Computer Science — Year 9

 

Computer Science Overview

Term 1: Python Programming

Students will further deepen their understanding on Python. In this unit, students will write and execute programs in Python using www.repl.it. They will focus of displaying messages, assigning values to variables, and receiving input from the keyboard. Students will gain a deeper understanding of assignment, explore arithmetic expressions and calculations, learn about randomness, using selection, and iteration in their Python programs. Throughout the unit, students will develop the skills required in small programs in preparation for developing up to two larger programs - text based adventure game in Python.

Practical assessment

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Encourages students to develop and explore their problem solving skills.

Create a supportive community:

working in group in paired programming, sharing responsibilities and ideas with each other.

Term 2: App Development using Appshed

This unit requires students to look at changes in computing technology, how it has been used and the impact it has had on society. They will choose and research a computing technology and then present their findings as a presentation. Students will be looking at an area where changes have occurred in a computing technology as well as think about future changes that could be developed and need to show what they have found out using appropriate key terms in your final presentation. Students will demonstrate their ability to find information from different sources, summarise their findings, understand the terms ethical, social and legal and reference any sources used in a bibliography.

Students will be assessed by the App they have created.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will get opportunity to focus on digital literacy by: - Researching apps - Designing and developing mobile apps - Writing contents for the apps - Designing menus, hyperlinks and databases

Create a supportive community:

Think and produce work that reflects the needs of diverse audiences within our community and the wider community. Students will get opportunity to create apps which can help wider community and address issues in their local community.

Term 3: CareeerPilot Lessons & Computational Thinking

In this term Students will spend two lesson on CareerPilot & Computational thinking. This unit introduces students to the world of computational thinking and logic. With the help of many unplugged activities, students get to understand the power of problem solving and the different methods that Computer Scientists use to tackle problems.

Computational thinking quiz

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

S – Opportunity to reflect on how computers can sometimes perform better in certain activities than people. M – helps students to explore aspects of real and imaginary situations

Create a supportive community:

S – Encouraged to develop their team working skills through collaborative work and research. C- Encourages students to develop and explore their problem solving skills.

Term 4: Database Development

This unit covers essential theory of databases. Supporting the basic theory, this unit has a practical focus, covering the creation and use of a single-table database and/or a simple relational database involving two tables in a one- to-many relationship using MS Access.

Students will assessed through both theoretical and practical key tasks.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Through real life case studies, students consider issues surrounding the misuse and access rights to personal data.

Create a supportive community:

Think and produce work that reflects the needs of diverse audiences within our community and the wider community.

Term 5: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

This unit gives students a first insight into the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Pupils begin by considering where AI is used from simple problems such as solving a maze to those more advanced, such as self-driving cars. Students will then look at how machine learning and deep learning are used in image recognition. This is a fast moving area of development, so the Ethics of AI is considered. The following lessons give an opportunity to develop AI programs such as a simple image recognition system, a virtual assistant and a sentiment analysis system for film ratings.

A key task assessment at the end of the unit

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

provides opportunities to visualise and research about can Machine think? -Artificial Intelligence -Fuzzy logic -Robotics

Create a supportive community:

Think and produce work that reflects the needs of diverse audiences within our community and the wider community.

Term 6: Programming Challenges AND Digital Literacy – Spreadsheet Modeling

In this term Students will spend two lesson on CareerPilot and then will be introduced to digital literacy and Computer models. Students will create a financial model and learn what if scenarios, conditional formatting and validation along with macros and charts. Students who has opt for GCSE computer science they will complete programming challenges.

Students will be assessed practically by demonstrating their spreadsheet modelling skills at the end of the unit.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students get opportunities for reflection of awe and wonder about the achievements in ICT today and the possibilities for the future

Create a supportive community:

Think and produce work that reflects the needs of diverse audiences within our community and the wider community.