Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Packet Switching Post: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 8
- ForYear 8
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Packet Switching Post is a free printable computing worksheet for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13) in Key Stage 3. Children use an arrival ticket log to rebuild a message sent as separate packets, then answer questions about what the log shows. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children start with an arrival ticket log. It is a table with headings for Arrived, Packet, Words and Route hops, and each ticket holds a few words of a message. Children read the log carefully and answer questions about timings and which packet came last. They then put the packets in number order, write out the full message and finish by explaining why each packet needs a number.
- Arrived
- Packet
- Words
- Route hops
- How many ms did packet 4 take to arrive?
- Which packet arrived last, and how many ms did it take?
- Put the packets in number order and write the full message.
- Why does each packet need a number?
Make your own packet post
Write a short message
Choose a sentence of your own, about twelve words long. Keep it clear so a friend can test it later.
Cut it into tickets
Split the message into groups of words. Write each group on a small slip of paper and give every slip a packet number.
Add arrival details
Invent a time in ms and a number of route hops for each ticket. Put the details in a table like the one on the sheet.
Swap and rebuild
Shuffle the slips and give them to someone else. They use the table to put the message back together and say how they did it.
How networks send messages
A network is a group of devices joined together so they can share data. The internet is a huge network made from many smaller networks. When you send a message, a photo or a web page request, the data does not usually travel as one big block. It is split into small pieces called packets, and each piece carries information about where it is going.
Packets pass through devices such as routers. A router looks at where a packet is headed and sends it on to the next device. Each jump between devices is called a hop. Time is measured in milliseconds, because data moves very quickly. Reading a log of times and hops is a simple way to see how this works.
Quick facts about networks
- A millisecond is one thousandth of a second, so one thousand of them fit into a single second.
- The internet is a network made from many smaller networks joined together.
- Routers are devices that pass data on towards the place it needs to reach.
- Messages sent online are usually split into small pieces called packets.
- Each jump from one device to the next along a route is called a hop.
Skills and curriculum link
- Sequencing data
- Reading a table
- Explaining networks
- Careful checking
- Writing a reason
Ideas to help with the log
- PacketA small piece of a larger message. It carries some of the data plus details about where it is going.
- HopOne jump from one device to the next on the way to the destination.
- Millisecond (ms)A tiny unit of time. One thousandth of a second.
- RouterA device that receives data and sends it on towards where it needs to go.
Key words
- NetworkA group of devices connected so they can share data.
- PacketA small piece of data sent across a network.
- RouterA device that passes data on towards its destination.
- HopOne step from one device to the next along a route.
- MillisecondOne thousandth of a second. It is written ms.
- SequenceThings placed in a set order, one after another.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the arrival log together first. Ask your child to say what each heading in the table means.
- Work down the questions in order. Check packet numbers before writing the message.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you decide the order?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and try the stretch idea. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Cut the four packets out as tickets and sort them into number order on the table before writing anything. Then read the words from left to right. Use a finger to point at the row you are reading in the log.
To stretch confident children
Write a new message of your own and split it into packets of three words. Number each packet, shuffle them and swap with a partner. Ask them to rebuild the message and explain what the numbers helped them do.
Make it a game
Play in pairs. One player writes a message on numbered tickets and hands them over one at a time, in any order. The other player races to rebuild the message. Swap roles and compare how quickly you each finished.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes the message in the order the rows appear in the log.
Try thisAsk them to look only at the Packet column. Write the numbers in a list first, then add the words beside each number.
Watch forA child reads the wrong row when finding a time for a named packet.
Try thisUse a ruler under the row. Find the packet number first, then slide along to the right column.
Watch forA child mixes up the ms figure with the number of route hops.
Try thisUnderline the column headings. Say aloud what each column measures before writing the answer.
Watch forA child answers the final question with only a short phrase such as "so it works".
Try thisAsk what might go wrong if the numbers were missing. Encourage a full sentence that gives a clear reason.
Talk about it
- What do you think happens to a message before it leaves your device?
- Why might a message be sent in small pieces rather than one big block?
- What is a hop, and how would you explain it to a younger child?
- Which column in the log was the easiest to read, and why?
- How did you check your message made sense once it was rebuilt?
- Where else do we use numbers to keep things in order?
Take it off the page
Postal sorting
Write a short message on slips of paper, one word group per slip. Number them, mix them up and rebuild the message with a family member.
Route map
Draw a map with six dots joined by lines. Choose a start and an end dot and count the hops for two different routes.
Number the story
Cut a comic strip into panels and shuffle them. Swap with someone else and put the story back in order, then talk about the clues you used.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first read of the log, then let them lead. Ask them to explain each answer in their own words. You do not need to know how networks work, because page 2 has the answers.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, homework or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. It fits Key Stage 3 teaching on how computers communicate, and the support and stretch ideas help with mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider computing plan and pair it with the offline ideas above. Ask your learner to explain the final question aloud before writing. The sheet can be printed again for brothers and sisters or for revision later.
Where this fits in computing
Before this sheet, children meet ordering and sequencing, reading information from tables and the idea that computers are connected in networks. Putting numbered items in order is a skill used in maths, in reading and in programming.
After it, learners can move on to how data is stored and shared, how networks are kept safe and how computers follow agreed rules to communicate. At Key Stage 3 this sits within the strand on how computer systems communicate with one another.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Packet Switching Post for?
It is written for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13) in Key Stage 3. Younger children who enjoy computing may manage it with help, and older learners can use it as a quick recap of how networks send data.
- What will children practise?
Children practise putting numbered data packets in order, reading an arrival log and explaining how networks deliver messages. The final question asks for a written reason, which builds clear computing vocabulary.
- Do children need a computer or tablet?
No. It is a screen free printable that needs only paper and a pencil. It suits quiet time, a rainy afternoon, homework or a classroom table activity.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Cut the four packets out as tickets and sort them into number order on the table before writing. Page 2 also has help ideas for children who need more support.
- Where are the answers?
The answers are on page 2, which is for the grown-up. Keep that page back until your child has tried every question, then check the answers together and talk about the method.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, supply resource, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas.
- Is it free to print?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. Black and white printing works well on plain A4 paper, so you can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.