Grade 06: Computing

In this unit, 'Word, slides and spreadsheets in practice', you learn to prepare a report with a table, chart and slides. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• See it: watch or try the skill in 'Word, slides and spreadsheets in practice' on a teacher screen or a safe device.
• Name the parts: write the key words and what each part does.
• Use it: prepare a report with a table, chart and slides. Save your work in a named file or folder.
• Test and fix: run it, find one fault, correct it, and note what you changed.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Plan: Saif prepares a report on class reading for four weeks. He needs a table in a word processor, a chart from a spreadsheet, and three slides. First he collects the numbers: minutes read per week.
2. Step 2, Enter data: In the spreadsheet he types Week 1 to Week 4 in A2:A5, and minutes 120, 150, 180, 210 in B2:B5. Headers in row 1 are Week and Minutes. The increase each week is 30 minutes.
3. Step 3, Formulas: In B6 he types =SUM(B2:B5) and gets 660 because 120 plus 150 is 270, plus 180 is 450, plus 210 is 660. In B7 he types =AVERAGE(B2:B5) and gets 165, since 660 divided by 4 is 165.
4. Step 4, Chart: He selects A1:B5 and inserts a line chart, because the numbers change over time. The line rises steadily from 120 to 210. He adds the title 'Reading Minutes per Week' and axis labels.
5. Step 5, Report page: In the word processor he adds a table, 5 rows by 2 columns, copying the weeks and minutes, pastes the chart under it, and writes, 'Reading grew by 30 minutes each week, to a total of 660 minutes.'
6. Step 6, Slides: Slide 1 is the title. Slide 2 holds the chart with one sentence, 'Average 165 minutes'. Slide 3 gives one goal: 270 minutes by Week 6, which is 210 plus 30 plus 30. He saves all three files with clear names.
7. Your turn: Steps walked: Mon 3000, Tue 4000, Wed 5000, Thu 6000. Total, average and chart? Model answer: total 18000, average 4500, a line chart of the four days, and a one-sentence finding that steps rose by 1000 each day.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Prepare a report with a table, chart and slides: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Algorithms and flowcharts', you learn to plan a solution with a flowchart and test it. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• See it: watch or try the skill in 'Algorithms and flowcharts' on a teacher screen or a safe device.
• Name the parts: write the key words and what each part does.
• Use it: plan a solution with a flowchart and test it. Save your work in a named file or folder.
• Test and fix: run it, find one fault, correct it, and note what you changed.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, State the problem: a museum charges by age. Under 5 is free, ages 5 to 12 pay 4 coins, and anyone older pays 8 coins. Write the inputs (age), the process (compare the age) and the output (the price). Planning in plain words first helps before any drawing.
2. Step 2, Learn the flowchart shapes. An oval means start or stop, a parallelogram means input or output, a rectangle means a process step, and a diamond means a yes or no decision. Arrows show the order. Draw Start, then a parallelogram: Input age.
3. Step 3, Build the decisions. First diamond: Is age < 5? Yes leads to Output 0. No leads to a second diamond: Is age <= 12? Yes leads to Output 4, and No leads to Output 8. All three paths join at Stop. Every diamond needs exactly two labelled exits.
4. Step 4, Test with a trace table, choosing the edge values. Age 4: first question yes, price 0. Age 5: first no, second yes, price 4. Age 12: price 4. Age 13: both questions no, price 8. The results 0, 4, 4, 8 match the museum rules.
5. Step 5, Add a loop to serve many visitors. After each output, draw a diamond: Another visitor? Yes goes back to Input age, and No goes to Stop. Trace three visitors aged 3, 9 and 40: prices 0, 4 and 8, total 12 coins. The arrow back is what makes the loop.
6. Step 6, Your turn: plan a flowchart that reads a mark and prints Pass for 50 or more, otherwise Fail. Test it with 49, 50 and 72. Answer: Is mark >= 50? Yes gives Pass, no gives Fail; the tests give Fail, Pass, Pass.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Plan a solution with a flowchart and test it: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Programming in a text language, first steps', you learn to write short programs with input, output and decisions. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• See it: watch or try the skill in 'Programming in a text language, first steps' on a teacher screen or a safe device.
• Name the parts: write the key words and what each part does.
• Use it: write short programs with input, output and decisions. Save your work in a named file or folder.
• Test and fix: run it, find one fault, correct it, and note what you changed.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Print a message. In a text language you type instructions as lines. The line print("Hello") shows Hello on the screen. Text goes in quote marks. Run the line and check the output matches exactly, including capital letters and the brackets, because the computer does exactly what is written.
2. Step 2, Store input in a variable. Type: name = input("What is your name? ") then print("Hello,", name). If the user types Ria, the screen shows: What is your name? Ria and then Hello, Ria. The variable name holds the typed text until the program ends.
3. Step 3, Convert to a number. Input always arrives as text, so write age = int(input("Age: ")). The int part turns the text 12 into the number 12. Without it, comparing the age with 5 would give an error. Check by printing int("7") + int("5"), which prints 12, whereas "7" + "5" as text would print 75.
4. Step 4, Make a decision: if age < 5: print("Free"), then elif age <= 12: print("Child ticket"), then else: print("Adult ticket"). The lines under each test are indented by four spaces. Only the first true test runs, and else catches everything left over. Colons are required after each test.
5. Step 5, Test all branches. Run the program with 4, 12 and 13. The outputs are Free, Child ticket and Adult ticket. Testing edge values such as 12 and 13 catches the usual mistake of writing < where <= is needed. If you see an indentation error, align the lines.
6. Step 6, Your turn: write a program that reads a number and prints even or odd. Hint: n % 2 is the remainder after dividing by 2. Answer: n = int(input()), if n % 2 == 0: print("even"), else: print("odd"). For 7 it prints odd.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Write short programs with input, output and decisions: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

In this unit, 'Cyber safety and ethics', you learn to apply privacy and respectful communication rules. You work with notes, a worked line and a self-mark. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• See it: watch or try the skill in 'Cyber safety and ethics' on a teacher screen or a safe device.
• Name the parts: write the key words and what each part does.
• Use it: apply privacy and respectful communication rules. Save your work in a named file or folder.
• Test and fix: run it, find one fault, correct it, and note what you changed.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, The situation: Alia receives a message from a classmate in a group chat: 'Send me your login code and then I'll do your homework.' Another child posts an unkind photo of a friend, with the caption 'Look at this'.
2. Step 2, Privacy rule: Alia knows a login code or password is private. She never shares it, even with a friend, because anyone with it can act as her. The rule covers passwords, codes, home address and phone number.
3. Step 3, Reply respectfully and firmly: She writes, 'No thanks, my codes are private. I will help you with the homework if you want.' She says no politely and offers a safe alternative, so the friendship is not harmed.
4. Step 4, The unkind photo: Alia does not share or like it. She messages the poster, 'Please delete that, it could hurt her.' She does not save or forward the photo, tells her teacher, and checks on the friend. Sharing would spread the harm.
5. Step 5, Strengthen settings: At home she checks that her account is set to private, uses a long password mixing words, numbers and symbols, and turns on a second step for sign-in.
6. Step 6, Review: Her actions followed three ideas. Keep private data private, treat others with respect, and report harm to a trusted adult. If she were unsure, she would pause and ask before posting.
7. Your turn: A stranger online asks for your school name and photo. Respond using the rules. Model answer: do not send, block and report, tell an adult, because both are private information that could identify you.

Activity. About 30 to 40 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: a worked task and a corrected copy.

Standard to meet. Apply privacy and respectful communication rules: at least 8 of 10 marks on a short task, with one line of reasoning for each answer.

On the slide: L1 Basic · What a computer does

Notes: Name the four jobs of a computer: input, process, output and storage. Notes: use a washing machine or a phone and label each job with a sticky note; no screens are needed. Learners say which part is the input and which is the output.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Steps and algorithms

Notes: Describe an algorithm as ordered steps and put a set of steps in the right order. Notes: cut up the steps for making a sandwich and mix them; learners order them and find what breaks if two swap. Work unplugged. Safe knife use is for an adult only.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Code loops and variables

Notes: Write a short program that uses a variable and a loop to give a predicted output. Notes: for i in range(1,6), print the square of i. The output is 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and their total is 55. Learners predict the output first, then run and compare. Take breaks to rest eyes.

This course: Grade 06 Computing is at this level. Its units include Word, slides and spreadsheets in practice; Algorithms and flowcharts; Programming in a text language, first steps; Cyber safety and ethics.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Binary and image size

Notes: Apply binary and storage sums to convert numbers and estimate file size. Notes: 45 in binary is 101101, since 32 plus 8 plus 4 plus 1 is 45. A raw picture of 800 by 600 pixels at 24 bits needs 1,440,000 bytes. Learners check by working back from binary to decimal.

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Network transfer and security

Notes: Analyse how data moves over a network and compare protections against common threats. Notes: a 50 MB file is 400 megabits; at 20 megabits per second the transfer takes 20 s. Learners work out the time on a slower link and list two safe habits for passwords and updates.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Complexity and search

Notes: Apply Big O reasoning to compare linear and binary search. Notes: a sorted list of 1,000,000 items needs at most 20 comparisons by binary search, since 2 to the 20 is 1,048,576, instead of up to a million for linear search. Learners trace a search on 16 numbers by hand.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Secure system design

Notes: Evaluate a small system for security risk and design controls. Notes: a 12-character password from 62 symbols holds about 71.5 bits of entropy, since 12 times log2 of 62 is 71.45. Learners rank threats, choose controls, and test only on systems they own or have written permission to test.