Dawood Public School

Course Outline 2024-25

Computer Science (Syllabus Code: 2210)
Class IX

Cambridge IGCSE and O'Level Computer Science Second Edition by David Watson and Helen Williams

Details of the assessment

Paper 1 – Computer Systems
Written paper, 1 hour 45 minutes, 75 marks
This question paper consists of short-answer and structured questions set on Topics 1–6 of the subject content. All
questions are compulsory, and candidates answer on the question paper.
This paper is externally assessed.
Calculators are not allowed in this examination.

Paper 2 – Algorithms, Programming and Logic

Written paper, 1 hour 45 minutes, 75 marks
This question paper consists of short-answer and structured questions set on Topics 7–10 of the subject content. All
questions are compulsory, and candidates answer on the question paper. The questions require candidates to have
practical programming experience. Knowledge of programming language syntax is not examined; in all cases the logic is
more important than the syntax.
This paper is externally assessed. Calculators are not allowed in this examination.
Scenario question The final question in Paper 2 is a 15-mark unseen scenario question.
Candidates will be required to write an algorithm using pseudocode or program code for the context provided.
It is expected that candidates should spend 30 minutes answering this question.

Month wise distribution of Course Work

August Section 1 Computer systems
1 Data Representation
1.1 Number system

September 1.2 Text, sound and images

1.3 Data storage and compression

October 7 Algorithm design and problem-solving(PDLC to For..Loop)

8.1 Programming concepts

November for …Loop & Revision

December Mid-Year Examinations

January 2 Data transmission

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving (For & While Loops)
8 Programming concepts

February 2 Data transmission

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving (Repeat Loop)
8 Programming concepts

March 3 Hardware

April Network hardware & Revision

May Final Examinations

August 2024
Section1: Computer Systems

1.1 Data Representation

1.1 Number system

Contents and Objectives Activities or Learning Resources

1.1 Number system Video:

https://youtu.be/ewokFOSxabs
Students will be able to:
● Understand agility of computer processing Group activity for binary counting

● Understand how and why computers use https://www.tecoed.co.uk/downloading/counting-binary-

binary to represent all forms of data with-cups

Binary numbers at Computer Studies Unplugged:

● Understand the concept of binary data
http://csunplugged.org/binary-numbers
● Understand applications of binary data in
Reinforce with a game such as the Cisco binary game. This
file, Image, video and audio file
provides formative assessment of understanding.
● Understand the denary, binary and
Cisco binary game: Cisco binary Game
hexadecimal number systems
https://isaaccomputerscience.org/topics/
● Understand components of number systems number_representation?examBoard=all&stage=all
and its utilization in computer mechanism

● Understand the Conversion between Conversion from decimal to binary online tool for practice
➢ positive denary and positive binary. http://cisco.num.edu.mn/CCNA_R&S1/course/
➢ positive denary and positive module8/8.1.1.7/8.1.1.7.html
hexadecimal.
➢ positive hexadecimal and positive Group Activity Hexadecimal counter – for example :Math
binary is fun

● Understand how and why hexadecimal is Activity 1.1 pg# 4

used as a beneficial method of data Activity 1.2 pg# 7
representation Activity 1.3 pg# 9
Activity 1.4 pg# 10
Binary Addition Activity 1.5 pg# 11
Activity 1.6 pg# 12
Students will be able to:
● Add two positive 8-bit binary integers. Class brainstorm to show understanding of the reasons
● Define the concept of overflow. for choosing hexadecimal to represent numbers, e.g.
● Explain why overflow occurs in binary those stored in registers and main memory.
addition
Activity 1.7 pg# 15
Binary shifting
Binary addition including overflow:
https://isaaccomputerscience.org/concepts/gcse_data_
Students will be able to:
addition
● Perform a logical binary shift on a
Activity 1.8 and 1.9 pg# 16
positive 8-bit binary integer
Activity 1.10 pg# 17
● Understand the effect this has on the
positive binary integer
Activity 1.11 pg# 20
Two’s complement to represent positive and
negative 8-bit binary integers

Students will be able to: Activity 1.12 pg#22

● Understand two’s complement Activity 1.13 pg#25
mechanism
● Diagnose positive and negative binary
integers using 8 bits.
● Calculate two’s complement in 2's complement calculator
positive and negative binary integers.
September 2024

Section 1: Computer Systems

1.2 Text, sound and images
1.3 Data storage and compression

Section 2 Algorithms,programming and logic

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving

Contents and Objectives Activities or Learning Resources

Text
https://sites.google.com/panagaschool.net/
● Understand how and why a computer representing-text-images-and-s/home
represents text and the use of character
sets, including American standard code Use the internet to find an example of an ASCII
for information interchange (ASCII) and character set and a Unicode character set. What kind
Unicode. of different characters are represented? Are upper
and lowercase letters the same? Using the ASCII table,
try to decode this message:
Sound
0100001101101111010011010111000001110101011
1010001100101011100 100101001101
● Understand how and why a computer
1000110110100101000101011011100110001101100
represents sound, including the effects of
1010110100101110011 011001100111
the sample rate and sample resolution
01010110111000100001

Images Remember, each letter will be represented as an 8-bit

binary number. Try writing a message for your friend
● Understand how and why a computer to decode.
represents an image, including the effects
of the resolution and color depth on
images Activity 1.15 pg# 31
Image size calculator
Data storage and compression
Audio size calculator
Students will be able to: Activity 1.16 pg# 34

● Understand how data storage is measured

● Calculate the file size of an image file and a Examples of pg# 36, 37
sound file, using information given

● Describe the purpose of and need for data

compression.

● Understand how files are compressed using

lossy and lossless file compression
methods.

Algorithm design and problem-solving

7.1 The stages in the program development cycle

● Understand and explain five stages: https://classnotes.ng/lesson/program-

analysis, design, coding, testing development-life-cycle-computer-science-ss2/

October 2024
Section 2 Algorithms,programming and logic
7 Algorithm design and problem-solving
8 Programming

Contents and Objectives Activities or Learning Resources

Problem Solving
● Understand that every computer system is
made up of subsystems, which are made up of computational thinking
further sub-systems https://www.101computing.net/flowchart/

● Understand how a problem can be decomposed

Activity 7.1 pg# 261
into its component parts

● Use different methods to design and construct a Activity 7.3 pg#266

solution to a problem:
○ Flowchart
○ Pseudocode Activity 7.4 and 7.5 pg# 268
○ Structure diagram

● Use standard methods of designing a solution Activity 7.6 pg# 271

➢ Totalling
➢ Counting
➢ Average Activity 7.7 pg# 280
➢ Minimum
➢ maximum
Activity 7.8 pg# 281
● Understand the purpose of a given algorithm
Activity 7.10 pg# 282
● Understand the need for validation checks to be
made on input data and the different types of Activity 7.11 pg# 282
validation check

● Understand the need for verification checks to Activity 1.12, pg# 284
be made on input data and the different types
of verification check
Activity 7.13, 7.14 pg#285, 7.15, 7.16 pg# 286
● Understand how and where to apply suitable
test data and perform dry run using trace table
of flowcharts & pseudocodes Activity 8.1 pg#302

● write , amend, identify, and correct errors in

flowcharts, programs and pseudocodes Activity 8.2 pg#304, 8.2a pg#305

Programming Activity 8.9 pg#317

Students will be able to:
● Declare and use variables and constants. https://www.101computing.net/python-syntax/

● Understand and use the basic data types.

Activity 8.10 pg#318

● Understand and use input and output.

Activity 8.3 pg#306
● Understand and use arithmetic, logical and
Boolean operators.
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/computer-
● Understand and use the concept of sequence.
science/sequences-selections-and-loops/1/#

● Understand and use the concept of

selection ,including: Activity 8.4 pg#311, 8.5 pg#312, 8.6, 8.7
○ IF statement
○ CASE statement pg#314
○ Nesting
November 2024
Section 2 Algorithms,programming and logic

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving

8 Programming

● Understand and use the concept of iteration, https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/computer-

including for loop
● Totalling & counting science/sequences-selections-and-loops/1/#

Revision for Mid-Year Examination

December 2024

Mid-Year Examination

January & February 2025

Section 2 Algorithms,programming and logic

7 Algorithm design and problem-solving

8 Programming

Contents Activities or Learning Resources

Problem solving
https://www.101computing.net/
● Use structures to design pseudocodes
and flowcharts sequencing-selection-iteration/

Programming
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/
Students will be able to:
courses/build-a-physical-computing-
● Understand and use the concept of
iteration, including for, while, repeat prototype/0/steps/94818
loops, and nesting loops

March 2025
Section1: Computer Systems

2 Data Transmission
3 Hardware
3.1 Computer architecture

Contents and Objectives Activities or Learning Resources

Data transmission Activity 2.1 pg# 49

Types and methods of data transmission Activity 2.2 pg# 51
Activity 2.3 pg# 53
● Understand that data is broken down into
packets to be transmitted https://isaaccomputerscience.org/concepts/
net_comm_types?examBoard=all&stage=all
● Describe the structure of a packet A packet's tale

● Describe the process of packet switching Notes on packets and packet switching:
https://isaaccomputerscience.org/concepts/gcse_ne
● Describe how data is transmitted from one t_packet_switching?topic=gcse_networking
device to another using different methods of
data transmission In pairs, learners identify current uses of serial and
parallel data transmission e.g. Integrated Circuits
● Understand the suitability of each method of (IC), Universal Serial Bus (USB); reasons for choosing
data transmission, for a given scenario serial or parallel data transmission.

● Understand the universal serial bus (USB) Notes on bandwidth:

interface and explain how it is used to transmit www.teach-ict.com/as_a2_ict_new/ocr/A2_G063/33
data 3_networks_coms/bandwidth/
home_bandwidth.html
● Methods of error detection
Pages on serial, parallel, USB, etc.:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/computer-
● Encryption: symmetric and asymmetric
buses-channel.htm
encryption
Example of simplex, duplex and half duplex:
http://www.iec-usa.com/Browse05/DTHFDUP.html
Error detection and correction
https://youtu.be/6-JjHa-qLPk
https://www.csunplugged.org/en/topics/error-
detection-and-correction/
3 Hardware
Activity 2.4 pg#55
3.1 Computer architecture Activity 2.5 pg#56
● Understand the role of the central processing Activity 2.6 pg#58
unit (CPU) in a computer Activity 2.7 pg#62
● Understand what is meant by a microprocessor Activity 2.8, 2.9 pg#65

● Understand the purpose of the components in a

CPU, in a computer that has a Von Neumann
architecture
● Describe the process of the Activity 3.1 pg#82

fetch–decode–execute cycle including the role

of each component in the process
● Understand what is meant by a core, cache and
clock in a CPU and explain how they can affect
the performance of a CPU
● Understand the purpose and use of an Activity 3.2 pg#87

instruction set for a CPU

● Describe the purpose and characteristics of an
embedded system and identify devices in
which they are commonly used
April 2025
Section1: Computer Systems
3 Hardware

3.4 Network Hardware

● Understand that a computer needs a network Learners work in pairs to further research the role of
a router.
interface card (NIC) to access a network
Useful video: Network Interface Card (NIC) and MAC
● Understand what is meant by and the purpose address implementation
of a media access control (MAC) address,
including its structure Learners answer flash cards, quiz and previous
● Understand what is meant by and the
exam/textbook questions on network hardware

purpose of an internet protocol (IP) address Activity 3.8 pg#137

● Understand that there are different types of IP
addresses
● Describe the role of a router in a network

Revision for Final Examination

May 2025

Final Examination

Command words
Command words and their meanings help candidates know what is expected from them in the exams. The table below
includes command words used in the assessment for this syllabus. The use of the command word will relate to the
subject context.

Command word What does it mean?

Calculate Work out from given facts, figures or information

Compare Identify/comment on similarities and/or differences

Define Give precise meaning Demonstrate show how or give an example

Describe State the points of a topic / give characteristics and main features

Evaluate judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount or value of something

Explain set out purposes or reasons / make the relationships between things or evident
/provide why and/or how and support with relevant evidence

Give produce an answer from a given source or recall/memory

Identify name/select/recognise

Outline set out the main points

Show (that) provide structured evidence that leads to a given result

State express in clear terms

Suggest apply knowledge and understanding to situations where there are a range of valid
responses in order to make proposals / put forward considerations