ICT at key stage 3 (Year 8)
Unit 11: Data - use and misuse
Section 2: Activity 1 (2)
|
|
Objectives |
| Children should learn: |
- that bar codes are used to identify products, ie the bar code holds a number sequence which is unique to the product, and is read by a bar code reader or scanner
|
Activities |
|
Outcomes |
|
Children: |
- Now discuss with the pupils the goods on the shelf,
eg Are the goods priced? Where is the price? Lead on to:
How does the supermarket know the price at the checkout?
- Explain the link between bar codes and the products. If possible, either use the internet to apply bar codes to database queries or an automated library (see Points to note on ISBN).
- Discuss with the pupils the benefit of bar codes to the supermarket; main points should include easy control of pricing, accuracy at the till and stock control.
- Discuss future developments,
eg personal bar code readers and internet shopping. Relate this discussion to loyalty cards and how the use of bar codes enables supermarkets to collate data on individual shopping habits. Discuss the implications this might have for advertising, special offers.
|
|
- describe how the bar coding system operates and its links to data handling
|
|
Points to note |
- www.isbn.nu is the ISBN database and can be used to show the significance of the bar code number. A number of bar code websites exist and some allow the six-digit US manufacturer's number to be searched.
- Homework could involve speculation on how retailers might extend the data they collect to target shoppers more effectively, and discussion on the ethics of this sort of data collection.
|
|
|
This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
|
|
|
