New
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Lesson 4 of 8
  • Year 9

Develop and modify code

I can develop and modify a system to meet the requirements of a design brief.

Lesson 4 of 8
New
New
  • Year 9

Develop and modify code

I can develop and modify a system to meet the requirements of a design brief.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Design briefs can be refined using the 4Ws.
  2. Control systems can be developed and iterated.

Keywords

  • Design brief - a statement that outlines the requirements of a product

  • Iterate - process of refining and improving a design

  • Justify - explain why something is done

Common misconception

Iterations are only needed when a system doesn't work.

Systems are iterated to modify, fix, develop and improve.


To help you plan your year 9 design and technology lesson on: Develop and modify code, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Consider a range of different design briefs your pupils may come up with. Prepare some micro:bit circuits on Tinkercad to demonstrate to the pupils.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Computers with access to Tinkercad.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these are built in features of a micro:bit.

Correct answer: accelerometer
Correct answer: speaker
Correct answer: microphone
motor
buzzer

Q2.
What is a series circuit?

Correct answer: components are connected with a single current flow path
components are connected in separate branches with multiple current flow paths

Q3.
An LDR's resistance changes depending on the amount of it is exposed to.

Correct Answer: light, Light, light level

Q4.
What command in code is used when you need the program to execute a sequence only when a certain condition is met?

Correct answer: If
Else
Repeat
True

Q5.
When downloading a program to a micro:bit what type of file is transferred?

.doc
.exe
.pdf
Correct answer: .hex

Q6.
What is a repeat loop in a program?

Correct answer: an instruction to execute the same code a set number of times
an instruction to execute the code once
an instruction to execute the code until a button is pressed

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
When refining a design brief, we can use the 4Ws. Which are part of the 4Ws?

Correct answer: Where
Weather
Correct answer: What
Whole
Correct answer: Who

Q2.
When making a design decision it is important to it.

Correct Answer: justify, explain and justify, explain

Q3.
What do we call the process of refining and improving a design?

Correct Answer: iteration, iterate, iterating

Q4.
Match the stages of this example program to the stages of the systems.

Correct Answer:Input,LDR resistance changes depending on the light level

LDR resistance changes depending on the light level

Correct Answer:Process,Micro:bit processes resistance and activate the output LEDs if dark

Micro:bit processes resistance and activate the output LEDs if dark

Correct Answer:Output,LEDs emit light

LEDs emit light