Resources For Teaching Binary Numbers

Several years ago I wrote a post on my old blog with resources for teaching Binary. Since I no longer have access to that site I can’t update it with more links. So I decided it was time to take a copy, update it and repost it here were I can update it as new links come in. BTW all of these links were good as of this posting. I removed some from the old post that were no longer available.
 

Penjee Binary Blitz – a binary number game/puzzle

Penjeee Binary Blitz – a binary number game/puzzle

Binary Puzzle Generator – encode messages in binary

Binary to Decimal worksheets

• https://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/convert-decimal-binary.php
• https://www.math-drills.com/numbersense/base_number_systems_converting_binary_decimal_001.php
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Az0qZyDPr4HfEe6Ms9jvV91Ey8MhZAZ0fATBGBw-28/edit

Binary #MicDropMath (#MicDropCS) Lessons This series of lessons is designed to take students’ understanding of the binary number system way beyond the well known fact that it uses zeroes and ones.

Several classics from CS Unplugged

How exactly does binary code work? - José Américo N L F Freitas ‎ via @TED_ED Judy Hromcik posted this link to Facebook and it is a really good video that explains a lot in less than 5 minutes.

Binary Flippy Do - How To Rebecca Dovi explains how she teaches Binary numbers with a sort of flip chart.

Understanding Binary: a 60 Second Mindmeld This 60 second video moves fast but makes for a great introduction.

MathmaniaCS Lesson Plan

A lesson plan/activity for teaching Binary numbers from the MathamaniaCS web site. Includes a graphic on counting in Binary on ones fingers.

How to Count to 1,023 on Your Fingers

This site talks about base ten, base six, Binary, Binary Coded Decimal and Hexadecimal and includes a cute applet that demonstrates counting in those bases on your fingers. As always beware the Binary value for four.

Binary Counting Cartoon - http://www.instructables.com/id/Binary-Counting/

This cartoon (available as a downloadable PDF file) demonstrates how to count to over a thousand by using binary numbers and your fingers.

The Binary System

A guide to a quite confusing concept by Christine R. Wright with some help from Samuel A. Rebelsky. Written for college students and fairly comprehensive.

Cisco’s binary teaching game - http://forums.cisco.com/CertCom/game/binary_game_page.htm

This game challenges students to set and reset bits to display a binary representation of specific decimal numbers. It is an interactive way for students to practice what they know about binary numbers.

Exploring Binary blog - http://www.exploringbinary.com/

This blog is completely focused on binary numbering and data representation. It is written by Rick Regan who has a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in computer science.
Some outstanding sample posts are:

• How I Taught My Mother Binary Numbers - http://www.exploringbinary.com/how-i-taught-my-mother-binary-numbers/
• Converting Floating-Point Numbers to Binary Strings in C - http://www.exploringbinary.com/converting-floating-point-numbers-to-binary-strings-in-c/
• Ten Ways to Check if an Integer Is a Power Of Two in C - http://www.exploringbinary.com/ten-ways-to-check-if-an-integer-is-a-power-of-two-in-c/
• What Powers of Two Look Like Inside a Computer - http://www.exploringbinary.com/what-powers-of-two-look-like-inside-a-computer/
• A Twelve Cent Binary Calendar - http://www.exploringbinary.com/a-twelve-cent-binary-calendar/

The Binary Marble Adding Machine - http://woodgears.ca/marbleadd/index.html

This site shows a wooden binary adder that uses marbles to set and reset “bits.” There is a demo video and a link to plans for making a device yourself. Building one is recommended only for people who have experience with wood working but students will enjoy and learn from the video demo.

Converting from Binary to Decimal – http://www.mathwarehouse.com/non-decimal-bases/convert-binary-to-decimal.php

A very math centric set of examples of converting to and from decimal and binary numbers.

Some online quizzes on binary number conversions

An online number converter from binary to hex and decimal and back.

Building a Computer Out of Dominoes building gates and doing Binary math with lines of Dominoes. About 18 minutes long.

I wrote about a Binary clock program I created for teaching at Can You Explain the Binary Clock?