Binary

-

What is Binary?

Binary is a base 2 numbering system. It uses 2 numbers 0 and 1 to count and is used by computers to transmit information.

1 digit is a bit.
8 digits is a byte.


How does binary work?

This video shows how Binary works.

 Need another explanation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD6lcIIOeic

Curriculum links

There is a requirement for all Australian schools to teach Binary from year 5-8.

States not using the Australian Curriculum will have modified versions of what is required but binary is mentioned in both year 5-6 and year 7-8. If you are using a document that is based on the Australian Curriculum try searching your document for the AC codes below.

In primary years primary often makes sense when taught following a base 10 lesson. Discuss the structure of the base 10 system and then introduce the binary system. Below there are resources both online and offline that can be used to teach this concept.

Year 5-6

Examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems (ACTDIK015)
Elaborations
  • recognising that digital systems represent all types of data using number codes that ultimately are patterns of 1s and 0s (called binary digits, which is why they are called digital systems)
  • explaining that binary represents numbers using 1s and 0s and these represent the on and off electrical states respectively in hardware and robotics
  • recognising that the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 could be represented by the patterns of two binary digits of 00, 01, 10 and 11
  • representing whole numbers in binary, for example counting in binary from zero to 15, or writing a friend’s age in binary
  • exploring how division by two can be used as a technique to determine the binary representation of any whole number by collecting remainder terms
  • representing the state of an object in a game as active or inactive using the respective binary values of 1 or 0

Year 7-8

Investigate how digital systems represent text, image and audio data in binary (ACTDIK024)
Elaborations

  • converting between decimal and 8-bit (1 byte) unsigned binary, covering whole numbers typically used for characters and RGB, for example 65 in decimal is 01000001 in 8-bit binary

Teacher Professional Learning

For teachers wanting to learn more about binary and digital systems there are four online courses facilitated for free by the University of Adelaide. https://csermoocs.adelaide.edu.au/moocs/. The F-6 Foundation course is useful for any teacher who is new to coding, digital systems and binary and prerequisite knowledge for the App Development and Game Development courses.

The University of Adelaide also offer Federally funded face to face workshops, webinars and virtual assistance for Australian Teachers and schools if you would like to request a course complete the contact request form. https://csermoocs.adelaide.edu.au/about/

Resources for Teaching Binary

Binary Codes

Unplugged binary bracelets from http://code.org   

CSUnplugged.org - binary unplugged

Coding and Art with Binary from http://code.org  

Online Game

A game to test your knowledge and understanding binary.
Add the decimal value for binary numbers. Encode the binary codes for decimal numbers.

Pixelation

This game allows you to use binary to create images with bits and bytes.

Microbit Binary Quiz - 7-8


The following python code can be used to create a simple project that creates random binary codes up to 31 using the first row of lights on the Microbit, each time you shake it. When you press Button A it will display the answer. I have modified the code so when you press Button B it will clear the screen to save battery. 

When using this lesson you might talk through the process using a flow chart so students understand the process. 

Tip:
For students who have difficulty typing, speed or accuracy, you may have this code saved somewhere as a file students can copy to their computer so they are not left behind.

let randNumber = 0let line = 0input.onGesture(Gesture.Shake, function () {
basic.clearScreen()
randNumber = Math.randomRange(0, 31)
decimalToLED(line, randNumber)
})
input.onButtonPressed(Button.A, function () {
basic.showNumber(randNumber)
basic.pause(3000)
})
input.onButtonPressed(Button.B, function () {
basic.clearScreen()
})
line = 0basic.showIcon(IconNames.Diamond)
function decimalToLED(yvalue: number, decimalNumber: number): void {
//check every of 5 bits and toogle led for (let index = 0; index <= 4; index++) {
}
/* the first bit is led 4 (on the right) the fifth bit is led 0 zahl&1 */
if ((decimalNumber & 1) == 1) {
led.toggle(4, yvalue);
}
if (((decimalNumber & 2) >> 1) == 1) {
led.toggle(3, yvalue);
}
if (((decimalNumber & 4) >> 2) == 1) {
led.toggle(2, yvalue)
}
if (((decimalNumber & 8) >> 3) == 1) {
led.toggle(1, yvalue)
}
if (((decimalNumber & 16) >> 4) == 1) {
led.toggle(0, yvalue)
}
}
Note:
The original code reference is here on Hackster.io
The original source of the binary table here Meridith is the NSW Project Officer for the CSER program with the University of Adelaide. https://csermoocs.adelaide.edu.au/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Literacy and online testing: part 2

-
Image
This post considers the digital literacy skills required by year 5 students to complete the Numeracy NAPLAN test. Skills for year 5 numeracy navigate numbers to enter their 8 digit ID number enter numbers or text into an answer box click and drag pictures, objects and lines use a trackpad (if you don't have touch screen computers) or mouse turn the timer on and off use the play button to narrate the question show and hide the narration tool mute the narration tool adjust the volume of the narration tool show and hide the ruler use the ruler to perform measurements tilt the ruler identify radio buttons for a single choice identify check boxes for multiple choices use a drop down box and select a response be able to deselect an incorrect choice answer questions with a table or matrix of multiple answers use a zoom tool and turn it off understand the difference between highlight and a selection understand a selected answer is indicated by a double line around a section of screen be ab...
Read more

Digital Literacy and online testing: part 3

-
Image
This post considers the online NAPLAN writing test using the public demonstration test . In this example the year 5, 7 and 9 writing tests for the narrative and the persuasive are the same question for all years. The main consideration for student success for an online writing test is their typing speed. Regardless of year level students must be able to type as fast as they can write. As they get older their typing speed must increase with writing speed. This means students should be taught to type from lower primary to ensure they have an acceptable typing speed and technique. Word processing skills are mentioned in the English curriculum documents across the country from years 1 to 4. Familiarity with using punctuation is also crucial for the writing test. Students must be able to locate and use: touch typing at the speed they can write - or faster capital letters full stop (which can be activated by pressing space twice) get to a new line using the enter or return key exclamation ma...
Read more

Digital Literacy and Online Testing: part 1

-
Image
This post considers how to improve performance in NAPLAN ( National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) by ensuring your students have the digital literacy skills to sit an online test. This post considers the year 3 reading test.  In year 3 the writing test is still paper based and the rest are online. From year 5 all tests are online including the writing test that is now typed. This introduces a standardised test that is inadvertently testing digital literacy and the question is...is your school teaching the skills your students need to answer the questions and have a fair go? For the year 3 reading test students need the following skills: navigate numbers to enter their 8 digit ID number enter numbers or text into an answer box click and drag pictures, objects and lines use a trackpad (if you don't have touch screen computers) or mouse turn the timer on and off identify radio buttons for a single choice identify check boxes for multiple choices be able to deselect an in...
Read more

Digital Skills for Online Testing: part 4

-
Image
This post is investigates the digital skills required for the Conventions of Language NAPLAN test. After review the Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN tests the skills seem similar for each test. Computer skills required include: keyboard skills trackpad or mouse skills selecting objects symbols used to indicate a selection click and drag use of highlight Symbols on the full screen understanding of symbols on the screen next and back buttons flag tool play button dictation tool volume tool magnifying glass hide and show the timer reading a count down timer understanding of the function of types of questions and tools drop down boxes radio buttons click and drag check boxes typed answers in a box use of highlight in questions Drop down list Click and drag question To complete Conventions of Language test students should be familiar with the tools and question types used in the test. At the conclusion of the test students should understand the meaning of the branching screen. Students who are not...
Read more

Schools and the oversharing of personal data

-
Image
The privacy act of 1988 prevents the sharing of personal data with a 3rd party without consent. Since then in the wake of the recent cyber incidents in well known Australian industries particularly telecommunications and health these laws have been tightened. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not to be shared with any 3rd party. Currently schools throughout Australia are required to complete privacy impact assessments when enroling students to a new online platform yet many schools are still publishing student full names, birthdays and the class students are in at school in newsletters and on social media. So why do some schools still share the full name of students and teachers in newsletters. In the research for this article there were schools found to still be publishing:  images of children with their full name full names of students example of sharing student full name including middle names classes of students with their full name student names and their class or y...
Read more

National Simultaneous Storytime 2024

-
Image
  This years NSS 2024 is using the book Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. What a lovely way to link a native Australian bird with some interesting habits and mating rituals with literacy and technology. Technology Links - Data Representation Satin Bowerbirds collect blue objects. This is a lesson that links to the book and allows you to teach about data representation and address digital technology content and link to any literacy activities you have planned for NSS 2024.  Data Representation Collect a range of blue items and sort them according a particular characteristic - colour, shape, size or material. Arrange the objects into a presentation, tally them and photograph or draw them. The lesson provides templates for students to count, draw and explain their representations. It also includes an assessment activity that can be marked and then added to a student portfolio. The lesson is available  Teachers Pay Teachers $4 US (about $6 AUD) Australian Teachers Market...
Read more

Using picture books to teach computational thinking

-
Image
Popular culture may lead you to believe we need to teach all students to code. Actually... we need to teach all students how to use computational thinking. Coding is just one application of computational thinking. Other applications include robotics and digital technologies. There are four components of computational thinking ( BBC website ) decomposition   - breaking down a complex problem or system into smaller, more manageable parts pattern recognition   – looking for similarities among and within problems abstraction   – focusing on the important information only, ignoring irrelevant detail algorithms   - developing a step-by-step solution to the problem, or the rules to follow to solve the problem Based on the definition above you do not always need technology to teach computational thinking. It is possible to teach computational thinking offline and using picture books is just one way. Teaching with picture books is one way for teachers with ...
Read more

Literacy and Digital Technology

-
Image
What does Possum Magic by Mem Fox have to do with computational thinking and digital technologies? Possum Magic by Mem Fox is a story about a magic grandma that makes her grandson Hush become invisible. To solve the problem they travel Australia looking for ways to make Hush visible again. Luckily the problem is solved for Hush as he consumes classically Australian foods. Strangely they need to travel to most of the capital cities to do it.  Getting children to visualise a journey and translate what they hear into a concrete experience requires computational thinking. 3 activities to integrate digital technologies in a literacy lesson. K-2 Beebot Activity Create algorithms to follow the trail of the food that Hush eats. Educational content Algorithms Procedural texts Recounts Integrating digital systems Recounts Resources Beebots or bluebots Clear mat  or cardboard ruled up with 15min grid. Pictures  of the foods consumed by H...
Read more

Data Representation

-
Image
Data Representation is mentioned in the primary curriciulum from Foundation to Year 6. In years F-4 it refers to how data can be represented referring to the use of symbols, images, text and numbers. In years 5-6 it is refering to the use of numbers specifically binary and computers use binary to store and transmit information. Data Representation is how data is represented and structured symbolically for storage and communcation by people and digital systems. Information can be transmitted with pictures and images, symbols, text and numbers. These images all represent stop.       National Simultaneous Storytime 2024 Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker is about a bowerbird that collects blue things. Collect some blue things and use them to sort in different ways. This lesson includes: curriculum alignment for all states definitions lesson plan four sorting methods (3 sheets and 1 blank) assessment task The lesson is available  Teachers Pay Teachers   $4 US (abou...
Read more

Microbits and Measuring for Earthquakes

-
Image
  Sudden geological changes ... that can affect Earth's surface  (ACSSU096)  is list ed in the primary curriculum as a year 6 topic. Amongst other possible events this is an opportunity to explore earthquakes. Using the accelerometer on a Microbit you can be measure movement for an  Earthquake Experiment such as the one created by Australian Earthscience Earthquake Experiment This video below shows how simple the code is to use the Microbit. If you would be interested in a lesson on how to set up an Earthquake sensor, I would be happy to put it in my TpT store contact me . Measuring movement using the Microbit More reading https://ausearthed.blogspot.com/2021/09/earthquake-hazards.html
Read more