Lesson Plan

• Describe the key characteristics of analogue and digital signals.
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each signal type.
• Interpret waveform diagrams to identify whether a signal is analogue or digital.
• Explain how signal type influences bandwidth requirements and noise sensitivity.
• Apply knowledge to select an appropriate signal type for a given real‑world application.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Slide deck with sine‑wave and square‑wave diagrams
• Handout summarising key differences (table format)
• Audio clips of analogue and digital recordings
• Simple signal generator (optional demo)
• Worksheets for Venn‑diagram comparison activity

Begin with a quick poll: “What kinds of signals do you encounter every day?” Connect responses to prior knowledge of sound and radio. State that by the end of the lesson students will be able to distinguish analogue from digital signals and explain why the distinction matters for technology.

1. Do‑now (5') – Students list everyday examples of signals on sticky notes; share a few.
2. Mini‑lecture: Analogue signals (10') – Define, show sine‑wave diagram, discuss amplitude, frequency, phase.
3. Mini‑lecture: Digital signals (10') – Define, show square‑wave diagram, explain binary encoding.
4. Comparative activity (10') – Venn diagram worksheet to contrast features; teacher checks understanding.
5. Real‑world applications (10') – Match signal type to examples (radio, TV, mobile, fibre optics) and discuss implications.
6. Formative quiz / exit ticket (5') – One advantage of digital and one disadvantage of analogue written on a slip of paper.

Recap the main differences between analogue and digital signals, emphasizing how they affect noise tolerance and bandwidth. Collect the exit tickets to gauge understanding, and assign homework: research a device that uses a digital signal and write a short paragraph describing why digital is preferred.