Context of the Standard

A system is defined as a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Computing devices are defined as having input, processors, memory and output; these are considered part of a computer system. 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. This is how real world information is digitized, or translated in and out of binary.

Inputs are the signals or data received by the system. There is a wide variety of digital collection tools used for gathering and inputting digital data. Tools may be chosen based upon the type of data people wish to observe or by the designers of the system. These collection tools include the movements and clicks of your mouse and the keys you type on a keyboard. Sensors are also used in computing systems, such as in robotics, to detect information and serve as input devices for the system.   For example, a robotic device depends on sensors, such as a light sensor, to detect changes in brightness.

In fifth grade, students are introduced to the concept of storage. Computers store data that can be retrieved later. It is also good practice to save data in multiple locations to protect against loss. The storage capacity of a computing device varies as does the amount of storage required for the saving of different media (pictures, videos, text documents, etc). Data can be stored locally on a hard drive or in a global network of servers that are accessed via the Internet, aka The Cloud.

Data is stored in binary. The connection should be made that variables in programs are how we store and access data when programming. A variable is a name given to a spot in the computer’s memory. The programmer can access and change the data stored in that location by using the variable name.

Students do not need to know how to change numbers from base ten to binary; however, they do need to understand that an input device like a microphone takes sound waves and represents it in computer memory as binary.

Essential Skills

Essential Questions

Essential Vocabulary

Students should demonstrate these skills:

• Describe how a computing system may use different components to receive input including sensors.
• Identify the processor as the component which manipulates input into output.
• Describe how a computing system may produce output.
• Model a simple computing system indicating inputs and outputs.
• Explain how data can be stored in a computer for later use.
• Recognize that different types of data require different amounts of storage.

Students should investigate these concepts:

• What are examples of sensors or computer components that take in input?
• What kind of input can a computer take in?
• What are the different types of output that a computer can produce?
• What is storage in regards to a computing device?
• How does the amount of storage affect how well a computer functions?
• How do storage requirements differ between different media?

Students should apply these terms in context:

• Input
• Output
• Processor
• Sensor
• Storage