KS3 Computing Scheme of Work - Year 2

This is a free and fully-resourced scheme of work - I use it for the second year of Computing for Key Stage 3 students. I created most of the presentations from looking at the National Curriculum, and before I looked at the GCSE specifications, but it turns out that a lot of the lessons would also be suitable for the start of a GCSE Computing or Computer Science course. Obviously, if you do start in KS3 then you give students the opportunity to master these things and give yourself more time for controlled assessments in KS4.

"I remember seeing your KS3 SoW a couple of years ago and it was a light bulb moment for me (having taught Maths to fill the timetable, I saw that they repeated over and over the concepts taught at GCSE from Year 7), [I] re-wrote my SoW... and have just done it for the first full year with end of year KS3 exams and have been so impressed at how they have dealt with some of the GCSE questions I have thrown in. I think this will make a difference in both uptake and scores in a couple of years time.", Head of Department, UK Secondary School

"I teach middle school computer science in Colorado. I just wanted to say I have been using the tools on this site for years now, and it is still one of the best places I have found online to make the abstract, hard to visualize concepts in computer science much more accessible and understandable for students new to the topics. It's been an integral part of my classroom."

This second year of the course aims to build on the key concepts introduced to students in the first year of the course. There is a complete set of resources for KS3 Computing and/or GCSE Computer Science here.

	Topic	Lesson Content and Presentation Used	Tasks / Links
1	Introduction to Programming	Introduction to the technology of creating programs: scripting/macros/executables high/low level compiler/interpreter/assembler IDE, break-points, etc. Creating a Program	Assignment: Creating a Program
2	Python Programming	Hello world! An introduction to the IDLE interface and how to output to the screen. Programming – Introduction	Assignment: Programming - Hello World!
3	Python Programming	Variables: what they are and how we use them different types in Python local and global constants Programming – Variables	Assignment: Programming – Variables
4	Python Programming	Repetition: why a program might need to repeat things, and how many times? iterables and for loops while loops Programming – Repetition	Assignment: Programming – Ten Green Bottles
5	Python Programming	How to get a program to make a decision Programming – Decisions	Assignment: Programming – Times Table Tester
6	Python Programming	Handling text: string as a series of characters len() for string length use of [] to slice strings .index() to find a character .lower(), .upper() and .title() Programming – Text Functions	Assignment: Reverse-a-Word
7	Algorithms	Algorithms: what affects efficiency? converting decimal to binary Scratch “spirograph” example examples – searching and sorting how the nature of data affects choice Programming - Efficiency	Links: Searching algorithms Sorting algorithms Sorting Balance Bubble Sort Game Merge Sort Game Insertion Sort Game Circle video Spirograph Assignment: The Sorting Balance
8	Python Programming	Nesting: making decisions with more than two outcomes tables and combinations (e.g. time) triangles and triangle numbers Programming – Nesting	Assignment: Programming – Rock, Paper, Scissors
9	Python Programming	Lists and tuples and their use for collections of objects and for “lookup” Programming – Lists and Tuples	Assignment: Programming – The Twelve Days of Christmas
10	Python Programming	Handling text: recap use of [] in Python use of ASCII values use of random for anagrams Programming – Character Functions	Assignment: Programming – Phonetic Alphabet
11	Python Programming	Procedures and Functions defining and calling static, local and global variables Programming – Procedures & Functions	Links: Scratch (blocks demo) Assignment: Functions and Procedures
12	Python Programming	Useful numerical techniques: Indices and modulo arithmetic Random numbers Powers and indices Negative numbers and abs() Int v. float Programming – Numerical Functions Programming – Random Numbers	Links: Standard Form (enter 0.3 and click right arrow) Assignment: Lottery Numbers
13	Python Programming	Recap use of modular arithmetic – also use of nth-of-type CSS selector. Modular Arithmetic	Assignment: Teams
14	Python Programming	File handling: the need for permanent storage methods for reading/writing files other methods of persistent storage Programming – File Handling	Assignment: Address Book I
15	Python Programming	Use of libraries / user interfaces: random numbers / sqrt() getch / clear screen tkinter UI and choice of programming language Programming – Libraries & User Interfaces	Assignment: Address Book II
16	Fetch-Execute Cycle	Components of the processor and how it works, including: ALU, program counter, etc. Clock speed Instruction sets, CISC v. RISC measuring performance Stored Programs	Assignment: CPU and the Fetch-Execute Cycle
17	Boolean Logic	Recap/explain: truth 1 = on = true NOT, AND, OR, EOR operator precedence truth tables DeMorgan's Duals Truth Tables	Links: Boolean Logic Truth tables Binary counter Assignment: Truth Tables
18	Boolean Logic	Logic circuits: Symbols used / inputs & outputs Simplifying circuits: DeMorgan's Duals NAND, NOR (transistor/ICs) half-adder/adder Logic Circuits	Links: Logic Circuits Logic Circuit Simulator Assignments: Logic Circuits
19	Binary	Recap binary and properties: column headings/powers of two largest value in n bits shifting Addition Binary Arithmetic	Links: Abacus Binary Binary Flags Representing characters Assignment: Binary Addition
20	Binary	Binary to decimal conversion: multiply by column heading Decimal to binary conversion column heading bitwise AND Other number systems, e.g. Roman Numerals Binary Conversion	Links: Abacus Binary Binary Flags Assignment: Binary - Conversion
21	Hexadecimal	Introduction, conversion to decimal Conversion to binary Uses – e.g. colours Hexadecimal	Links: Abacus Hexadecimal Colours Assignment: Hexadecimal
22	Binary	Other binary forms: Negative numbers Decimals Limitations of binary: Overflow Underflow Quantisation errors BCD: How it works Comparison with pure binary Binary - Extension	Links: Standard Form (enter 0.3 and click right arrow) Assignment: Binary Revision
23	Compression	Compression: Re-cap of file sizes & units What affects file size? Need for compression Lossy v. lossless Run-length encoding (RLE) Size v. quality Compression	Links: Compression Techniques Assignment: Compression and File Size
24	Networking	Developments in Computing: mainframes PCs – dispersed computing networked PCs client-server architecture social, environmental and other considerations Developments in Computing	Assignment: Developments in Computing
25	Networking	Networking: Advantages and disadvantages Topologies Protocols Structure of the internet DNS Networking – KS4	Assignment: Networks – Topologies and Protocols
26	Networking	Encryption what it is (c.f. “coding”) why it’s required How it can be done: Caesar shift cipher recap encoding of characters (e.g. ASCII) recap EOR and bitwise logic EncryptionKS4	Links: ASCII codes Bitwise Boolean Logic Assignment: Programming – Caesar Shift Cipher Network Security - Encryption
27	Databases	Introduction to structure: fields (importance of field type) records Why we use databases: searching sorting Introduction to Databases (slides 1-10)	Links: Database structure Assignment: Databases - AQA GCSE Questions Have you got Access?
28	Databases	Using databases to answer questions, do research, etc. Searching/query techniques: query by example (filtering) SQL Introduction to Databases (slides 11-16) Searching – Narrow or Widen	Links: Queries Assignment: Database Queries - AQA GCSE Questions Countries of the World
29	Databases	Moving to a proper RDBMS (e.g. Access or LibreOffice Base) tables queries forms reports Recap validation Designing Database Systems Validation and Verification	Assignment: Validation – AQA GCSE Questions
30	Databases	Introduction to relational databases: entities and tables relationships and degrees Creating a relational database in Access or LibreOffice Relational Databases	Links: Relational databases Assignment: Relational Database - Questions
31	Databases	Queries: QBE (including grouping) SQL Relational Databases (last two slides) Relational Databases - Queries	Assignment: Relational Databases - Queries
32	Databases	Further queries: using multiple tables aggregate queries changing relationship types Relational Databases - Queries	Assignment: Relational Databases - Complex Queries
33	Databases	Relational databases: further examples/practise introduce idea of normalisation Relational Databases Normalisation	Links: Relational databases Normalisation Assignment: Relational Database – Creating the Structure
34	Software	Different types of software: operating systems utilities applications Also: off-the-shelf/bespoke proprietary/open-source Software (slides 1-21)	Assignment: Software Types
35	Software	Common types of software and features to expect: content-free/generic word processors spreadsheets databases e-Mail web-browsers Software (slides 21-)	Assignment: Software – AQA GCSE Questions
36	Importance of Data Security	The importance of security: passwords user rights encryption The Importance of Security	Assignment: Security - Exam Questions Importance of Data Security Security - A-Z Threatsaurus
37	Legal and Ethical Issues	Esp. copyright and plagiarism Legal Issues	Assignment: Legal Issues - AQA GCSE Questions

NB. There aren't 38 lessons in the second year, but there are 42 in the first year, so you could carry some over.