This presentation covers algorithms and their complexity expressed as Big O notation. This could be used by students as a revision aid or as a basic introduction to the topic.

This resource looks at binary data and contains an Excel workbook with macros to enable recolouring/checking the colour of cells. A series of binary numbers are given in a rectangular grid of cells on the left when the workbook is first opened. Students are required to recolour the original binary grid, to show the...

This resource introduces binary data to students via the creation of bracelets which display their name in binary. This lesson helps to demonstrate how it is possible to take something that we know and translate it into a series of ons and offs (ones or zeroes). The resource contains a lesson plan and related...

Students always need practice in number system conversion. This resource gives them instant feedback and allows them to progress from conversion to binary addition. This would make an ideal homework activity. the file is a macro enabled worksheet and can be downloaded from the zip file.

This brief article taken from CS4FN looks at how a user authenticates themselves to a computer could be used as the starting point for class discussions around passwords, security, biometrics and other related topics concerning how users...

This set of resources provides comprehensive coverage of the topic of logic, Boolean algebra and simplifying expressions using Karnaugh maps. There are a series of student activities involving deriving expressions from logic gate combinations, rules of Boolean algebra and building logic expressions. 

This unplugged activity, from the CS4FN team at Queen Mary University of London, helps learners to understand variable assignment and operations. They use the idea of variables as boxes as the basis of a group activity, developing their use of logical thinking to trace variables through programs.

The...

This unplugged activity from Peter McOwan and Paul Curzon mingles computer science with biology. A group activity is used that mimics the firing of neurons within the brain. These trigger other neurons to fire – these can be compared to AND gates in logic circuits.

The ‘brain in a bag’ kits used in the...

A set of simple scratch ‘debugging’ activities that children can use to apply their understanding of programs and codes.  Children are shown a series of faulty programs which are based around the water cycle.  They are then supported to use logical reasoning to locate and fix the bugs within them.  Notes for...

In this project students learn to build a robot buggy using a Raspberry Pi. It contains detailed tutorials that cover:

• How to setup a motor controller board with two motors
• How to control motors using Python
• How to build a robot chassis

These activities are aimed at ...

In this activity, students create colour images from satellite data. This allows them to study how different surfaces reflect different wavelengths of light, how coloured images are created using an RGB model, and how band combinations can be chosen to examine a particular landscape effectively.

In this one hour activity, students evaluate the types of fire risks in different buildings.  In the context of a team which has been contracted by the local council to improve fire safety, each team picks a building type and produces advice for the council.

This activity allows students to construct a paper CPU using “jigsaw” pieces. They can also add notes to their jigsaw explaining the function of each component. Carrying out this activity allows students to relate sub components of the CPU to one another. For example, they will appreciate that level 1 cache memory...

This resource focuses on giving the students an understanding of what the internet is and then teaches them how search engines work using an unplugged and kinaesthetic approach. In the final session, the operation of a search engine is modelled.

Peter Gaynord is the author of this resource.