Week 6 - Binary Numbers

What is binary?

Binary code is a number system, similar to the decimal system except that it represents numbers to base 2, rather than base 10.

I found this youtube video to help explain what Binary is (for us adults) and how to work with binary numbers. However first we need to understand how base10 numbers work (decimal number system).

To use binary within the classroom as an activity -

Game 1 - Scrambled Spelling

By using the Character to Binary work sheet, the weekly spelling words will be written on the board but scrambled - the class have time to change the binary code to the corresponding letter and then unscramble the letters to create the weekly spelling list.

Game 2  -  Scavenger Hunt

Groups of 2-4 with clip boards to go around certain area of classroom, building or school and have to crack the codes at each station -  Each station set up will have 10 items to crack before being able to move onto the next. Each station will be split into 2 - containing 5 Binary numbers that need to be changed to decimal numbers (base10) and then 5 decimal numbers (base10) that need to be changed to Binary numbers (base2).

Once everyone has been to the stations set up the class comes back together and each group has a turn at sharing what they found at one the stations so they whole class can discuss if they were right or not.