Tasks

17.1 Binary Numbers and Electricity 

• Discuss the following concepts related to how Binary Numbers describe the flow of electricity within a computer:
  • Data - values to be stored in variables, lists of items, or standalone constants and can be passed as input to (or output from) procedures.
  • Bit - short for a Binary Digit. It is the lowest level of abstraction in computers.
  • Byte - 8 bits (stores up to the number 256)
  • Kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes
  • Transistor
  • Clock speed - watch CPU Clock Speed Explained [3:08] which explains a bit about clock speed

Note: I have removed a section of activities and lessons on Computer Hardware, How the CPU works, etc. because they are not part of the AP CSP course. If you need these activities to fulfill your local curriculum, please contact us.

17.2 Emerging Tech: Big Data

• Watch this Ted Talk about using data to cure hunger [11:15]
  

17.3 AP Theory Topic: Binary Numbers Part 3

• https://games.penjee.com/binary-bonanza/

How I use this game:

1. Buy a large bag of candy.  I almost never use candy as an incentive (perhaps twice a year) but this is one of those times.
2. Have the students read the instructions
3. Then tell them all to go to Classic Mode and then use an online timer for 5 minutes.
4. If any student reaches Level 5 within 5 minutes, they win a candy.  If they have some practice with binary, about half your class will succeed on this challenge.
5. Tell them to remember the level they reached.
6. Play again in the next class.  This time, to win a candy, they just have to beat the level they reached last time.  This way those that were slower last time have a realistic chance at winning a candy this time.

17.4 Analog vs Digital

• An interesting application of binary is Digital Signals and how they are used to represent analog
• Begin by talking about sensors and discuss which are analog and which are digital:
  • Stereo on/off button
  • Thermometer
  • Fridge light switch
  • Microphone on phone
• Ask if anyone knows why there has been a resurgence in Records in the music industry - because it uses analog sound as opposed to MP3 type songs which are digital.  Discuss why this matters.
• Watch Analog vs Digital As Fast as Possible [5:30 - but watch up to 4:15 only at which point it switches into an advertisement] 
• While watching, have them look for answers to the following questions
  • What is a square wave?
  • Why can you have longer HDMI cables than standard speaker cables?
  • What is ‘sampling’ in this context?
  • What are the implications of higher sampling rates (vs lower)? - Note that the comments below the video point out that the rates shown are actually bitrates not sampling rates due to their incorrect units.
  • Why do the drivers in your headphones need a DAC?

• When finished, be sure to reiterate the following AP CSP Essential Knowledge Statements:
  • Analog data have values that change smoothly, rather than in discrete intervals, over time. Some examples of analog data include pitch and volume of music, colors of a painting, or position of a sprinter during a race.  
  • The use of digital data to approximate real-world analog data is an example of abstraction.
  • Analog data can be closely approximated digitally using a sampling technique, which means measuring values of the analog signal at regular intervals called samples. The samples are measured to fig

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Continue to Unit 2: Day 3 »