Part of Lesson Plan: Creation of Straight-through and Crossover Cat 5/5e Cable

Activity Overview / Details

Don't allow students to enter the classroom without having each one take a piece of rj-45 terminated cat 5 cable out of a container. (Cut wire is cat 5 or cat 5e 568A or 568B cable that still has the RJ-45 connector and about 8 inches of cable attached - (refer to cat5 termination pic here).  Have about a 50-50 ratio.) The idea of this hook is to challenge students' powers of observation and detail looking at the cable from the outside in. Later on, the cable will be dissected and students will be able to see from the inside out. (Comment: I know that students love to be challenged in some way or another, and that some will know wiring schemes, but most will not. A quick challenge with a time limit doesn't give the 'pros' enough time to help the uninitiated and just completing the coloring-in portion will take the ten alloted minutes in this format.)

Also with the wire, have the students take the diagram (Ant set.pdf)  that you have folded, with the instructions that they are to follow the instructions on the paper. Tell them the only thing they are to fill out is name and color in the wiring scheme and tell them they will have ten minutes to figure and fill it out.

When students get to their desks, they will have the paper, wire sample, and colored pencils. Allow them to work on this for the time alloted, then pencils down. They are to turn their papers over and this leads into your pulling them into the next activity. Tell them to set their papers and cable aside until you tell them to return to them.