Teaching Children about Networks - Modelling it with string, pieces of paper, notebooks, envelopes and lots of Giggles 😂

Unlocking the wonders of our world is always a pleasure in the classroom, especially the wonders of how computers and our world of technology works.

Lessons that engage children physically and emotionally are the lessons that will be remembered for ever. They are the lessons that make a great teacher great and the lessons that make all students thrive. I like to 'unplug' as much of my computing curriculum as possible.

If you are teaching networks to children here are a few great ways to 'unplug' them from the computer and engage them physically in the process.

Lesson 1

Get some cotton wool a pile of papers and a few envelopes. Get the children to sit or stand in a circle and volunteer someone to be Mr/Miss Switch (or Mr/Miss Router) depending on the network vocabulary you are developing.

Mr Switch is responsible for relaying messages around the network, we first did this by shouting at Mr Switch, explaining who the message was for and the message content. This gives the students a good appreciation of how hard the job is for the switch. After this I introduced envelopes to simulate packets of information moving around the network.

After this lesson it is a great idea to go on a 'field trip'. I took my students to see the school servers. They were blown away, quite frankly mesmerised by the wires and flashing lights. Awesome! My job in a nut shell - get children enthusiastic and spark an interest!

Lesson 2

Recap the network with the string, envelopes but add in a new layer of learning. The network address. Before the lesson I prepared a network address for all the students in the classroom, I kept this in line with an IP address we would normally see e.g. 123.123.68.01.

The students then had to relay information around our 'modelled' network to simulate packets of data being directed around Mr Switch. Apparently that name stuck for one of my students, who all the other children just call Mr Switch now! Ooops!

This lesson is finished off with Google Drawings to allow the children some time to make their own network diagram. I was so pleased with how many of them gave their devices on the network correct addresses.

Love the network cables this student choose, she was mesmerised by the trip to the server room.

This student is clearly obsessed with phones, but rightly explained that these can be on a network too!

Next week my students will be learning about the perils of transmitting data over wireless networks when compared to wired networks. This activity involves envelopes, straws, scissors and a big open space!