A-1 Computer: what is it?

A-1 What is a Computer?

In this lesson, students will explore what makes a computer a computer. They will look at a variety of objects and debate whether it has the components that make it a computer or not.

Do Now (5 minutes)

TEACHER GUIDANCE:

• • You may wish to only show up to 2:50 on this video; the above questions only reflect that portion of the video

  • The four different tasks all computers need to be able to perform are taking input, storing information, processing information, and outputting the results. These four things are common to all computers.

  • The earliest computers were made out of metal and wood with mechanical levers and gears. In the 20th century, computers began to be made out of electrical components and were at first the size of an entire room!

  • The earliest computers started out as calculators, and only manipulated numbers. Now computers enable us to communicate, play games, control robots, and do lots of other creative things.

Mini-Lesson (5-10 minutes)

Lesson adapted from Code Discoveries Unit 1 Lesson 4 What Is A Computer?

• 1. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4

  2. Distribute this worksheet and accompanying art supplies

  3. Give students the following directions:

     • Draw a line down the middle of your poster, label one side "Computer" and the other "Not a Computer"

     • Discuss as a group which of the objects from the activity guide belong in each category

     • Once your group is in agreement tape your objects to the appropriate side

     • Develop a list of characteristics your groups used to determine whether an object is a computer

TEACHER GUIDANCE: It will not always be clear whether something is a computer or not, so remind students that it's not necessary for everyone to agree on every item from the worksheet. Encourage groups to talk openly about their ideas, defend their points of view, and even take a majority-rules vote if they still cannot decide how to categorize different items.

Close-Out (5 minutes)

• 1. Discuss the following questions:

• • What rules or definition did you use to categorize your objects?

    • Which item was most difficult for you to categorize? How did you eventually make the decision of where to place it?

    • What items did you or could you have added to your “computer” and “not a computer” lists?

TEACHER GUIDANCE: Encourage students to share the rules and definitions developed by their groups, leading them to see how all computers involve input, processing, storage, and output.

Standards CSTA

• • CSTA 2-CS-02: Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.

  • CSTA 2-CS-03: Systematically identify and fix problems with computing devices and their components.