Computer Science Resources

A series of four lessons covering introduction to binary and hexadecimal, conversion between number bases, negative binary numbers, binary arithmetic, and binary shifts. Each lesson includes a teacher’s PowerPoint, clear annotated examples, practice questions (with solutions), and homework (with solutions).

Six complete 1 hour lessons covering an introduction to computer hardware for GCSE pupils. The lessons cover: -The input-output-processing model -Basic processing -Input and output devices -Secondary storage -Primary storage -Cloud storage Each lesson has a starter, activities, teacher’s presentation, and homework. All resources fully editable. All worksheets and tasks have separate answers provided.

Full lesson - Introduction to Hardware for GCSE Computer Science. Covers input, output, and storage devices. Includes teacher’s PowerPoint with starter, activities, and plenary. Homework worksheet (with separate answer sheet) included. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - The Internet and WANs. This lesson builds on the previous introduction to networks and introduces the concept of WANs and the Internet backbone. It covers the implications that the Internet's structure has for reliability and security. Includes starter activity, teacher’s PowerPoint, activities, and homework. Answers are provided for all activities and homework. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson for GCSE Computer Science - secondary storage devices including starter, teacher’s PowerPoint, worksheet, plenary task, and homework task. Following on from lesson 3, this lesson covers the difference between primary and secondary storage, and the different types of secondary storage device. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - end of basic hardware unit. Starter is a recap of previous hardware concepts. The main lesson activity covers the advantages and disadvantages of cloud storage. The final activity / homework activity is an assessment task. Pupils must select a suitable computer specification for each of five scenarios, designed to test their understanding from earlier in the unit. Guidance for assessment is given. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - Binary shifts. This lesson explains the concepts of logical and arithmetic binary shifts (left and right) with clear, full screen diagrams and examples. Practice questions and a full worksheet (with solutions) are included. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - Introduction to computer networks. This lesson introduces the concept of networks, the key components of networks (clients, servers, routers, shared devices), and how these components are connected together. The lesson also covers Local Area Networks (LANs) and Personal Area Networks (PANs). Includes starter activity, teacher’s PowerPoint, activities, and homework. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - Introduction to representing negative numbers in binary. This lesson recaps binary representation and then introduces negative numbers. To aid understanding of two’s complement, binary addition is also covered. Both sign and magnitude and two’s complement are covered, with worked examples, exercises, and an explanation of the problems with sign and magnitude notation. Includes teacher’s PowerPoint, activities, and homework (with solutions). Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - Introduction to hexadecimal. This lesson recaps binary representation and then introduces hexadecimal. The lesson covers conversion between denary and hexadecimal, binary and hexadecimal, and vice versa. Includes starter, teacher’s PowerPoint, activities, and homework (with solutions). Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - Introduction to data representation and binary numbers. This lesson introduces the concept that everything in a computer is represented as binary, explains how binary works, and covers binary to denary conversion. Includes teacher’s PowerPoint, activities, and homework (with solutions). Fully editable resource.

Full lesson for GCSE Computer Science - Input and Output (IO) devices. Following on from lesson 2, this lesson covers common input and output devices, including computer accessibility for disabled users. Includes teacher’s PowerPoint, activity, worksheet, and plenary. Homework worksheet is also included. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson for GCSE Computer Science - primary storage devices including starter, teacher’s PowerPoint, and homework task. Following on from lesson 4, the main activity is the creation of a graphical summary sheet that shows the different types of storage and their relationship to each other. Fully editable resource.

Full lesson - What’s Inside a Computer? Following on from lesson 1, this lesson covers the processing steps that take place inside common examples of computer systems. Includes teacher’s PowerPoint, activity, and plenary. Homework crossword (with separate answer sheet) included. Fully editable resource.