Lesson Plan: Binary Search Algorithm Using Pseudocode for Sorting (Grade
8)
Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will:
Understand how the binary search algorithm works.
Be able to write pseudocode for binary search.
Apply the algorithm to find elements in a sorted array.
Grasp the efficiency of binary search compared to linear search
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Projector for slides (optional)
Computers (optional for coding exercise)
Handouts with a pseudocode example
Sample sorted arrays for exercises
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction to Searching Algorithms (10 minutes)
Objective: Give a brief overview of searching algorithms.
o Begin by asking students: “How do you find a number in a phone book?”
o Explain two types of search:
Linear Search: Searching one by one from the beginning.
Binary Search: More efficient for sorted lists.
o Emphasize that binary search is faster for large, sorted data sets.
Key Point: Linear search goes element by element, while binary search splits the list into
halves, significantly reducing the number of comparisons.
2. Concept of Binary Search (15 minutes)
Objective: Explain how binary search works conceptually.
o Step 1: Define the middle element of the list.
o Step 2: Compare the middle element with the target value.
o Step 3: If the middle element is equal to the target, return the index.
o Step 4: If the middle element is smaller, search in the right half; if larger, search in
the left half.
o Step 5: Repeat the process until the element is found or the sublist is empty.
Use a diagram on the whiteboard to show how the list is split.
Example: Let’s search for 18 in this sorted array: [5, 7, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25]
1. Start with the middle element: 15.
2. Compare 15 with 18 (target).
3. Since 18 > 15, search in the right half: [18, 22, 25].
4. Repeat with the new middle: 22. Since 18 < 22, search the left half.
5. Now 18 is found.
3. Writing the Pseudocode (15 minutes)
Objective: Develop the pseudocode for binary search.
Lesson Plan: Binary Search Algorithm Using Pseudocode for Sorting (Grade
8)
Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will:
Understand how the binary search algorithm works.
Be able to write pseudocode for binary search.
Apply the algorithm to find elements in a sorted array.
Grasp the efficiency of binary search compared to linear search.
Lesson Duration:
60 minutes
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Projector for slides (optional)
Computers (optional for coding exercise)
Handouts with a pseudocode example
Sample sorted arrays for exercises
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction to Searching Algorithms (10 minutes)
Objective: Give a brief overview of searching algorithms.
o Begin by asking students: “How do you find a number in a phone book?”
o Explain two types of search:
Linear Search: Searching one by one from the beginning.
Binary Search: More efficient for sorted lists.
o Emphasize that binary search is faster for large, sorted data sets.
Key Point: Linear search goes element by element, while binary search splits the list into
halves, significantly reducing the number of comparisons.
2. Concept of Binary Search (15 minutes)
Objective: Explain how binary search works conceptually.
o Step 1: Define the middle element of the list.
o Step 2: Compare the middle element with the target value.
o Step 3: If the middle element is equal to the target, return the index.
o Step 4: If the middle element is smaller, search in the right half; if larger, search in
the left half.
o Step 5: Repeat the process until the element is found or the sublist is empty.
Use a diagram on the whiteboard to show how the list is split.
Example: Let’s search for 18 in this sorted array: [5, 7, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25]
1. Start with the middle element: 15.
2. Compare 15 with 18 (target).
3. Since 18 > 15, search in the right half: [18, 22, 25].
4. Repeat with the new middle: 22. Since 18 < 22, search the left half.
5. Now 18 is found.
3. Writing the Pseudocode (15 minutes)
Objective: Develop the pseudocode for binary search.
text
Copy code
BinarySearch(arr, target):
Start = 0
End = length of arr - 1
while Start <= End:
Mid = (Start + End) / 2
if arr[Mid] == target:
return Mid # Target found
else if arr[Mid] < target:
Start = Mid + 1 # Search in the right half
else:
End = Mid - 1 # Search in the left half
return -1 # Target not found
Walk through the pseudocode line by line, comparing it to the earlier example of finding 18.
4. Hands-on Activity (10 minutes)
Objective: Reinforce learning with practice.
o Provide students with pre-sorted lists (on paper or digitally if computers are
available).
o Ask them to trace the binary search steps using the pseudocode to find specific
numbers.
o Optionally, if students have access to computers, they can implement the
pseudocode in a programming language like Python or Scratch.
5. Discussion on Time Complexity (5 minutes)
Objective: Introduce the concept of algorithm efficiency.
o Explain that binary search has a time complexity of O(log n), meaning it’s much
faster than linear search (which is O(n)), especially for large datasets.
o Show a brief comparison of time complexity with examples of different list sizes.
6. Conclusion and Q&A (5 minutes)
Objective: Summarize the key points and address any questions.
o Recap the binary search algorithm.
o Encourage students to practice with more examples and implement the pseudocode
in a programming language if possible.
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Lesson Plan: Binary Search Algorithm Using Pseudocode for Sorting (Grade
8)
Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will:
Understand how the binary search algorithm works.
Be able to write pseudocode for binary search.
Apply the algorithm to find elements in a sorted array.
Grasp the efficiency of binary search compared to linear search.
Lesson Duration:
60 minutes
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Projector for slides (optional)
Computers (optional for coding exercise)
Handouts with a pseudocode example
Sample sorted arrays for exercises
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction to Searching Algorithms (10 minutes)
Objective: Give a brief overview of searching algorithms.
o Begin by asking students: “How do you find a number in a phone book?”
o Explain two types of search:
Linear Search: Searching one by one from the beginning.
Binary Search: More efficient for sorted lists.
o Emphasize that binary search is faster for large, sorted data sets.
Key Point: Linear search goes element by element, while binary search splits the list into
halves, significantly reducing the number of comparisons.
2. Concept of Binary Search (15 minutes)
Objective: Explain how binary search works conceptually.
o Step 1: Define the middle element of the list.
o Step 2: Compare the middle element with the target value.
o Step 3: If the middle element is equal to the target, return the index.
o Step 4: If the middle element is smaller, search in the right half; if larger, search in
the left half.
o Step 5: Repeat the process until the element is found or the sublist is empty.
Use a diagram on the whiteboard to show how the list is split.
Example: Let’s search for 18 in this sorted array: [5, 7, 12, 15, 18, 22, 25]
1. Start with the middle element: 15.
2. Compare 15 with 18 (target).
3. Since 18 > 15, search in the right half: [18, 22, 25].
4. Repeat with the new middle: 22. Since 18 < 22, search the left half.
5. Now 18 is found.
3. Writing the Pseudocode (15 minutes)
Objective: Develop the pseudocode for binary search.
text
Copy code
BinarySearch(arr, target):
Start = 0
End = length of arr - 1
while Start <= End:
Mid = (Start + End) / 2
if arr[Mid] == target:
return Mid # Target found
else if arr[Mid] < target:
Start = Mid + 1 # Search in the right half
else:
End = Mid - 1 # Search in the left half
return -1 # Target not found
Walk through the pseudocode line by line, comparing it to the earlier example of finding 18.
4. Hands-on Activity (10 minutes)
Objective: Reinforce learning with practice.
o Provide students with pre-sorted lists (on paper or digitally if computers are
available).
o Ask them to trace the binary search steps using the pseudocode to find specific
numbers.
o Optionally, if students have access to computers, they can implement the
pseudocode in a programming language like Python or Scratch.
5. Discussion on Time Complexity (5 minutes)
Objective: Introduce the concept of algorithm efficiency.
o Explain that binary search has a time complexity of O(log n), meaning it’s much
faster than linear search (which is O(n)), especially for large datasets.
o Show a brief comparison of time complexity with examples of different list sizes.
6. Conclusion and Q&A (5 minutes)
Objective: Summarize the key points and address any questions.
o Recap the binary search algorithm.
o Encourage students to practice with more examples and implement the pseudocode
in a programming language if possible.
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on:
o Their ability to trace through the binary search algorithm using pseudocode.
o Class participation during the hands-on activity.
Homework/Extension:
Assign students to implement binary search in their preferred programming language or
manually search through more sample arrays using binary search steps.
Differentiation:
For advanced students: Challenge them to implement binary search using recursion.
For students needing extra help: Provide additional visual aids and step-by-step
breakdowns of the pseudocode.
Lesson Plan: Binary Search Algorithm Using Pseudocode for O-Level
Students
Objective: By the end of the lesson, O-Level students will:
Understand the binary search algorithm conceptually.
Be able to write and interpret pseudocode for the binary search.
Apply binary search to find elements in sorted arrays.
Grasp the difference in efficiency between binary search and linear search.
Lesson Duration:
60 minutes
Materials:
Whiteboard and markers
Handouts with binary search pseudocode
Projector for demonstrating step-by-step execution (optional)
Pre-sorted number lists for practice
Computers (optional for coding exercises)
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction to Searching (10 minutes)
Objective: Introduce the need for searching algorithms.
o Pose a question to students: "How do you efficiently search for a contact in your
phone's contact list?"
o Discuss two common approaches:
Linear Search: Go through each item one by one.
Binary Search: Used when the list is sorted, making the search much faster.
o Give a simple analogy: If you had a dictionary, how would you find the word
"Zebra"? You wouldn't start from the first page!
Key Point: Binary search is more efficient, as it reduces the problem size by half with each
step.
2. Explanation of Binary Search (15 minutes)
Objective: Explain how the binary search algorithm works.
o Use a sorted list as an example: [2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 38, 45, 56, 72].
o Show the step-by-step process:
1. Find the middle element of the list.
2. Compare the middle element with the target.
3. If they match, the target is found.
4. If the target is larger, search in the right half; if smaller, search in the left
half.
5. Repeat until the target is found or there are no elements left to check.
Demonstrate on the board or using slides.
Example: Searching for 38 in the list [2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 38, 45, 56, 72]
1. Start with the middle element: 23.
2. Since 38 > 23, search the right half.
3. Next, check the middle of the right half: 45.
4. Since 38 < 45, search the left half: [38].
5. Found 38!
3. Writing the Pseudocode (20 minutes)
Objective: Teach students how to represent binary search using pseudocode.
text
Copy code
BinarySearch(arr, target):
Start = 0
End = length of arr - 1
while Start <= End:
Mid = (Start + End) // 2 # Find the middle index
if arr[Mid] == target:
return Mid # Target found
elif arr[Mid] < target:
Start = Mid + 1 # Search in the right half
else:
End = Mid - 1 # Search in the left half
return -1 # Target not found
Break the pseudocode down step by step.
o Explain the concept of indexing in arrays.
o Discuss how the list is divided by calculating the Mid index.
o Explain how the search space changes depending on whether the target is larger or
smaller than the middle element.
Hand out copies of the pseudocode for students to follow along.
4. Hands-on Activity (15 minutes)
Objective: Allow students to apply what they've learned.
o Divide the students into pairs and give each pair a pre-sorted list of numbers.
o Have students use the pseudocode to manually trace the steps of binary search to
find given target values.
o Optionally, if computers are available, have them implement the pseudocode using
a simple programming language (Python, Scratch, etc.).
5. Time Complexity and Efficiency (5 minutes)
Objective: Teach students about the efficiency of binary search.
o Discuss the concept of time complexity.
o Compare binary search to linear search:
Linear search takes O(n) time.
Binary search takes O(log n) time, which is much faster for large lists.
Illustrate with a visual: Show how a list of 100 elements would require at most 7
comparisons using binary search, versus up to 100 using linear search.
6. Conclusion and Review (5 minutes)
Objective: Summarize key points and answer questions.
o Recap the steps of the binary search algorithm.
o Highlight the importance of a sorted array for binary search to work.
o Take any final questions from students.
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on:
o Their participation in the hands-on activity.
o Their ability to trace through the binary search process using pseudocode.
o Responses to questions during the lesson.
Homework/Extension:
Have students write pseudocode for binary search on a given sorted list and simulate the
search for different target values.
Optional: Students can implement binary search in Python or another programming
language as a coding assignment.
Differentiation:
For advanced learners: Challenge them to implement a recursive version of binary search.
For learners needing additional support: Provide more examples of step-by-step binary
search, and use small, simpler lists during hands-on activities.
This lesson plan simplifies the binary search algorithm for O-Level students by focusing on
conceptual understanding, pseudocode practice, and hands-on activities.
Slide 1: Title Slide
Title: Binary Search Algorithm Using Pseudocode
Subtitle: Introduction to Binary Search and Efficiency
Add your name, date, and class
Slide 2: Learning Objectives
Title: Learning Objectives
Content:
o Understand how binary search works.
o Write pseudocode for binary search.
o Apply binary search to sorted arrays.
o Compare binary search with linear search in terms of efficiency.
Slide 3: Introduction to Searching
Title: What is Searching?
Content:
o Searching is the process of finding an element in a data set.
o Two common methods:
Linear Search: Checks every element.
Binary Search: Only works on sorted arrays and divides the search
space in half.
Visual Aid: Add a simple flowchart comparing linear and binary search.
Slide 4: Binary Search Algorithm
Title: How Does Binary Search Work?
Content:
o Step 1: Find the middle element.
o Step 2: Compare it to the target.
o Step 3: If target = middle element, success!
o Step 4: If target > middle element, search the right half.
o Step 5: If target < middle element, search the left half.
o Repeat until the target is found or the search space is empty.
Visual Aid: Use an image of a sorted array with highlights showing how the array is
halved each time (for example, an array divided into smaller sections).
Slide 5: Example: Binary Search Step-by-Step
Title: Example: Finding 38 in a Sorted Array
Content:
o Sorted Array: [2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 38, 45, 56, 72]
o Step 1: Middle element = 23
o Step 2: 38 > 23 → Search right half
o Step 3: Middle element = 45
o Step 4: 38 < 45 → Search left half
o Step 5: Middle element = 38 → Found!
Visual Aid: Use a visual progression of the array being split into halves.
Slide 6: Pseudocode for Binary Search
Title: Binary Search Pseudocode
Content: Display the pseudocode clearly:
text
Copy code
BinarySearch(arr, target):
Start = 0
End = length of arr - 1
while Start <= End:
Mid = (Start + End) // 2
if arr[Mid] == target:
return Mid
elif arr[Mid] < target:
Start = Mid + 1
else:
End = Mid - 1
return -1
Visual Aid: Use a code block formatting for clarity.
Slide 7: Efficiency: Binary Search vs Linear Search
Title: Binary Search vs Linear Search
Content:
o Linear Search: O(n) – checks each element one by one.
o Binary Search: O(log n) – splits the list in half with each comparison.
Visual Aid: Use a comparison chart or graph that shows how binary search requires
fewer steps as the list size increases.
Slide 8: Hands-On Activity
Title: Let's Practice!
Content:
o Here's a sorted array: [3, 8, 12, 17, 24, 31, 44, 59, 63, 78]
o Find the number 24 using the steps of binary search.
o Follow along with the pseudocode.
Visual Aid: Display the sorted array with each step animated to show how it divides.
Slide 9: Time Complexity Explained
Title: Time Complexity of Binary Search
Content:
o Binary search takes O(log n) time.
o This means that as the number of elements grows, the time to search grows
logarithmically.
Visual Aid: Add a graph that shows time complexity for linear search vs binary
search.
Slide 10: Recap
Title: Recap of Key Points
Content:
o Binary search is efficient for sorted arrays.
o It works by repeatedly dividing the search space in half.
o Pseudocode helps in writing an algorithm step-by-step.
o Binary search has a time complexity of O(log n).
Slide 11: Q&A
Title: Questions?
Content:
o Open the floor for student questions.
o Encourage them to discuss any unclear steps in the algorithm or pseudocode.
Slide 12: Homework/Practice
Title: Homework Assignment
Content:
o Implement binary search pseudocode on paper for a new array.
o Optionally, code binary search in Python or another language if possible.
Tips for Using the Slides:
Keep It Visual: Use diagrams and animations to explain the process of dividing the
array.
Interactive Moments: Engage students by asking them questions at various points,
e.g., "What would be the next middle element?"
Live Demonstration: If possible, walk students through a binary search example live
(either on paper or using a whiteboard) to help them visualize the process.
With this structure, you can maintain student attention and clarify the key concepts of binary
search while helping them understand both the theory and practical applications.
To run the pseudocode from Slide 6 in real-time, you can use various tools that allow for
quick implementation and testing of algorithms. Here are a few options:
1. Python (Recommended)
Why: Python is beginner-friendly and widely used in education to teach algorithms.
How: You can easily implement the pseudocode in Python and run it in any Python
environment (such as a local IDE like PyCharm or Visual Studio Code, or an online
editor like Replit or Google Colab).
Here’s the pseudocode translated to Python:
python
Copy code
def binary_search(arr, target):
start = 0
end = len(arr) - 1
while start <= end:
mid = (start + end) // 2
if arr[mid] == target:
return mid # Target found, return its index
elif arr[mid] < target:
start = mid + 1 # Search in the right half
else:
end = mid - 1 # Search in the left half
return -1 # Target not found
You can then run the function as follows:
python
Copy code
arr = [2, 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 38, 45, 56, 72]
target = 38
result = binary_search(arr, target)
if result != -1:
print(f"Element found at index {result}")
else:
print("Element not found")
2. Online Coding Platforms
Replit: https://replit.com/
o Replit allows you to run Python (and many other languages) in your browser.
Google Colab: https://colab.research.google.com/
o Google Colab is another online platform that allows you to write and execute
Python code, with the added bonus of being integrated with Google Drive for
saving code.
3. Scratch (For Visual Learning)
Why: Scratch is a block-based programming language that’s great for visual learners.
It can help illustrate the logic behind binary search.
How: Although Scratch doesn't support pseudocode directly, you can create a block-
based version of binary search and run it in real-time.
You can find Scratch here: https://scratch.mit.edu/
4. Pseudocode in Visual Tools
Flowgorithm: A visual tool for creating flowcharts from pseudocode.
o Why: If your students are more visual learners, Flowgorithm provides a visual
interface to input pseudocode and watch it execute step-by-step.
o How: You can enter the binary search pseudocode as a flowchart and simulate
the algorithm.
o Tool: http://flowgorithm.org/
5. Jupyter Notebooks
Why: Jupyter Notebooks allow for live coding and explanations in one document,
which is great for teaching.
How: You can create and run Python code in Jupyter notebooks and show students
the algorithm step-by-step. You can also visualize results with comments and text
explanations alongside the code.
6. PSeInt (Pseudocode Interpreter)
Why: If you want to keep the pseudocode syntax similar to what you’ve shown in the
slides, PSeInt is a pseudocode interpreter that allows you to execute pseudocode
directly.
How: You can enter the pseudocode and simulate its execution.
Tool: https://pseint.sourceforge.io/
Any of these tools would be suitable for running the pseudocode in real-time, but Python is
recommended for its simplicity and educational value.
