YEAR 9 weekly plan 

Week 1 - Student-Teacher Introduction 

Students will explore the roles of input, output, and storage devices in real-world scenarios, such as supermarket systems and educational settings. They will identify and categorize devices, analyze their functionality, and evaluate their suitability for specific tasks. Through activities like creating flowcharts, matching devices to use cases, and evaluating system models, students will deepen their understanding of device interactions within computing systems. Additionally, they will learn to follow and design algorithms using flowcharts and pseudocode, focusing on loops and processes, aligning with Year 9 Computational Thinking and Managing Data standards. 

Week 2

This week's syllabus covers both computer hardware and file compression. Students will be introduced to key internal computer components (CPU, motherboard, RAM, hard drive) and their functions, along with an overview of file types and compression basics. Day 2 will include a hands-on activity to explore internal hardware and file formats. Students will practice file compression and decompression. 

Week 3

Students will choose a research project on "Computer Systems."  Project options include studying how operating systems manage task execution, exploring the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle, or investigating ways to optimize instruction execution in an OS. Start researching how operating systems handle tasks, manage memory, or optimize CPU performance. Be ready to discuss your project plan by the end of the week.

Week 4

This week, students are learning how binary numbers represent data, exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) uses information from its surroundings, and explaining how automation is applied in industries such as health, manufacturing, and advertising. 

Week 5

This week, students are learning to select a backdrop and sprite, use the y-coordinate to move the sprite up and down, add sound effects, change costumes for different appearances, adjust the sprite’s speed, and use a repeat loop to repeat instructions in an algorithm. 

Week 6

This week, students are learning what Machine Learning (ML) means, applying the Problem-Solving Process to train a computer to solve a problem, and recognizing how computers learn from data patterns to make decisions. 

Week 7

This week, students are learning to label the main parts of a spreadsheet, use simple formulae, and design a fruit sheet while creating a fundraising spreadsheet project. They will review Google Sheets basics—understanding cells, rows, columns, and cell references—discuss key spreadsheet terms and toolbars, and apply their knowledge to design a simple spreadsheet and bar chart showing their chosen fruit items for a smoothie and juice fundraiser. 

Week 8

This week, students are learning how to create and use procedures in Logo programming. They will understand that a procedure is a named set of commands that can be called repeatedly to save time and simplify code. Through hands-on practice and demonstrations, students will write a procedure to draw a square using Logo commands, explore how procedures start with the keyword “to” followed by a chosen name, and explain how computers can repeatedly call these procedures to perform tasks efficiently.