Hardware lesson 1

• Computing
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

1. What are the devices in the following images?
2. What is the purpose of each device?

Lesson 1: What is a Computer?

Year 9 – Introduction to Computer Hardware

Lesson objectives 

Conquer: Define the term computer.

 

Aspire: Identify how computers receive commands and data

What is a computer?

• An electronic device which takes in data, processes it and then outputs the result.

 

Which of these is a computer?

Computer

Not a computer

Input and output devices

To interact with computers we have created a variety of input and output devices.

Input devices.

These all send data/ instructions into the computer. 

1. Mouse - Right clicking with the mouse.
2. Games controller - Pressing X to jump
3. Microphone - Singing into the microphone. 

Output devices

These all receive information from the computer and give the feedback to the users input.

1. Monitor - Will display the screen.
2. Headphones - Will output sound
3. Printer - Will print the contents of a document. 

Sort the input and output devices above into the correct columns.

Input Device

Output Device

What about a touch screen?
Is it an input, or an output device?
Explain your answer.

A touch screen is the only device which works as both an input and an output device. You view the options available to you on the screen (output) and you then use your finger to touch the option that you have chosen (input).

Touch Screens

A touch screen is the only device which works as both an input and an output device.

You view the options available to you on the screen (output) and you then use your finger to touch the option that you have chosen (input).

Create a hardware guide.

In PowerPoint (Click here) create 3 slides

1. Slide 1 - What is a computer?
2. Slide 2 - What are input devices?
3. Slide 3 - What are output devices. 

Include the key definition and image examples of devices. 

A couple of quiz questions after this task to recap and test knowledge. 

An input device is a device that...

1. Sends data from the computer
2. Sends data to the computer
3. Stores data from the computer
4. Uses volatile data

An output device is a device that...

1. Gets data sent to it from the computer
2. Sends data to the computer
3. Stores data from the computer
4. Uses volatile data

A speaker is an example of a...

1. Input Device
2. Storage Device
3. Output Device
4. Primary Memory

A camera is an example of a...

1. Input Device
2. Storage Device
3. Output Device
4. Primary Memory

Which of these is not a computer?

1. Calculator
2. Smart Phone
3. Clock
4. Smart Watch