Flow of Activities
Activity Network protocols
How do computers communicate via networks?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Digital Systems (ACTDIK034)
What's this about?
A computer network is a telecommunications network which allows computers to exchange data.
There are different types of networks including Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).
The internet is a network of networks cooperating with each other to exchange information following a set of rules called protocols. Protocols are used to create an agreed process which all devices follow to be part of the internet.
All internet communications require IP addresses. Each computer has a unique IP address that allows other computers to find it and send data to it.
Transmission control protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) work in tandem to transmit data across the internet. TCP is the protocol that ensures reliability of the data being transmitted. We need to ensure there is no loss of packets, that the packets are in the right order, that the delay is minimal, and that duplication of packets is avoided.
The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the most common protocol in use on the internet. The protocol's job is to transfer HyperText (such as HTML) from a server to a computer.
Learning tasks
- Define, investigate and compare Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN). Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of computer networks.
- Relate the IP address to binary number system, for example, IP addresses are just 32-bit binary numbers. The address 255.253.253.0 in binary:
11111111.11111101.11111101.00000000 - Explore Internet Protocols (IP) and how they relate to the hardware in the network. Explore the question: 'Why do we need an IP address?' and discuss potential security threats.
- Discuss what students know about the different types of protocols. HTTP is one with which students may be most familiar. Ask students what HTTP stands for and where they have seen it. Refer to the way we are able to access website information, the browsers commonly used and the role search engines play in enabling users to locate information.
- Students with knowledge of editing and running Python programs and setting up a programming board such as Raspberry Pi could build a simple network and use it to communicate via a network chat program. Central to this task is assigning an IP address for the device.
Supporting Resources
'The Internet: IP Addresses & DNS'
This video can be used to explain the role of an IP address and how
networks talk to each other.
'The Internet: HTTP & HTML'
This video provides a detailed description of how the Internet works using
HTTP and HTML.
CS Unplugged: Field guide: Network Communication Protocols
Lesson Ideas
Computer networks
This lesson plan is about defining network types.
Lesson 1 – How do computers communicate?
In this lesson students will build a simple network and use it to
communicate, via a network chat program. The students will learn how to network two Raspberry Pis, and then write a small program in Python that allows them to send messages to each other.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Assessment Resources
Activity Browsing the internet
How does the internet work?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Digital Systems (ACTDIK034)
What's this about?
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting and navigating information resources on the internet. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that may be a web page, image, video or other piece of content.
Commonly used web browsers are Chrome, Edge (replaced Internet Explorer), Safari, Opera and Firefox.
Learning tasks
- In small groups, brainstorm the ways students use the internet on a typical day. Look for ways to group common types of usage, such as social interaction/communication, entrainment and information. Compare ideas and use data to compare to worldwide usage.
- Identify the common web browsers used by students in the class. Conduct a straw poll to gather data about the most commonly used.
- Discuss a typical experience such as browsing Facebook, using a smartphone, and being connected to the home Wi-Fi. Indicate the hardware and software used and how they interact. Ask students to draw and explain how they think that occurs. Use a relevant resource to show how the packets are send and received via the internet.
Supporting Resources
Introduction to IoT course
This lesson plan is about defining network types.
Packet Tracer – Navigation Tutorial
A typical day in the life of the internet
An infographic showing the internet usage on a typical day.
What really happens when you navigate to a URL
Use this article if you want to take a deeper look at the sequence of events that take place when you visit a URL, using Facebook as an example.
Packet Tracer – Packet Switching Simulation
Requires Registration.
Use CISCO's Packet Tracer as a modelling tool for network representations. Use the simulation to explore how packets are created and sent across the network travelling from source device to destination device using Facebook browsing as the example.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Activity Email and file sizes
How are emails sent and received?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
What's this about?
Every day, people all around the world send and receive email messages.
Emails are composed using software such as Outlook or a web-based email service like Gmail. After hitting 'send', the email is transferred to your email server. Message transfer between email servers is done using Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
There is a file size limit to what can be sent via email. Compression of files lets you reduce the overall number of bits and bytes in a file so it can be transmitted faster over slower internet connections, or take up less space on a disk.
Lossless compression lets you recreate the original file exactly where the file is broken into smaller bits and put it back together at the other end.
Lossy compression eliminates 'unneeded' bits of information, resulting in a smaller file. A common use of this compression is reducing the file size of bitmap pictures.
Learning tasks
- Examine email communication and how it works. Discuss the interaction between the user, software and the hardware.
- Refer to a visual representation to describe the process. Students could create their own flow chart of the process.
- Discuss file size limits and programs such as Zip files to reduce file size. Examine other ways to share large files over the internet, such as Dropbox, WeTransfer or a similar secure file transferring application.
- Students who have experience with development boards such as Arduino or Galileo can follow a tutorial to send and receive simple email messages from the development board. Discuss the limitations of such modelling and note that it's not an exact replication of what occurs.
- Practise writing an email. Use LMS or an email application.
- Students could explore various methods of compressing data (lossless and lossy) for audio, images, video and text; and methods for checking the reliability of data when it is compressed, transmitted and retrieved.
- Comparisons can be done using image, video and audio files to investigate compression by reducing data from files.
Supporting Resources
How to Send Large Files Over Email
Many email servers refuse to accept email attachments over a certain size. This blog discusses ways to send large files over the internet.
CS Unplugged: Field guide: Coding – Compression
An online resource for teaching students about compression.
CS Unplugged: Text Compression
Use these activities with your students to explore how a computer stores information as efficiently as possible.
DIY - How to Use the Arduino Uno to Send an Email, SMS and Make a Voice Call
This tutorial video provides a step-by-step process to send emails, SMS messages as well as make voice calls using the 3G/GPRS shield by libelium Communication.
Lesson Ideas
Seeing the big picture
This practical lesson sequence examines lossy and lossless techniques of data compression. Students perform comparisons of various compressions on a variety of images.
Audio Converter online
This free software lets you explore changing bitrates to hear the difference in quality of an audio track that you upload from your computer.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.
Assessment Resources
Activity The internet of things (IoT)
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Digital Systems (ACTDIK034)
What's this about?
People's access to technology and their attitudes towards using technologies and advances in technology has in part driven IoT.
IoT is about connecting the unconnected – driven by data and developing realtime insights into asset and human performance; using the data to make informed decisions using artificial intelligence (AI); and finally being able to execute automated actions leading to new business models making a safer and more efficient world.
IoT has been driven by advances in technology, enabling more physical objects to be connected to the network either by wireless or wired means. It has also rapidly advanced due to the collective view that data sharing leads to deeper insights.
IoT allows users to automate aspects of their daily lives and integrate with bigger systems.
Often the term 'smart' is associated with IoT, for example, smart cities, smart homes, smart farms, smart appliances. 'Smart' relates to the enhancement of aspects of our lives with the power of data collection, artificial intelligence algorithms, and networks. Sensor technology enables the integration of physical devices to send and receive data via a network.
Learning tasks
- Brainstorm ways in which different types of physical devices could be connected to a network and how automating actions from their data could positively change lives.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of IoT. Some points may include: reduce waste, richer experiences, lead to improvements in technology, and increased level of data that informs and provides insights into people's behaviours. The negatives include security and privacy issues.
- Discuss the use of sensors in IoT applications. Students in small groups identify a type of sensor and explain some potential uses in IoT applications. For example, carbon monoxide sensors linked to smoke detector and the user receives a notification.
- Join the CISCO course of IoT. Use the resources to explore IoT and in particular model how a smart home operates refer to (Home IoE Implementation).
- Use an electronic kit that has capabilities to enable students to make their own internet-connected creations that automate a process. LittleBits is a suitable kit that has a cloudBit which enables students to make their own 'smart' projects.
Supporting Resources
The Internet of Things
Explore this data visualisation about the IoT.
Internet of Things – Quick Guide
10 Real World Applications of Internet of Things (IoT) – Explained in Videos
Remote Pet Feeder
Wireless Lighting
Introduction to IoT course
This lesson plan is about defining network types.
Assessment
Suggested approaches may include
- Presentation or demonstration, Adapted worksheet, Artefact analysis, Labelling diagram, Text, Digital capture, Design plan.