Binary Bracelet Lesson Plan

(lesson adapted from Code.org)

Objective: Use the binary bracelet decoder key worksheet to build a bracelet to display your initials in binary digits.

Learning Goal: Explain what binary digits are in the context of coding and build a visual representation of their initials using beads.

Supplies:

Beads - 9mm ‘Pony beads’ in 3 colors -1 to represent black square, 1 to represent white square and 1 for a divider (optional)

Pipe cleaners

Pencils

Worksheet - 1 per student

Lesson:

Watch the following video by Code.org to prepare for the project: https://youtu.be/fDLkBqZpxWQ

As shown in the video, discuss the following:

Computers represent information using only 2 options - ‘on’ or ‘off’.  These are called ‘binary’ and it is how computers send information and store information.  We can use the ‘on’ and ‘off’ to represent letters in the alphabet.  

Younger student K-2 - put the binary representation of a letter on the board and ask students which letter it is.

Older students 3-6 - put a short phrase and have them work alone or in pairs to decode the phrase using the decoder key.

Each ‘on’ or ‘off’ is called a binary digit or ‘BIT’ for short.

Each combination of 8 bits is called a ‘BYTE’.

If you had only 4 bits grouped together, they would be called a ‘NIBBLE’.

Work through some examples of converting letters into binary or provide some challenges for students to solve.

Activity: 

Hand out a worksheet to each student and have them fill in the bottom two sections with their initials (each letter will have eight binary digits to represent it).

Once complete, they can collect a pipe cleaner and the beads necessary based on their worksheet (one color to represent ‘on’ and one color to represent ‘off’).  They can also put a third color in between the initials or at the beginning, end and in between the bytes.   

Hand out a copy of the Code.org binary assessment for students to complete.

Binary Bracelet Worksheet

Binary Decoder Key

For more information about binary digits, watch the following video: