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Inside the Machine G3 to G5 / Week 02 / Monday
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Week 02 · Input and output

Monday

Input devices
// Devices that take information in and send it out
⏱ about 15 min

Monday: Input devices

A neighbor carries a desktop keyboard into the Fix-It Bay. "Nothing I type shows up!" Rocket reports. "Every letter is missing!"

Raven follows the keyboard cable with her finger. "What do you notice?" she asks. "Where does this cable end?" The plug hangs loose, just short of the port.

Nova blinks a slow, friendly blue. "An input device has one job," she says. "It carries your actions into the machine. Would you like a hint? A message needs a road."

A keyboard, a camera and a sensor send information in. A screen and a speaker send results out.

How information gets in

An input device sends information into a computer. Without input, a computer just sits and waits.

A keyboard turns each key press into a code the computer understands. A mouse sends its movement and clicks.

A microphone turns sound into signals. A camera turns light into a picture. A game controller sends button presses and joystick moves.

Each input device needs a road into the computer. The road is a cable or a wireless signal.

Input deviceWhat it takes inWhat you do
KeyboardLetters, numbers and commandsPress keys
Mouse or touchpadMovement and clicksSlide and click
MicrophoneSoundTalk or sing
CameraLightPoint it at something
Game controllerButton presses and stick movesPress and push
ScannerA picture of a pageLay the page flat

The loose cable case

The keyboard in the story was fine. Its cable was not pushed all the way into the port.

A loose cable is one of the most common problems a technician sees. The device looks connected, but the road is broken.

Checking that a cable is seated is a fix a kid may do. Keep a grown-up nearby. Push gently until it stops. Never force it.

  1. Notice: the keyboard types nothing.
  2. Name it: the keyboard is an input device, so check its road in.
  3. Test one thing: check that the cable is seated in its port.
  4. Try typing again.
Safety first
Only check a keyboard or mouse cable, and only with a grown-up nearby.
Never touch a power cable, a charger or anything plugged into the wall.
If a cable does not fit easily, stop and ask a grown-up.
WHICH ONE IS INPUT?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which device sends information into the computer?
What does a keyboard send into the computer?
A camera takes in what?
StatementTrue or false?
A mouse is an input device.?
A keyboard works even if its cable is loose.?
Input devices need a road into the computer, like a cable.?
A game controller is an output device.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEInput devices carry your actions into the machine. A loose cable breaks that road.
In the story, what was wrong with the keyboard?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe cable was not seated in the port. The keyboard worked, but its message could not get through.
A device that sends information into a computer is an input what?
A microphone takes in what?
How many things does a technician change at a time?
PUT THE LOOSE CABLE FIX IN ORDER
  • ?Name the keyboard as an input device
  • ?Try typing again
  • ?Check that its cable is seated, with a grown-up nearby
  • ?Notice the keyboard types nothing
WHY THIS EXERCISENotice, name it, test one thing, check again. This order works for every case.
Try it
Find three input devices in your home.
For each one, say what it takes in: key presses, movement, sound or light.
Say how it connects: a cable or a wireless signal.

Great work, Crew Technician! You know how information gets into a machine. Tomorrow you will follow it back out.