Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Grade: 10 Date: 25/02/2026
Subject: Computer Science
Lesson Topic: Explain high-level vs low-level languages, advantages and disadvantages
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the difference between low‑level and high‑level programming languages.
  • Explain the main advantages and disadvantages of each language category.
  • Compare abstraction, portability and execution speed using a summary table.
  • Apply criteria to choose an appropriate language for a given problem scenario.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector or interactive whiteboard
  • Slides summarising low‑ and high‑level language features
  • Printed handout of the comparison table
  • Sample code snippets (Python and assembly) displayed on screen
  • Worksheets for language‑selection activity
  • Markers and flip chart for group brainstorming
Introduction:

Begin with a quick poll asking students to name any programming languages they know. Connect this to prior learning about algorithms and remind them that languages are the tools programmers use to give instructions to computers. Explain that by the end of the lesson they will be able to articulate the key differences, pros and cons of high‑ and low‑level languages and decide which is best for a given task.

Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Quick quiz on the definition of a programming language and examples.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Define low‑level and high‑level languages, show classification slide.
  3. Guided comparison (12'): Discuss advantages/disadvantages; fill in the summary table together.
  4. Application activity (15'): In groups, evaluate two project scenarios and decide which language type to use, recording reasoning on worksheets.
  5. Code translation demo (8'): Display a Python sum‑of‑n example, then the equivalent assembly snippet, highlighting abstraction differences.
Conclusion:

Recap the core distinctions between high‑ and low‑level languages and their trade‑offs. Ask each group to share one key factor that influenced their language choice as an exit ticket. Assign homework: students write a short paragraph describing which language they would use for a simple mobile app and why.