Lesson Plan

• Describe the key characteristics of analogue and digital data.
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each data type.
• Explain the conversion process (sampling, quantisation, encoding) from analogue to digital.
• Identify common storage and transmission media for analogue and digital formats.
• Apply knowledge to decide which data type is appropriate for a given real‑world scenario.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Slide deck showing waveforms and binary representation
• Sample audio/video clips (analogue vs digital)
• Comparison worksheet
• ADC/DAC demonstration kit or simulation software
• Whiteboard and markers

Begin with a short audio clip played through speakers and ask students what they notice about its quality. Connect this to prior learning about signals and explain that today they will explore how computers handle such information. Outline the success criteria: students will be able to differentiate analogue and digital data, explain conversion steps, and justify appropriate use.

1. Do‑Now (5'): Quick quiz on definitions of signal, analogue and digital.
2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Present characteristics and differences using slides and the comparison table.
3. Demonstration (8'): Show an analogue sine wave and its sampled digital version with simulation; discuss ADC steps.
4. Group activity (12'): Students complete a worksheet comparing media, pros and cons of each data type.
5. Guided practice (10'): Solve a scenario where they choose the appropriate data format; teacher circulates for support.
6. Check for understanding (5'): Exit ticket – write one advantage of digital data and one limitation of analogue data.

Summarise that analogue data is continuous while digital data is discrete and more robust for storage and transmission. Re‑emphasise the conversion process and its impact on quality. Collect exit tickets as a retrieval check and assign a short homework task to research a real‑world device that uses an ADC or DAC.