Lesson Plan

• Describe the main components of a monitoring and control system.
• Explain the difference between open‑loop and closed‑loop control and the role of feedback.
• Apply PID control concepts to analyse a simple temperature‑control example.
• Evaluate the advantages, limitations and security considerations of monitoring and control systems.
• Design a basic block diagram showing sensor, controller, actuator and process.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Slide deck on monitoring & control systems
• Printed handout with block diagram and PID formula
• Arduino or PLC development kit for a live demo
• Temperature sensor and small actuator (motor/relay)
• Worksheets for PID calculations and loop identification

Begin with a quick think‑pair‑share where students name everyday devices that automatically adjust themselves (e.g., thermostat, smartphone brightness). Connect this to prior knowledge of sensors and simple algorithms, then outline the success criteria: students will be able to identify system components, distinguish loop types, and explain PID control.

1. Starter (Do‑now) – 5 min: List and discuss examples of automatic devices.
2. Mini‑lecture – 10 min: Present the five core components and compare open‑loop vs closed‑loop loops.
3. Group activity – 10 min: Build a block‑diagram on paper using cut‑outs for sensor, controller, actuator, and process.
4. PID demonstration – 15 min: Live Arduino temperature‑control demo; walk through the PID equation and calculate error for a sample set‑point.
5. Guided practice – 10 min: Worksheet where students classify loops and compute a PID output from given data.
6. Check for understanding – 5 min: Quick quiz/exit ticket (Kahoot) covering key terms and concepts.

Recap the components, loop types and the role of PID control, emphasizing how they work together in real‑world systems. Students complete an exit ticket stating one advantage and one limitation of monitoring and control systems. Assign a short homework task: research a real industrial MCS and summarise its components and control strategy.