Give Binary a Try!

Student Worksheet A: What Time is it?

A fun and easy way to learn how binary coding works is to learn how to tell time using the binary system.  This worksheet will help you learn the code and how it can be read using a digital binary clock.

 What Time is It?
The following clock is set up in an array with numbers represented in the following structure:
Hours	Minutes	Seconds	
	8		8		8	
	4	4	4	4	4	
2	2	2	2	2	2	
1	1	1	1	1	1	

Based on which light are illuminated at any given time, you can determine the hour, minute, and seconds.  In the illustration below, the time is 10 hours, 37 minutes and 49 seconds.

What time do the following binary clocks say?

Time:

	Time:
	Time:

	

Student Worksheet A: What Time is it? (continued)

 Binary Software Download
Working as a team of students on one computer, visit one of the following websites and download a binary clock onto your computer.
•	Free Binary Clock for Computer Desktop (www.sb-software.com/binaryclock)
•	Another Free Binary Clock for Windows-based Computer Desktop (www.goldsofts.com/soft/321/37385/Scotts_Binary_Clock.html)
•	MAC Free Binary Clock (http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Dashboard-Widgets/Calculate-Convert/Binary-Clock.shtml)

Complete the following questions:

1. How did your team decide which software to download?  

2. How long did the download take?  Was it easier or harder than you expected?

3. Once installed, what options did your software offer…which did you try?  Which did you prefer? Why?  (For example, some offer the option of switching from a vertical to a horizontal view, allows for different looks, or allows you to switch between a 24 or 12 hour clock)

4. Do you think that binary clocks will ever be more popular than standard digital or analog clocks?  Why or why not?

5.  Why do you think binary code is so important to software engineers?

6.  What do you think the future will bring?  If you were an engineer, what changes could you envision to clocks and codes for the future?

      Give Binary a Try!

Student Worksheet B: Team Engineering

 You are a team of engineers which has to tackle the challenge of building your own binary clock.  You have been provided with a kit which your team will use to build a functional electric binary clock.

 Activity Steps

1. Review the various Student Reference Sheets.  

2. Your team has been provided with a binary clock kit.  You'll need to follow step by step instructions and work as a team comparing the directions and the materials.

3.  Work as a team to construct your clock.  Make decisions about how your team will divide up the work, manage the parts, go through the steps.  You are acting as manufacturing engineers on this project, determining the best way to create your product.  

4.  Predict in the box below how much time you estimate it will take to complete the clock. 

	

5. Build your clock -- remember teamwork!

6. Complete the question/reflection area below.

7. Present your clock to the group along with a verbal summary of your reflections.

 Questions/Reflections

1. Did your clock work?  If not, what do you think went wrong?  

 Questions/Reflections (continued)

2.  What obstacles did you face during construction?  How did you overcome these?

3.  How did your actual manufacturing time compare with your estimated time?  What do you think caused the difference?

4.  Did your teams' plan for dividing up the work end up being how the work was completed, or did you change strategies during the project?  If you changed your approach to the work, why?

5. Present your binary clock to the class and discuss how your team approached the work and how your plan differed from the actual execution.

6. Did you think that another team had a better approach to completing this project?  If so, what would you have done differently in retrospect?  Answers might be dividing up the work differently, organizing parts differently, or keeping track of steps.