Computing · Year 8

Active learning ideas

IP Addressing and MAC Addresses

Active learning works best here because students must see how MAC and IP addresses operate at different network layers, not just memorize their definitions. Hands-on activities let them trace packets and role-play roles, revealing why uniqueness matters and how devices actually communicate.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: Computing - Computer Networks
• KS3: Computing - Network Addressing

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Pairs

Card Sort: IP vs MAC Comparison

Prepare cards with scenarios, device types, and address examples. In pairs, students sort cards into 'local network (MAC)' or 'internet routing (IP)' piles, then justify choices with evidence from address formats. Discuss as a class to refine understanding.

Compare the purpose of an IP address and a MAC address.

Facilitation Tip

For the Card Sort, provide pre-printed cards with features like '48-bit length' or 'assigned by DHCP' so students physically group them rather than debate wording.

What to look for

Present students with scenarios: 'A device needs to send data to another device on the same Wi-Fi network.' or 'A device needs to send data to a server in another country.' Ask students to identify which address type (MAC or IP) is primarily used for the initial step of communication in each scenario and explain why.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Network Simulation: Packet Relay

Assign each small group a 'device' with printed IP and MAC cards. Students pass 'data packets' (envelopes) using rules for ARP resolution and routing. Introduce a duplicate IP to observe and log failures.

Explain how IP addresses enable communication across the internet.

Facilitation Tip

In the Network Simulation, assign students roles such as 'sender,' 'router,' and 'receiver' to make packet relay physically visible, using colored balls to represent frames.

What to look for

On a slip of paper, ask students to write down one key difference between a MAC address and an IP address and one consequence of two devices on the same network having the same IP address.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 35 min · Individual

Address Detective: Wireshark Challenge

Provide sample Wireshark captures or simplified logs. Individually, students identify IP/MAC pairs, trace a packet path, and note what happens with address mismatches. Share findings in a whole-class debrief.

Predict the consequences of two devices having the same IP address on a local network.

Facilitation Tip

During the Address Detective Wireshark Challenge, give students a guided worksheet with MAC and IP columns so they focus on observation, not tool navigation.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are building a new network for a school. What are the key considerations when assigning IP addresses to student laptops and teacher workstations, and how do MAC addresses play a role in this process?' Facilitate a class discussion focusing on uniqueness, network layer, and local delivery.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Small Groups

DHCP Role-Play: Address Assignment

One student acts as DHCP server, others as devices requesting IPs. Groups simulate lease times and renewals with props, then introduce conflicts to predict network behaviour.

Compare the purpose of an IP address and a MAC address.

Facilitation Tip

For DHCP Role-Play, use sticky notes with IPs that must be passed between students in a circle to show dynamic assignment and renewal.

What to look for

Present students with scenarios: 'A device needs to send data to another device on the same Wi-Fi network.' or 'A device needs to send data to a server in another country.' Ask students to identify which address type (MAC or IP) is primarily used for the initial step of communication in each scenario and explain why.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers often begin with analogies, but students learn more when they build the network themselves. Avoid telling them too much upfront; let the activities reveal MACs as hardware fingerprints and IPs as postal codes. Research shows that students grasp layered models better when they experience collisions or dropped frames in real time, so simulations beat slides here.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently explain when to use a MAC versus an IP address, describe how ARP and DHCP bridge their roles, and troubleshoot simple conflicts like duplicate MACs or IP mismatches in simulated networks.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Card Sort: IP vs MAC Comparison, watch for students who group both types as 'addresses that change,' suggesting they confuse dynamic IPs with fixed MACs.

  Pause the activity and ask groups to sort their cards again using the physical labels 'always the same' for MAC cards and 'can change' for IP cards, referencing the DHCP role-play example of sticky-note IP renewal.

• During Network Simulation: Packet Relay, watch for students who believe a router uses a MAC address to forward packets across the internet.

  Have the router student hold up both the MAC address of the local interface and the IP address of the destination, prompting the class to discuss which information is used at each hop.

• During DHCP Role-Play: Address Assignment, watch for students who assume MAC addresses change when a device gets a new IP.

  Ask the student holding the MAC sticky note to keep it fixed while receiving a new IP sticky note, then demonstrate ARP to map the two together, making the stability clear.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle