AQA GCSE Computer Science 3.1 Tracing Algorithms Lesson

AQA GCSE Computer Science 3.1 lesson: trace tables and visual inspection to find the purpose of algorithms. 27 slides, practice, exam questions, answers.

A complete, ready-to-teach lesson for the AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525) 3.1.1 requirement to determine the purpose of simple algorithms using trace tables and visual inspection.

What’s included (27 editable slides)

• Learning objectives and a retrieval Do Now with answers
• What a trace table is, and why it is used
• Pseudocode key: assignment, OUTPUT, INPUT, FOR, WHILE, IF, MOD and DIV
• Fully worked trace table example, with a five-step “how to” guide
• “Your Turn” WHILE loop trace, designed to catch the classic off-by-one mistake
• Visual inspection: six patterns that give away an algorithm’s purpose
• “Spot the Purpose” task with four algorithms and answers
• “Trace It to Find the Purpose” and “Try Different Inputs” tasks with answers
• Common trace table mistakes to avoid
• Green, amber and red practice tasks, each with a full answer slide
• Exam-style questions with a mark scheme

Teacher notes on every slide, including misconceptions, teaching suggestions and ways to check understanding.

All algorithms are written in pseudocode, so no programming language is needed. This is lesson 3 of 5 in the AQA 3.1 Algorithms unit, which is also available as a complete bundle with booklets, homework and assessments.