Year 4

Unit title

Summary

Focus

Autumn 1

We are software developers

Developing a simple educational game

Develop an educational computer game using selection and repetition

Understand and use variables

Start to debug computer programs

Recognise the importance of user interface design, including consideration of input and output

Autumn 2

We are toy designers

Prototyping an interactive toy

Design and make an on-screen prototype of a computer-controlled toy

Understand different forms of input and output (such as sensors, switches, motors, lights and speakers)

Design, write and debug the control and monitoring program for their toy

Spring 1

We are musicians

Producing digital music (Audacity)

Use one or more programs to edit music

Create and develop a musical composition, refining their ideas through reflection and discussion

Develop collaboration skills

Develop an awareness of how their composition can enhance work in other media

Spring 2

We are HTML editors

Editing and writing HTML

Understand some technical aspects of how the internet makes the web possible

Use HTML tags

Use hyperlinks to connect ideas and sources

Code up a simple web page with useful content

Understand some of the risks in using the web.

Summer 1

We are co-authors

Producing a wiki

Understand the conventions for collaborative online work, particularly in wikis

Be aware of their responsibilities when editing other people’s work

Become familiar with Wikipedia, including potential problems associated with its use

Practise research skills

Write for a target audience using a wiki tool

Develop proofreading skills

Summer 2

We are meteorologists

Presenting the weather

Understand different measurement techniques for weather, both analogue and digital

Use computer-based data logging to automate the recording of some weather data

Use spreadsheets to create charts

Analyse data, explore inconsistencies in data and make predictions

Practise using presentation software to deliver a weather broadcast