ICT at key stage 3    (Year 9)

• Lead a discussion to:
• introduce the context
• discuss the nature and form of some different rides
• illustrate the range of issues with video
• elicit a range of issues or areas where ICT can help support the effective management and safety concerns in a theme park
• Following a broad conversation discuss the specific ride to be investigated and how safety on such rides is of vital importance. Either use a video to stimulate discussion of danger points and control that is required, or brainstorm the safety points and possible solutions, eg that the boats must not catch up with each other, or be in certain sections at the same time; that there is a requirement to be able to know where the boats are, to control their movement at certain points in the system; and that there will be rules or conditions which control parts of and the whole system.
• Introduce the pupils to the specific task using a diagram of the section of the boat ride to be investigated. After an initial discussion ask pupils to work in groups to establish and describe the processes and to identify the control mechanisms required for the section of the ride.

• Discuss with the class the key points identified in activity 1 and any examples discovered in homework. Review the use of diagrams to represent the system flow and control, eg a simple diagrammatic structure may suffice, although it is possible to use standard flow diagram symbols or the system used by the software in the school for sense and control.
• Provide an outline structure that all the pupils can work to and then with a large screen or overhead projector (OHP) to support the work, develop the diagram of the ride and its control mechanisms and discuss the inputs and outputs to the system. In this example the system has a number of key sections: a pond with a control gate providing access to the ride; the belt to raise the boat to the top of the system; a control gate to let boats descend by gravity; a sensor to trigger a camera and a sensor to identify when a boat leaves the main section of the ride.
• Discuss and agree the final structure of the system and provide pupils with a system diagram. Ask pupils to work in pairs to begin to specify the modules, inputs, outputs and actions for each part of the system as a state table, which can then be completed for homework.

• Review the pupils' homework and the correct solution to the state table. Discuss with the pupils the need to extend the state table, eg to investigate when there is more than one boat in the system to ensure that it is still safe.
• Review software and control techniques and introduce new techniques that are needed in this activity, demonstrating where necessary, and discuss their application with the pupils, eg illustrate the development of a procedure to activate the camera switch and how it can receive input from a light sensor, and in this example the need to know when a boat has passed through a section of the ride.
• Describe and discuss the task with the pupils and identify one section, eg the camera operation. Ask pupils working in groups of four to describe the section carefully, identify the inputs and outputs, and generate a procedure to ensure the camera will take a picture. This can be extended by asking pupils how they will position the sensor to ensure the photograph is of the people screaming on their way down the slide.
• Draw the pupils together and review their progress. Discuss and illustrate the need to document each procedure and its variables, inputs and outputs. Ask pupils to then work individually to document the procedure they have completed.
• Ask pupils to work in groups to develop procedures for the remaining parts of the system, eg for the different sections of the ride, and the information that needs to pass between each section.
• Following a class discussion on their progress, ask pupils to develop and test individual components and ensure the procedures work together.

• Revise with the class the original aim of the system being designed, eg to safely control the movement of boats in a ride and to take a photograph of the people going down the slide.
• Ask pupils to work in groups to test and evaluate their systems against the design brief. One example of a fault which could be discovered is the incorrect implementation of a counter, eg the procedure for the end of ride section sensor may add to the counter rather than subtract, or the initial value may not be reset, resulting in no boats moving through the system.
• If the system works as specified, encourage the pupils to evaluate how realistic the system is and how it could be improved, eg pupils might suggest there would be a number of boats: two new counters would need to be implemented to store information about the number of boats at the beginning and end of the ride.
  A more advanced solution might be to develop a closed loop system where the boats are returned to the start.

• Discuss with the class the purpose of the presentation, eg to prove to the theme park's management that your ride is safe. Ask pupils what the most appropriate software would be to complete this task and discuss the text and images that could be used. Following class discussion, decide on the software to be used, eg a presentation package.
• Ask pupils to work in pairs to develop their presentation, incorporating appropriate text, images and screen shots, eg an image from the control software illustrating the safety features of their procedure.
• Using the groupings from the earlier work, ask each group of four to present their findings to the class. One model for this approach would be for two of the groups to deliver the best presentation, while the other pair demonstrates the working software.
• Discuss the need to evaluate the software with the class writing the advantages and disadvantages of the systems and the software using an OHP or word processor connected to a large-screen display.