Context of the Standard

A system is defined as a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Systems always have inputs and outputs. In computer science, input and output, also referred to as I/O, is the communication between an information processing system, such as a computer, and the outside world, possibly a human or another information processing system.

Inputs are the signals or data received by the system; these include electricity, the movements and clicks of your mouse, and the keys you type on a keyboard.  An output is whatever comes out of the system; for example, outputs include data and what can be seen on the computer screen.

Essential Skills

Essential Questions

Essential Vocabulary

Students should demonstrate these skills:

• Describe how a computing system may take in input.
• Describe how a computing system may produce output.
• Model a simple computing system indicating inputs and outputs.

Students should investigate these concepts:

• What is a system?
• Why are computers considered a system?
• What are the different types of output that a computer can produce?

Students should apply these terms in context:

• Computing system
• Input
• Output