Lesson Plan 2010/11
Unit Title
Binary Number System
Lesson Focus
(and number in sequence)
1 of 3
Class
name/year
Lesson date
Period
Name
Mark Dennis
Links to targets identified from previous Lesson Evaluation and/or Weekly Review
Learning Objectives
Learning Outcomes
All
Understand the basis and concepts behind the binary number system
and be able to convert to and from binary and decimal numbers.
Convert between simple binary and decimal numbers.
Most
Convert between more difficult binary and decimal numbers.
Few
Solve word problems based on the binary system.
The ideas/concepts, skills and subject material you aim to teach
What the students will have learned during the lesson
Equality, diversity & inclusion strategies
Health and safety and wellbeing
Teacher and peer support, differentiated work and varying teaching methods.
Normal classroom regulations apply
Resources checklist
IWB and accessories, worksheets, power point presentation, interactive excel spread
sheet, paper, pen, calculators
Groups or individuals with specific needs (initials only), differentiation, TA deployment
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Lesson Plan 2010/11
Time
Learning
Management
Differentiation
Assessment for Learning
What do we want the pupils to learn?
For each task what are the main learning points
(skills, Knowledge, understanding)?
How will I organise the class and resources?
What key instructions are needed? What will
the class be doing?
For the main tasks, how will I adapt the task to
make sure that all pupils are challenged?
How do I know if they have learnt? What
strategies will I use to check this?
10 min
Consolidate knowledge of
manipulating fractions, decimals, and
our digital clock along with illustrating
utility of using different base number
systems.

Starter: Nrich problem on
‘Decimal Time’:
http://nrich.maths.org/4818.
Problem is introduced with a
power point slide displayed
on overhead. There is also a
slide with some hint questions
if they are required.
The problem is relatively open ended
and there are some designated
questions which can guide individual
students or can be used for the whole
class as required.
High Ability: Refrain from giving
hints
Middle Ability: Give hints as
required
Lower Ability: Use hints to guide
and assist with problem solving.
Teacher observation of classroom
work and student input to discussion.
15 min
Understand the basis and concepts
behind the binary number system and
be able to convert between binary
and decimal numbers.

Link starter to the utility of
using different bases and put
in historical context:
o Base 60 used by
Babylonians.
Illustrate number of
small divisors for 60
which could perhaps
be a reason for using
it. Survived for time,
even though decimal
time was tried during
French Revolution,
and is still used for
This short section is teacher
exposition with student participation.
Differentiation and inclusion occurs
by:
 Placing the topic in context
and showing utility in
everyday practice.
 Using visual display of excel
spread sheet to show the
difference between different
base numbers.
 And use of examples of
increasing difficulty to
Teacher questioning whilst illustrating
conversion process.
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Lesson Plan 2010/11
angles.
Binary numbers (2
slides) relatively
recent but came
about for its use in
logic theory (19th
century) and coding
(20th century). Came
to prominence with
the electronic age.
Easier to use since it
only uses 0 or 1 but
perhaps not as
efficient.
Demonstrate a base 10
number comparison against
other base numbers using
spread sheet ‘place value
different bases.xls’
Illustrate how to convert
decimals to and from binary
(also use algorithm of using
highest power of 2,
subtracting this from the
original number, then
repeating in illustration).
Possible examples:
o 1011, 110011,
100101
o 5, 12, 23, 77
o


20 min
Consolidate knowledge and rehearse
converting between decimal and
primary numbers.

Students complete worksheet
on converting numbers to and
from decimal to binary.
3
illustrate process of
converting to and from binary
and decimal.
High Ability: There are challenging
extension questions.
Middle Ability: There is both
Self-assessment.
Lesson Plan 2010/11
accessible work and extension work
of varying difficulty.
Lower Ability: There are enough
lower ability problems for the students
to work in the time allotted.
10 min
Consolidate understanding of the
binary number system and place
value by learning how to count on
fingers, showing the 1 and zero’s
Plenary: Use fingers to count in a
binary system (up to 1023 possible)
Let students count on fingers in front
(volunteers) of classroom and at
desks.
Show online the hand counter to start
the activity:
http://www.intuitor.com/counting/
Fun activity should cater to all
abilities. Inclusion occurs with peer
support.
See how well they can count, how
easy they find it to think in binary.
Lesson evaluation - to be completed after teaching this lesson. Reflect on what you did that either enabled or hampered learning.
Pupil progress
Did you achieve your SMART targets? Did the pupils meet the learning outcomes? How do you know?
Action to take next lesson with the class a) to improve my teaching and b) to improve the classes learning. Please refer to the Profile Characteristics.
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Date……………