JSS 3 First Term

Lesson objectives

By the end of the week, learners should be able to:

1. Define the software development life cycle and its phases.
2. Name the eight phases in order.
3. Compare waterfall and agile models on flexibility.
4. Describe the testing phase and its purpose.
5. Draw a simple waterfall lifecycle chart showing all phases.

Key vocabulary

• Software development life cycle: the ordered stages of building software.
• Phase: one stage in the development process.
• Waterfall: a linear model moving strictly through stages once.
• Agile: an iterative model repeating cycles of planning, building and testing.
• Testing phase: verification checking the product works correctly.
• Verification: confirming the product meets requirements.
• Validation: confirming the product meets user needs.
• Linear model: a model progressing strictly through stages without loops.

Common misconceptions

• "Waterfall never revisits earlier phases." Waterfall revisits earlier phases on major defects.
• "Agile is chaotic development." Agile has disciplined iteration cycles inside loops.
• "Testing happens only at the end." Testing runs throughout the life cycle continuously.

Teacher activities

1. Starter: display a waterfall chart and an agile chart side by side and ask which suits a school assignment.
2. Define the software development life cycle and state the eight phases in order.
3. Compare waterfall and agile on flexibility and documentation.
4. Explain the testing phase and its relation to verification and validation.
5. Draw a simple waterfall lifecycle chart on the board.
6. Close with the model-choice task and exit question.

Student activities

1. Choose the starter item and explain the preference reason.
2. Define the software development life cycle in their own words and list the eight phases.
3. Compare waterfall and agile on flexibility and documentation.
4. Explain the testing phase and relate it to verification and validation.
5. Draw a waterfall lifecycle chart showing all eight phases.
6. Choose the model suited to a small team project and justify it.
7. Answer the exit question in one sentence about waterfall revisits.

Practical / learning evidence

An eight-phase waterfall chart, a waterfall versus agile comparison and a one-paragraph testing explanation. Submit all three for marking.

Resources and preparation

Printed chart templates, blank comparison sheets and sample project scenarios. Offline route: paper versions, no device needed. Display diagrams carefully and avoid touching any hardware used in demos.

Assessment for learning

Inspect the waterfall chart for eight distinct phases in order. Mark the waterfall versus agile comparison for equal criteria. Check the testing explanation for verification and validation linkage. Flag any learner who claims waterfall never revisits earlier phases.

Inclusion and homework

Provide the chart prefilled for learners who need scaffolding and allow oral comparison. Extend confident learners with seven more phases and a seven-scenario comparison. Homework: describe one real application built with the waterfall model in one paragraph.