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How binary digits work

Beginner robot Difficulty 1/5 Screen-free lesson Stop 11 / 14 ages 8-10

A hands-on, screen-free CS Unplugged lesson for ages 8-10 (about 45 minutes), part of the 'Binary numbers' unit.

For a grown-up to do with a child.

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Your guide

AI-written overview

What is it?

How binary digits work is part of a CS Unplugged unit about binary numbers. Binary is how computers store numbers using only two states, on and off. The activities use cards, movement and games, with no screen.

Is it for me?

It is made for children about 8-10 and up, and it is meant to be done together with a grown-up or teacher. You do not need to know any coding. It is a Beginner activity.

Grown-ups: these are teacher and parent lesson plans. Be the guide, let the child discover patterns, and do not worry about correct answers at first.

How to start

  1. Ask a grown-up to read the lesson or open our simple version with you.
  2. Gather what you need, like paper cards with dots, and clear a little space.
  3. Do the activity together and say out loud what you notice.

How much time?

Most lessons take 30 to 60 minutes. Plan about 25 minutes for a session. (estimate)

25 min per session 3 sessions estimate

A plan you can follow

  1. Day 1 45 min Do the first lesson of the unit together.
  2. Day 2 30 min Do it again and teach someone at home.
  3. Week 1 45 min Try the next lesson in the unit.
  4. Week 2 30 min Make up your own binary game.

Times are estimates. Go at your own speed.

Start the lesson

Open our lesson page for How binary digits work. It is a short, simple version of an open lesson you can do together.

Go to the lesson

Adapted from CS Unplugged by the University of Canterbury Computer Science Education Research Group, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made: simplified, shortened and translated by Open Cosmos with AI.

On this site. From the list: uccser/cs-unplugged · License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · CS Unplugged: Binary numbers

Lesson from CS Unplugged, University of Canterbury CSER Group, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes were made: translated and level-tagged by Open Cosmos, with AI. Shared under the same license.

Your path through Binary numbers

Stop 9 Binary Tunes Screen-free lesson Stop 10 Codes for letters using binary representation Screen-free lesson Stop 11 How binary digits work Screen-free lesson Stop 12 How binary digits work: programming challenges Screen-free lesson Stop 13 Reinforcing sequencing in binary number systems Screen-free lesson Stop 14 Whose cake is it Screen-free lesson

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