WHAT IS A COMPUTER? HOW DOES IT WORK?

WE ARE GOING TO LEARN

• students learn to compare their body’s senses to a computer’s sensors.

• investigate different sensors that can collect data and be used by a computer.

• combine a sensor with an everyday object to create a “magical computer"

CURRICULUM LINKS

• Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes strand of the Digital Technologies part of the Technology curriculum:

  • Progress Outcome 1: In authentic contexts and taking account of end-users, students participate in teacher-led activities to develop, manipulate, store, retrieve and share digital content in order to meet technological challenges. In doing so, they identify digital devices and their purposes and understand that humans make them. They know how to use some applications, they can identify the inputs and outputs of a system, and they understand that digital devices store content, which can be retrieved later.

  • Progress Outcome 2: In authentic contexts and taking account of end-users, students make decisions about creating, manipulating, storing, retrieving, sharing and testing digital content for a specific purpose, given particular parameters, tools, and techniques. They understand that digital devices impact on humans and society and that both the devices and their impact change over time. Students identify the specific role of components in a simple input-process-output system and how they work together, and they recognise the "control role” that humans have in the system. They can select from an increasing range of applications and file types to develop outcomes for particular purposes.

• Science - Living World - levels 3–4: Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.

HOW-TO

MATERIALS NEEDED

• A Backpack and some backpack suitable items (see Part 1)

• Human senses Slidedeck- see part 2

• Computer Sensors Slidedeck- see part 3

• Computer Sensors Worksheet - see part 3 - see downloadable resources at the bottom

• Computer Sensors Worksheet Answers - see part 3- see downloadable resources at the bottom

• Magical Computers Worksheet - see part 4- see downloadable resources at the bottom

• Power Buttons - Print, cut out and laminate - see part 4- see downloadable resources at the bottom

LESSON SEQUENCE

Part 1 - What is a Computer?

Conversation Starter: What is a computer? Close your eyes and imagine all the computers you know about, all the computers you’ve seen and all the computers you’ve touched.

With each example, draw attention to the following four concepts:

• Inputs - how does this computer get its information - keyboards, microphones, sensors, buttons

• Outputs - how does this computer give you information - screens, speakers, movement

• Processes - how does this computer think?

• Storage - does this computer remember stuff after you’ve switched it off?

Worked Example

Forgetful backpack - I’ve made my backpack into a computer to tell me when I have forgotten something.

• Input: When I lift it up, I tell the computer to start scanning. (If your kids are already familiar with block programming software, like Scratch or Scratch Jr, you can use the word “Event” here as well). It is using a motion sensor to sense that the bag has been lifted up.

• Output: The computer will scan to see if I have everything. If I am missing anything, it will say “Auē! Kei te hinengaro makere koe! Oh no! You are forgetful! You have forgotten to put in <item>” The output device is a speaker, the output is the words.

• Processes: The scanning that the computer does. This is the processing of the program.

• Storage: In this case, this computer could remember how many times the scan has been run, and what kind of things you forget a lot.

Part 2: How do our bodies help us understand the world around us?

How do our bodies help us understand the world around us? Connect this to a discussion of our five senses: smell, sight, hearing, taste and touch. You can use this slide deck if you want.

At this stage, ask the students whether computers understand the world in the same way. Do they have five senses? Draw a link back to Part 1, where we talked about inputs and outputs.

Part 3: What is a sensor?

Work through the Computer Sensors Worksheet (see downloadable resources) with the kids. We explain the sensors here, and here is a slide deck to help you, and in the downloadable resources below is the suggested answers.

Each slide on the slide deck is the cartoon representation of the sensor (as it is on the worksheet) and then a photo of an example of a real one. Note that not all sensors look identical, these are examples of ones as they are currently.

Use the answer sheet to help you understand the inputs and possible outputs for each sensor.

Part 4: Future Computers & Magical Computers

Computers have come a long way, and currently, there is a buzz around the term “Internet of Things” (IoT). In simple language, this is the concept of adding sensors and internet connectivity to everyday objects. Some of your students may already be familiar with IoT things, and that, to those students, it is not unusual to consider sensors and internet connectivity in everyday objects. For example, they may have Philips Hue lightbulbs and are familiar with the concept of lights switching on and off with sunset and sunrise. Other students, will not have encountered any of these concepts at all. The purpose of this part of the lesson is to familiarise all your students with these concepts, and show how sensors and internet connectivity can improve everyday objects.

Give each student a Magical Computers Worksheet (download below) and a power button. Encourage the kids to share their computers back with the class.

Downloads

• Power Buttons.pdf

• Computer Sensors Worksheet.pdf

• Magical Computers Worksheet.pdf

• Computer Sensors Worksheet Answers.pdf