Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
ALGORITHM AND DATA STRUCTURE
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ALGORITHM AND DATA STRUCTURE
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Computing
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 10
Grade code: 1.2.1.LI.2
Strand code: 2
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 1.2.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.2.1.LI.2
Theme: COMPUTATIONAL THINKING (PROGRAMMING LOGIC)
Subtheme: ALGORITHM AND DATA STRUCTURE
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In our daily lives in Ghana, we are always organising things. A market woman arranges her tomatoes in neat piles, a librarian arranges books on shelves according to topics, and a trotro driver knows the order of stops on their route. In the world of computers, we also need to organise information, or 'data'. Data Structures are simply the different methods a computer uses to store and organise data to be used efficiently. Understanding these structures is like learning the best way to arrange your room – knowing where to put your books, your clothes, and your shoes so you can find them easily when you need them.
Starter Activity (5 minutes): Brainstorming Ask students: "If you were asked to write down the names of all students in this class for the Headmaster, how would you organise the list? Would you just write them randomly? Or in alphabetical order? Or by their seating position? Why?" *Guide the discussion towards the idea that the *way* we organise information matters for how we use it later.*
A. What is a Data Structure?
A Data Structure is a specialised format for organising, processing, retrieving, and storing data in a computer. It is a way of arranging data so that it can be accessed and used efficiently. Analogy: Think of a wardrobe. You can just throw all your clothes inside (unorganised data). Or you can have shelves for folded clothes, a rail for hanging clothes, and drawers for small items. The wardrobe with its shelves and rails is the 'data structure' that helps you manage your clothes ('data') effectively. B. Main Types of Data Structures
Data structures are broadly classified into two main types: Linear Data Structures: Elements are arranged in a sequential or linear order, one after the other. It is like a single line of people. Each person is connected to the one before and the one after. Examples: Array, Linked List, Stack, Queue. Non-Linear Data Structures: Elements are not arranged sequentially. An element can be connected to several other elements. It is like a family tree, where a parent can have multiple children. Examples: Trees, Graphs.