Give Binary a Try – Lessons Learned

Lesson Plan 1

What worked for you in this exercise?

What didn’t work?

How can we use this in our classes?

Analysis

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Refer to your hard-copy Lesson Plan for Cracking the Code

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code - Overview

This activity explores the concept of how computerized barcoding has simplified the distributing and pricing of products.

Students learn about encoding and decoding, the barcoding system, and how a mathematical formula is embedded in barcoding to safeguard against errors.

Students use websites to identify product barcodes, test codes from everyday products, and work as an "engineering team" to come up with the next generation of information embedding systems.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code – Materials needed

Internet Access (if possible)One set of materials for each group of students: Barcodes from five different

products Student Resource Sheet: What

are Barcodes? Student Worksheet : Checking

the Code Student Worksheet: What’s

Next?

Materials

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

A barcode is a self-contained message with information encoded in the width of bars and spaces in a printed pattern.

Since barcodes are used with computers, binary code is used. 

Essentially, the black bars and white spaces represent ones and zeros - the language computers understand.

How Do They Work?

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

The first six numbers are a identification numbers.

The FIRST DIGIT indicates the type of product:– A "0" shows that the product is a national brand

Example bar code number: 0 51111 40633 5– A "2" shows that the product is a meat or cheese that has been

weighed and wrapped in the store Example bar code number: 2 16401 60299 0

– A "3" shows that the product is a health or beauty aid Example bar code number: 3 81370 04666 0

The SECOND - SIXTH DIGITS form the manufacturer’s identification number which is assigned to the company by the Uniform Code Council in Dayton, Ohio.– Example bar code number: 0 38301 10035 8

How Do They Work (continued)?

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

How Do They Work?

The next 5 numbers are the item number.

– The item number is different for each item manufactured.

Example bar code numbers from the same company, but indicating different products:

– 0 36000 26150 9 – 0 36000 26410 4

The last digit is called a check digit. It lets the computer scanner know if it scanned the number correctly.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

How Do They Work?

Barcodes are made up of both white and black lines. The white spaces in between the black lines are also part of the code.There are four different thicknesses to the lines.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

How Do They Work?

It is easier to see it as a code if you assign numbers to thicknesses of lines.

The skinniest line is given a code of "1," the medium-sized line is "2," the next largest line is "3." and the thickest is "4."

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Each UPC barcode begins and ends with 101 (thin black, thin white, thin black). In the very middle of the barcode, there are two thin black lines sticking down between the numbers. The thin white between them, as well as the thin whites to either side, make up a 01010 code in the center.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Each digit has its own unique four-line set.0 = 3211 (3 white, 2 black, one white, one black line)1 = 22212 = 21223 = 14114 = 11325 = 12316 = 11147 = 13128 = 12139 = 3112

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Note that the sum of bar widths numbers is 7 for all codes because each code is 7 units wide.The line colors are reversed after the center-line: The lines of the digits to the left are white/black/white/black and to the right they are black/white/black/white. This provides some error checking and allows the reader to know the direction in which it is scanning a code.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Checking the Code

Compute the formulas for four different barcodes and see if your calculations result in a "check digit" that is a multiple of ten.

A UPC is checked in the following manner:– Multiply the sum of the digits in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and

11th positions by 3. – Add to this the sum of the digits in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th,

and 12th positions. – If the result is a multiple of 10, then the code is valid and will

be accepted by the computer.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Checking the Code

Read the press release from the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services and answer the following questions regarding the impact that bar coding technology and software engineering has had on society:

1. How do you think technology, and the introduction of barcodes have impacted the day to day life of check-out personnel at grocery stores? What's easier? What's harder?

2. Barcodes on medicine bottles or tubes help alert people to side effects and guidelines for taking their medication. How do you think this impacts society?

3. What ethical considerations would engineers discuss about barcoding blood donations?

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

Checking the Code

4. What computer errors could negatively impact society through the barcode system? Give examples.

5. How could a computer or software engineer help prevent errors in the barcode system?

6. What other applications can you think of where engineers could develop equipment to embed important information? More ethical implications?

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

What’s Next?Engineers are currently working on improvements to the barcode system.

Today, you are the Engineering Team!– Your challenge is to work as a team to identify problems

associated with the current barcode system and propose a new product or system to improve the current system.

Identify three shortcomings of the current barcode system.– For example, sometimes the barcode is scratched and the

computer can't pick it up, or sometimes the check-out person has to run it across two or three times before the computer picks it up.

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Lesson Plan 2

Cracking the Code

What’s Next?As a team, develop on paper a new product or system that would solve these problems and also add new benefits to embedded information.– For example, an entire product manual could be embedded in

a chip that could tell a futuristic washing machine what temperature to set the water to safely wash a load of similar shirts.

Present your ideas to the class in three forms:– describe how your product works, technically, in words.– draw an illustration of either your final product, or a situation

where it is being used.– write an advertisement for the new product stating its top

three features.

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Cracking the Code – Lessons Learned

Lesson Plan 2

What worked for you in this exercise?

What didn’t work?

How can we use this in our classes?

Analysis

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Conclusion

Concluding Remarks

Observations by the Class

Were Expectations Met?

How do we take this knowledge into the classroom?

Final comments/questions

Course Evaluation – complete and turn in

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Appendix

Useful websites

The following is a website currently under development within the IEEE Computer Society computer.org site. It is intended for Pre-University students and teachers, and contains many links to IEEE and TryEngineering.org sites dealing with engineering and computer-related education and careers.

All links are active. Take a look and see if these sites would be of interest to and useful for, your students.

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04/19/2321

Welcome to the IEEE Computer Society’s Build Your Career Pre-University Student Home Page , designed for students interested in engineering and computing careers. Regardless of your area of interest, or even if you just like computers, the IEEE Computer Society has the answers you need to prepare for an exciting career. Take a look…………

Find out about computing careers:

What’s out there?

Click Here

So you’re interested in computers……..

What do actual engineers say abouttheir careers? Find out what its likefrom the professionals:

Click Here

What is it like to be an engineer?

Find out about college programsthat match your interests:

Click Here

What about college programs in engineering?

Watch interviews with engineeringcollege students – how did they prepare and apply for an engineeringprogram?

Click Here

What is it like to be an engineering student?

There’s lots of things you can do now to get ready – find outmore:

Click Here

What can you do to get ready?

So you’re interested in computers

Computing is a very broad field. Maybe you’re interested in computers generally but don’t know exactly what field you want to study. Take a look at all the different kinds of careers you might like to consider:

Back to Pre-University Home

Pre-university Career Preparation: Career Paths

Computer Science Careers

Computer Engineering Technology

Popular Engineering careers

Become an Engineer – Engineering Degree Fields

Engineering Technology Majors

Profiles of Engineering Careers

Engineering Careers in Industry

Computer Systems Design and Related Careers

What’s it like to be an engineer?

Engineering careers cover all aspects of technology development, from automobiles to spacecraft to cell phones to video games, to just about any kind of technology you can imagine. In each case, they use computers to do their work, and in many cases design computers and the software that makes them work. What’s it like to be in one of these jobs? Find out from an engineering professional:

Back to Pre-University Home

Life of an Engineer

Meet Practicing Engineers

Professional Profiles of Practicing Engineers

Meet Engineers from National Engineers Week

More Profiles of Practicing Engineers

Frequently Asked Questions of Engineers and Students

What about college programs in engineering?

College and university engineering programs are as diverse as the field itself. Once you have an idea of what you might like to do, the process of finding a college/university program that will prepare you for that exciting career is much easier. Below are links to a broad range of higher education engineering programs – one is sure to match your interests:

Back to Pre-University Home

Find a University with the Right Program

Engineering Degrees and Matching Universities

Pre-University Career Preparation: Degree Options

Engineering Degree Majors

Engineering Degree Fields

Career Path Resources

Pre-College Career Planning

Additional IEEE Career Resources

Specific University and Degree Field Listings

Pre-University Engineering Career Guidance

What is it like to be an engineering student ?

College programs in engineering are exciting – you will design, build, test and experience engineering in ways you might never have thought of. Actual engineering students relate their stories of what its like in college, and how they found and applied for their programs. You’ll have fun learning about their experiences – and imagining yourself in college. Take a look……………

Back to Pre-University Home

Civil Engineering Student

Computer Engineering Student

Electrical Engineering Student

Electrical Engineering Student

Electrical Engineering Student

Electrical Engineering Student

Electrical Engineering Student

Mechanical Engineering Student

What can you do to get ready?

What you do before college to prepare for an education in computers and computer engineering can greatly enhance your success. It is never too early to begin thinking about and planning for college. Take a look at these links and lay the groundwork for an exciting career in computers.

Back to Pre-University Home

Pre-University Career Preparation

Preparation Tips for Becoming an Engineer

Pre-University Career Preparation: Getting Started

Pre-University Career Planning

Career Planning: Ask an Expert; Ask a student