DSE ICT: Data Representation and Networks — Tutor Lesson Plan (binary, units, protocols)

2026-10-27

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Secondary ICT

Many ICT marks turn on units: a kibibyte is 1024 bytes, not 1000. Lock that down before touching networks.

Objectives — the student can convert between binary, decimal and hexadecimal, convert bit and byte units, and explain what IP, TCP, HTTP and DNS each do.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Powers	What is 2 to the eighth?	256
Division	Divide 13 by two repeatedly	1101
Networks	Wi-Fi against mobile data	Wireless LAN against cellular

02 Lesson flow (60 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-10 min	Binary	Place values and conversion	Convert five numbers
10-24 min	Units	bit, byte, KiB, MiB	Four conversions
24-40 min	Text and images	ASCII, Unicode, pixels, colour depth	File size
40-52 min	Protocols	IP, TCP, HTTP, DNS	Match four functions
52-57 min	Format	Show steps and units	Rewrite one answer
57-60 min	Exit check	Three questions marked	Finish alone

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Binary is only a change of place value

1101 in binary is 8 + 4 + 0 + 1, which is 13.
To convert from decimal, divide by two repeatedly and read the remainders upwards.
Hexadecimal groups four bits at a time for compact writing.

Student converts 25 into binary: 11001.

Scene 2: Units step by 1024, not 1000

One byte is eight bits, a kibibyte is 1024 bytes and a mebibyte is 1024 kibibytes.
Drive makers use 1000, which is why advertised capacity exceeds what the system reports.
Speeds are in bits per second while sizes are in bytes, so divide by eight.

Student computes the minimum time for 100 MB over 100 Mbps: about 8 seconds.

Scene 3: Each protocol has one job

IP addresses and routes; TCP delivers reliably in order; UDP favours speed; HTTP carries the web; DNS resolves names.
Layering lets one layer change without rewriting the others.

Note: justify TCP by retransmission and ordering, not the word reliable.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Conversion	1101 binary	Add place values	13
Units	2 MiB in bytes	Multiply by 1024 twice	2 097 152
File size	1024 by 768 at 24-bit colour	Pixels times depth over eight	About 2.36 MB
Protocol	name to address	DNS	Domain name system

Sanity check (teach this): Check the direction of a unit conversion: large to small multiplies, small to large divides, and the order of magnitude must look right.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
25 in binary	11001	Divide repeatedly
100 MB over 100 Mbps	About 8 seconds	100 times 8 divided by 100
Job of DNS	Name to address	Resolution

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Treating KiB as 1000	off by 2.4 per cent	Use 1024.
Mixing bits and bytes	compares speed with size	Divide by eight.
Forgetting the division by eight	pixels times depth only	Convert to bytes.
Protocol roles swapped	TCP said to address	IP handles addressing.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Secondary ICT chapter index — Use the three questions on this page

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
25 in binary	11001	All right: move to databases
100 MB over 100 Mbps	About 8 seconds	One wrong: re-teach units
Job of DNS	Name to address	Two wrong: repeat scene 3

09 Tutor FAQ

Memorise ASCII?

Remember A is 65 and a is 97; the rest follow.

IPv4 against IPv6?

32 bits against 128 bits.

Link to programming?

Bit operations rely on binary understanding.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.