This early edition of the Computing at School (CAS) newsletter includes articles on Scratch programming and curriculum structure in lower secondary school. Also, videos showing the importance of maths in computer science are highlighted.

This Pedagogics resource uses the following quote from the Chinese philosopher Confucius: "Tell me...and I will forget. Show me... and I will remember. Involve me... and I will understand"

Using sparkles to light the night sky. It is possible to make them ‘twinkle’ or use an LDR so they only light up in the dark.

This activity aims to stimulate discussion on the question of whether computers can exhibit ’intelligence’, or are ever likely to do so in the future. Based on a pioneering computer scientist’s view of how one might recognize artificial intelligence if it ever appeared, it conveys something of what is currently...

Data in computers is stored and transmitted as a series of zeros and ones. In this activity students explore how words and numbers can be represented using just these two symbols. This resource includes ideas teachers can use to introduce the topic in order to develop understanding of the binary system followed by...

This edition of the Computing at School newsletter focuses broadly on computing in primary schools, and contains articles covering:

*The new National Curriculum Programme of Study for Computing

*Designing a new computing curriculum in your school; adapting previous curriculum models

*Computing...

These Cre8ate maths activities are provided to introduce students to the fundamental processes involved in programming a computer. Students are given drawings, along with the Logo commands which have been used and, by...

This unplugged activity uses a large model of a face, operated by several children working together, to teach how ‘emotion’ can be expressed by robots following simple rules. These rules are expressed as IF, THEN, ELSE, statements which, when...

In these activities, learners will work in groups to share their knowledge of the use of technology in sport and to test a beep tester.

This resource from the MIT team where Scratch originated consists of a teacher guide and student workbook.

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This resource provides instructions for building a card buggy and creating a sample programme for your crumble board. You will need motors, a battery pack and connectors to complete the project.

The Crumble “Getting Started” guide includes an overview of the Crumble software and a step-by-step guide to writing your first program. It also covers:

• Sparkle control
• Motor control
• Using inputs (digital and analogue)
• Using variables and maths in your programs

Instant Maths Ideas are aimed at teachers of Key Stage Three but could also be appropriate for use with other age groups. The complete resource contains all eight subject topics together with appropriate resource materials. Each topic has also been included as a separate resource for ease of use. Each topic...