storage device. As a class, brainstorm why that might be, then show
the ‘Explaining Solid State Disks’ video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=viac3j6MeII (0.00 – 2.40 minutes)

Continuation of Extended Homework (Activity 6.1.3.

2 Stage 3: NEA Preparation: At this lesson refresh the use of debugging tools in the programming environment, SAM
Implement continue and the use of hand tracing as a debugging technique. Students should show
Specification
ation programming the evidence of the use of debugging tools whilst building the solution. This needs to be
solution. evidenced by a couple of annotated screen shots showing clearly how they debugged Pseudo-code
an error. booklet
Debugging tools
and techniques If students decide that they need to add more to their solution they should add these Program

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refinements and comment clearly in the code. The refinements should be added to Syntax Guide
their test plan, and to their design (but they should not rework there design, simple
add the refinements at the end. Data file

Note: refinements are marked in Stage 4.

Homework: Continue programming the solution.

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1 4.2.5 Cloud storage Starter: students to list places on the internet where they can store files (expect Week 8
answers such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, iCloud and so on) Lesson 1
activities
Ask students ‘Where is Google?’ Show the map of datacentre locations
(https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/index.html). Students
could also research/discuss the issues surrounding their siting e.g. energy use,
cooling.

Explain that Google et. al. give the public access to their (magnetic disk) storage in all
those locations via the internet and that this model is called ‘cloud’ storage.

Give students the opportunity to assess the pros and cons of using cloud storage in
Activity 8.1.1.

If your school network has a remote access facility you could demonstrate this.
Explain that there are various protocols for accessing files across networks (link back
to Activities 5.1.5 – FTP, HTTPS – and 5.2.2 – securing cloud storage)

Completion of Extended Homework (Activity 6.1.3). Hand-in or upload

to school network share, VLE, cloud storage or similar (VLE ideal for offering
comments to give feedback).

2 Stage 3: NEA Preparation: Continue programming the solution during the lesson, and as homework. Specification
Implement continue
Pseudo-code
ation programming the
booklet
solution.
Program
Debugging tools
Syntax Guide
and techniques
Data file

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1 4.2.4 Presentation of Recap the success criteria for the extended homework project. Week 9
extended Lesson 1
4.2.5 Students to prepare and use a mark sheet to assess each-others’ presentations.
homework activities
Presentations can be presented to the class or browsed online.

Each presentation to receive ‘two stars and a wish’ or similar based on the pre-agreed
criteria.

Homework (Activity 9.1.1). Ask students to evaluate how they have met the
assessment criteria for the extended homework.

2 Stage 3: NEA Preparation: Continue programming the solution during the lesson, and as homework. Specification
Implement continue
Pseudo-code
ation programming the
booklet
solution.
Program
Debugging tools
Syntax Guide
and techniques
Data file

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1 5.3.1 The internet Begin the lesson by posing the question ‘What is the internet?’ Week 10
Lesson 1
What is it? Explain that the word ‘internet’ is short for ‘interconnection of computer networks’ i.e.
activities
a network of networks. Networks across the globe are connected. Image at
Addressing and http://2.bp.blogspot.com/- Autumn term
routing 6jOm6WKb1Hg/T8g_3_SSFhI/AAAAAAAAACQ/FGVT3R9IFKw/s1600/global-traffic- Year 11
map-large.png. Programming
Solutions
Use a noticeboard app or whiteboards to collect students’ broadband providers, such
Visualisation
as BT, Virgin Media, Sky etc., and which internet services they use, such as websites,
image of the
email, cloud storage and applications (e.g. Google Apps, Office 365). Use this to
internet
explain that people connect their home or business to the internet by purchasing a
contract with an ISP who provides access to internet services. These services are
hosted on computers called servers.

Ask students:

 What and where is bbc.co.uk and how does your computer know how to
contact it?
 What happens to an email when you click send?

Students should watch ’There and Back Again: A Packet’s Tale – How does the
Internet work?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwyJGzZmBe8

State that IP stands for ‘internet protocol’. Revise the concept of a protocol (5.1.5
studied in Year 10, Spring) – explain that a network protocol is a set of rules agreed
‘There and
between a sender and a receiver on a network. Each packet is ‘stamped’ with the IP
Back Again: A
address of the sender and recipient.
Packet’s Tale –
Demonstrate how to find the IP address of a computer by using cmd then How does the
ipconfig/all to display your IP address(es) on a Windows PC. Students can also do Internet work?’
this subject to your school’s network policies. Youtube video

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Extension: the difference between IP4 and IP6. Image of the output is also here
http://www.isaserver.org/img/upl/2004dh81115983842251.gif. (Activity 10.1.1)

Extension: revise layered protocol stacks (5.1.6 studied in Year 10, Spring) to
include MAC addresses. Show this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=uEe0rOcuVLo

Students should then work through (Activity 10.1.2). If there are restrictions on
the network this may be set as an extra homework activity.

Describe the role of a router as a device that connects sub-networks together using
the IP address. Role play Activity 10.1.3.

Extension: describe the sub-net mask (links back to Boolean logic 2.5 and
hexadecimal notation 3.1.5). Write a program to test whether an IP address is on
your local subnet (Activity 10.1.4).

Demonstrate how to use a visual trace route tool, such as

http://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/visual-tracert/, to trace the router hops to
websites. Choose some English, American and Australian websites. Use proxy trace.

Homework (Activity 10.1.5). Ask students to use a visual trace route tool
to find out the ‘hops’ to their favourite websites and to take a screen shot of Visual trace
the most interesting or surprising route. route tool

2 Stage 4: NEA Preparation: Time for the students to stop building the solution, even if they have not finished. Specification
Testing, Testing and refining Reflect on the time taken and how this will need to be managed in the real NEA.

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refining  Do they think they made full use of the time given? Pseudo-code
and  How will they manage this when they are not allowed to work at home? booklet
evaluation.
Go through the marking criteria for the NEA in the specification and reinforce that Program
most of the marks are for activities other than programming. Syntax Guide

Now ask students to check that they have added all the additional tests to the test Data file
plan and save as Final Test Plan. Ask them to add the final two columns from the
template in the Sample Assessment Material NEA. Reinforce the use of normal,
boundary and erroneous data. Make sure that they realise that the point of a test
plan is to find errors and that a good test plan will do that.

Check students’ work.

Students can then start testing. Screen shots of tests are not required. They
should correct any errors then find and retest.

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1 5.3.1 The internet Starter: Week 11
Lesson 1
Physical routing and Either: show the network at http://teaching.shelswell.org.uk/wp-
activities
DNS content/uploads/2009/12/roadnetwork.png and ask students to work out the fastest
route for a packet going from Bristol to London (then as extension, the maximum Visualisation
delay between packets sent one unit apart). Recap the notion of IP addressing, image of the
packet switching and routers. internet

Or: examine a selection of the screen shots of visual trace route hops students have
brought in. Discuss with the class what this tells us about the way data travels across
the internet. Packets can take different paths to their destination, not always the
most direct; if one route is unavailable, data can be routed a different way.

Explain what we mean by ‘connecting backbone’ of the internet, i.e. the high speed
Andrew Blum’s
data routes that connect the routers and the large networks they support. Show the
TED lecture
image from the start of the previous lesson again.
‘What is the
Show Andrew Blum’s TED lecture ‘What is the internet really?’: internet really?’
http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_blum_what_is_the_internet_really
http://www.whois.
Questions on the video (Activity 11.1.1). sc/

Ask students what the IP address is for the BBC’s website to demonstrate that we
work better with names than numbers. Explain that this is the role of the DNS: to
match up a user-friendly domain name like ‘edexcel.com’ to an IP address.

Practical activity: Ask students to visit http://www.whois.sc/ and to look up the

owners and locations of these IP addresses: 212.58.244.66 (BBC), 208.185.127.40
(About.com), 69.63.176.13 (Facebook), 208.65.153.238 (YouTube).

Explain that when a user requests a named service a message is sent to DNS to look-
up the IP address of that service so that the user can then send a message to the

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Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources
right IP address.

Extension: point out that DNS is a kind of abstraction where the details of the
addressing are hidden.

Plenary/summary: Students should watch ‘How the Internet Works in 5 Minutes’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_LPdttKXPc
‘How the
Homework or practical activity: Students should complete Activity Internet Works
11.1.2. in 5 Minutes’
YouTube video

2 Stage 4: NEA Preparation: Students should complete their testing. If they have finished they can start the Specification
Testing, Testing, refining and evaluation (see Week 12 Lesson 2)
Pseudo-code
refining evaluation
Homework: Continue with testing. booklet
and
evaluation Program
. Syntax Guide

Data file

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Week 12

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources
1 5.3.2 The World Wide Begin the lesson by posing the question ‘What is the World Wide Web?’ Week 12
Web Lesson 1
Explain that the World Wide Web (WWW) refers to the huge collection of documents,
activities
written in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) that can be accessed using the
internet. HTML documents are text files stored on a server which are sent to your
computer when you access them using web browser software. The web browser
displays the web pages and enables you to navigate between them using hyperlinks.
It is the ability to hyperlink documents that makes the WWW so useful.

Use Mozilla’s webmaker x-ray goggles to view the HTML code that makes up a web
Mozilla’s
page and to make some basic changes: https://goggles.mozilla.org/
webmaker x-
Explain that a website is a collection of related web pages and resouces such as ray goggles
images, sound and video. Websites are hosted on web servers, which are computers
connected to the internet.

Show the ‘World Wide Web in plain English’ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=_YHt-QCAVb8 ‘World Wide
Web in plain
Students should then start Activity 12.1.1. English’
YouTube video
Homework: Finish Activity 12.1.1 .

2 Stage 4: NEA Preparation: Explain that this is the final task and that evaluation means that they have to look at Specification
Testing, evaluation their original requirements and review how successfully their programmed solution
Pseudo-code
refining meets these requirements. Show the marking criteria on page 28 of the specification.
booklet
and There is no need for them to describe how they completed the work.
evaluation. Program
Homework: Make notes on what they have learnt on when completing the
Syntax Guide
NEA preparation and who they will make use of this when doing the real NEA.
Data file

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Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

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1 5.3.2 The World Wide Starter: students can showcase their homework.
Web
Explain that a website is addressed using a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), or
web page address. A URL uniquely addresses a particular web page. A URL consists
of:

protocol://domain name/path name of the document

For example:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mann-na.html

Practical activity: ask students to identify the protocol, domain name and path
name of a number of URLs.

Explain that HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) defines how files on the World
Wide Web are transmitted and displayed in web browsers and that HTTPS is an
encrypted version of HTTP, which allows data to be scrambled as it is transmitted over
the internet.

Show or ask students to find examples of web pages that use the http and https
protocols.

If available on your network, demonstrate other protocols such as ftp and telnet;
show them a mailto: link in a suitable website.

If time, students can continue developing their own site from last lesson and
for homework.

2 NEA Use the timings from the NEA preparation and the experience your students and NEA Delivery
yourself have gained to build a timetable to guide the students to complete the NEA in Guidance
the allocated 20 hours. booklet.

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Week 13

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources
Go through what is and is not allowed during the NEA completion (pages 15 and 16 of NEA for the
the specification). current series.
Explain the JCQ guidelines, why they are important and the consequences if they are
not followed.

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Week 14

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources

1 4.2.6 Embedded systems Starter: ask students to recall the definition of a digital computer, studied in Year Week 14
10, and write their answer on a mini-whiteboard; ask them to hold up their boards to Lesson 1
assess understanding. activities

If necessary, recap the definition (option to re-use activities from Year 10). Definition of
embedded
In pairs, ask students to list all the computers in the classroom: remind them that systems
computers don’t have to look like computers. Answers should include: (for example)
the projector remote, the projector, the DVD player, their smartphones, your chip
and pin card and so on. You could borrow a datalogger from science.

Students should be able to get a feel for what embedded computers are from this
definition: http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/42554/embedded-system.

Ask students to extend the task to list embedded computers at home, for example
thermostat, microwave and other kitchen appliances, TVs and set-top boxes, cars,
streetlights and traffic lights and so on.

Ask students to complete Activity 14.1.1 processing of an embedded computer.

Review examples with the class.

Students should now complete Activity 14.1.2.

Homework: (Activity 14.1.3). Students should propose redeveloping an

6 The Bigger Picture object which will have an embedded system and link to the Internet of Things,
and consider the implications of the Bigger Picture.

2 NEA Continue with NEA

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Week 15

Lesson Spec ref Lesson Lesson content Lesson

summary resources

1 4.2.6 Embedded systems
6 The Bigger Picture
Review the homework Activity 14.1.3 set last lesson. The students should now Week 15
complete Activity 15.1.1. Lesson 1
activities
Ask for volunteers to propose their object in the ‘Dragon’s Den’, and split the class
into groups to work in teams to build a presentation to the dragons. Select dragons
for the task and undertake the role play.

Homework: (Activity 15.1.2). Create a quiz about embedded systems.

2 NEA Continue with NEA

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Suggestions for teaching this content
 Provide code as images (print screen) to force the students to type in the program code rather than just use copy and paste. They will learn more
by making mistakes and having to correct them.
 Use two projectors on two screens. This allows you to display code on one screen and information or questions on the other. Use a plain wall or card
on wall to make the screens.
 Divide the class into groups who work together to solve problems. Explain that they must discuss problems within the group before they ask for
help. Introduce the concept of coaching other students within their groups to ensure everyone finishes within the set time. Have competitions
between groups.
 Get students to ‘think, pair, share’ with problems (before asking the teacher a question) as well as using this to answer questions. Think about the
problem by themselves, discuss the problem in a pair, then share it with a group around them.

Starters and plenaries

Ideas for starters or plenaries which give students the opportunity to review computational thinking skills, reflect on their learning and build up
specialist technical vocabulary.

 Give students some code and ask them what it does.

 Give students a flowchart and ask them to produce the code.
 Give students the pseudo-code and ask them to produce the code.
 Give students some code and ask them to depict as a flowchart.
 Give students some pseudo-code and ask them to depict as a flowchart.
 Give students a written description and ask them to depict as a flowchart.
 Give students a written description and ask them to produce the code.
 Give students a list of commands jumbled up and ask them to put them in the right order.
 Give students some code and ask them to find the syntax errors.
 Give students some code and ask them to produce a test plan.
 Give students some input data and ask for appropriate test data (valid, invalid, extreme).
 Ask students to summarise the lesson in 140 characters.
 Ask students to identify three ways in which a program could be improved.
 Who can find out about a topic first using Python help? (Do as a group.)
 Play videos introducing a particular aspect of Python programming.
 Ask students to produce five questions and answers on a topic.

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 Online polls for formative assessment of topics.
 Peer-review of a program – how to give and receive constructive feedback.
 Self-assessment of a program.
 Invite students to ‘show and tell’ a program – what are the good features and the bad features? How could it be improved?
 ‘What would happen if I made this change to the program?’
 ‘Role play’ being a program, e.g. students act as manual debuggers and give values of variables at certain break points in a program.
 Use games, e.g. hangman with technical terms.
 Give a definition of a technical term and ask students to say what the term is.

Suggestions for additional homework questions or extension exercises

 Ask students to summarise a topic in 140 characters or less.
 Ask students to produce a program in code/pseudo-code/flowchart given as a written description (or any combination of this).
 Ask students to write a written description of a program given as program code.
 Ask students to make a ‘topic in plain English’ video (for an example see: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VumBNb6gcBk)
 Ask students to write a quiz (with answers) on a topic.
 Ask students to find the definitions of technical terms.
 Ask students to create a digital or classroom poster to explain a technical term or concept.
 Challenge students to find the five best websites to help with a particular topic.
 Ask students to search online to find the answers to some Python programming problem.
 Ask students to assess a program using an assessment checklist (give all the class the same program).

Self-assessment of programming
By the end of the term, students should be able to assess their programs by asking the following questions.

 Does the program work? Are there any errors? How successfully does the program meet the requirements?
 How does this program work? What programming constructs have been used?
 Is the program readable? Have comments been included to explain the program? Would someone else understand the program?
 What are the good features and bad features of the program? How could it be improved?
 Did you learn anything new about programming from writing this program?

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 Did you coach another student to help them solve this problem? If so, what did you learn from helping others?

Encourage students to use the correct technical terms when discussing their programs.

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Resources

General resources
 BCS Glossary of Computing and ICT, 13th edition (ISBN 9781780171500)
 A range of articles on teaching coding: www.edsurge.com/guide/teaching-kids-to-code

Software
 Audacity (free open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds) available to download from www.audacity.sourceforge.net
 Python (free open source software) available to download from www.python.org/getit/

Python resources
 Official Python documentation (also available through help in IDLE): www.docs.python.org/3/
 Python summer school from Anglia Ruskin University is an excellent resource with videos and programming challenges:
http://www.pythonschool.net/
 Python code for kids is a clearly written summary of the Python language written in accessible language: www.pythondictionary.code-it.co.uk/
 ‘Python in 10 minutes’ is a quick run through of the basic concepts: www.korokithakis.net/tutorials/python /
 ‘Quintin Cutts – Too much doing, not enough understanding’ is a 20-minute video containing useful ideas and concepts on how to teach
programming: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pim4aYfiZiY

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Free online books
 Think Python How to Think Like a Computer Scientist is a free online book with programming challenges at the end of each chapter:
www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.pdf
 A Byte of Python is an excellent online book, though it does not use IDLE as the editor: www.swaroopch.com/notes/Python/

Books
 Python Programming for the Absolute Beginner, M. Dawson (published Course Technology 2010) (ISBN 9781435455009) is an excellent book with
clear explanations of each bit of code together with free downloads and example games built into each chapter.
 Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming, J. Briggs (published No Starch Press 2013) (ISBN 9781593274078).

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i
List of binary numbers for Activity 2.1.3:

Line 1 00 0001 01 0011 00 1100

Line 2 00 0001 01 0011 00 1100

Line 3 00 0001 01 0011 00 0100 10 0010 00 0100 10 0001 00 0001

Line 4 00 0111 10 0010 00 0100 10 0010 00 0001

Line 5 01 0010 00 0101 11 0011 00 0011 10 0010 00 0001

Line 6 01 0010 00 0011 11 0110 00 0001 10 0011 00 0001

Line 7 00 0100 11 0010 01 0001 11 0101 10 0011 00 0001

Line 8 00 0001 01 0001 00 0001 11 1001 10 0011 00 0001

Line 9 00 0011 11 1001 10 0011 00 0001

Line 10 00 0001 01 0001 00 0010 11 1000 10 0011 00 0001

Line 11 00 0101 11 0110 00 0001 10 0011 00 0001

Line 12 00 0111 11 0011 00 0011 10 0010 00 0001

Line 13 00 0001 11 0001 00 0010 11 0001 00 0010 10 0010 00 0100 10 0010 00 0001

Line 14 00 0001 11 0001 00 0001 11 0001 00 0100 10 0010 00 0100 10 0001 00 0001

Line 15 00 0010 11 0001 00 1101

Line 16 10 10000