U1Ch1L2_SendingBinaryMessages

U1Ch1L2_Sending Binary Messages

Purpose: Students will learn that it’s easier to invent a system of communication that uses combinations of binary signals with a simple device, rather than making a new, or increasingly complex device for each new problem.

Intro: Computer science is commonly thought to be the study of computers themselves. Another way would be to say that computer science is the study of information and information processes.
Today we’re going to think about what “information” and “information processes” means.

Journal:

Go back 1 year in time. Write down everything you remember about Binary.
What is a Binary Question? (Questions that have 2 possible answers: Yes or No, True or False, Either/Or.)
What is it about computer hardware that allows it to only functioning in response Binary inputs? (Computers function on a series of Power On & Power off, this is why computers respond to Binary Questions or other inputs).

Journal: Imagine that you and your friend have not been able to communicate for the entire summer, and you have a chance to ask them one binary question that they will answer. What binary question do you want to ask (Yes or No, True or False, Either/Or.)? Indv. – Share – each write on the dry erase. Have class assess whether they are indeed binary questions.

Purpose: Students will focus on how a binary message can be sent over a distance.

Introduce Activity: Binary Message Device Challenge
Introduction: You are going to build a device out of classroom supplies to send information to a classmate on the other side of the room.

Challenge 1: Send a Binary
For the first challenge partners will get together and have 5 minutes to construct a device and a process out of any supplies they see in the class. They will be using this device and process to respond to a simple binary message - (Partner B will be using the device to answer a Binary question sent from Partner A. It must be answered with: Yes or No, True or False, Either/Or.)- to your partner on the other side of the room.
You should try to make it fail-proof. Consider obstacles that might be thrown in your way.
Rules:

After 5 minutes, partners will split to separate parts of the room. They must stay on their side. You may not walk to the other side of the room.
Partner A will write a Binary Question on a card and hand it to me. I will pass it to the partner.
Partner B will now answer the question using the device and process they constructed.
No language. That means no writing or talking to communicate & No projectiles!
Now Go onto the next question.
The game ends when the first group has 5 questions answered correctly.

GO!
(Give students 5 minutes to put together their devices.)

Challenge 2: Four possible messages
Not all questions have only two possible answers. First, Write a question that has at least four possible answers. Second, invent a way to use your device to send an answer to a question that has 4 possible answers! Think about these things:

Should you modify your device?
Should you use it in a different way?
Should you make a new device entirely?

You have 5 minutes…
GO!

Challenge 3: Eight possible messages!
What if you wanted to ask an even more complex question with at least 8 possible answers?
First, Write a question that has at least eight possible answers. Second, invent a way to use your device to send an answer to a question that has 8 possible answers!

You have 5 minutes…
GO!

Journal: With Partner

Could we keep increasing the number of messages forever?
Now that you have seen the other group’s devices, could you successfully use the other group’s devices to answer the questions you developed??

Note:
Think back to your simple two-state device. Could you simply use it differently, rather than modifying it?

Based on what you’ve seen in today’s activity what do you think are the limitations on the kinds of information we can send with binary messages?