Lesson Plan

• Describe the role of the Program Counter, Accumulator, and Instruction Register during program execution.
• Trace a simple assembly program step‑by‑step, recording register and memory states after each instruction.
• Identify common tracing errors (e.g., forgetting PC increment, mis‑assigning store destinations) and correct them.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Printed handout of sample program and trace table
• Whiteboard and markers
• Laptops with a simple assembly simulator or IDE
• Worksheet with practice exercise

Begin with a quick question: What does a computer do when it runs a program? Review the CPU registers (PC, ACC, IR) that control execution. Explain that today students will follow each instruction and record the state of registers and memory, demonstrating mastery by completing a trace table.

1. Do‑now (5') – Students answer a short quiz on CPU registers on a sticky note.
2. Mini‑lecture (10') – Explain assembly basics, opcode, operands, and registers using a diagram.
3. Guided tracing (15') – Whole‑class step‑through of the sample addition program, filling a trace table together.
4. Check for understanding (5') – Quick oral questioning about PC increment and store operations.
5. Independent practice (15') – Students complete the provided practice exercise, creating their own trace table.
6. Review & feedback (5') – Collect worksheets, discuss common errors, and clarify misconceptions.

Recap how each instruction updates the PC, ACC, and memory, reinforcing the step‑by‑step tracing process. Ask students to write one exit‑ticket sentence describing the most common mistake they observed. For homework, assign a new short assembly program for students to trace individually.