Computer Studies - Junior Secondary 1 - Basic computer operations and concepts

Basic computer operations and concepts

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Term: 1st Term

Week: 3

Class: Junior Secondary School 1

Age: 12 years

Duration: 40 minutes of 2 periods each

Date:

Subject:      Computer studies

Topic:-       Basic computer operations and concepts

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to

  1. Explain the mechanical devices, giving examples
  2. Explain the electro-mechanical device, giving examples

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Identification, explanation, questions and answers, demonstration, videos from source

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Videos, loud speaker, textbook, pictures

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

PERIOD 1-2

PRESENTATION

TEACHER’S ACTIVITY

STUDENT’S ACTIVITY

STEP 1

INTRODUCTION

The teacher revises the previous lesson on basic computer operations and concepts

Students pay attention

STEP 2

EXPLANATION

She explains the stage in the development of computers where mechanical devices were invented and mentions some examples of such devices

Students pay attention and participates

STEP 3

DEMONSTRATION

She explains the stage in the development of computers where electro-mechanical devices were invented and mentions some examples of such devices

Students pay attention and participate

STEP 4

NOTE TAKING

The teacher writes a summarized note on the board

The students copy the note in their books

 

NOTE

BASIC COMPUTER OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS

MECHANICAL COUNTING DEVICES

Mechanical devices are devices that require the use of human physical force to operate. After it had been discovered that the earliest methods of counting were no longer convenient for counting large numbers, many mechanical devices were designed that aided people in their calculation.

  1. Abacus: Abacus is one of the first mechanical counting devices used for calculation. Abacus is a small device that consists of beads, strung on wire or wooden rod in a rectangular frame, which slides easily. The Chinese were the first to use abacus. It is used for addition and subtraction of numbers.
  2. Slide Rule: In 1632, an English Mathematician, William Oughtred designed the first linear slide rule. Although the familiar inner sliding rule was invented by an English instrument-maker, Robert Bissaker in 1654 however, the modern slide rule was made by Amedee Mannhein in 1859. Slide rule consist of a graduated scale, which can be moved relatively to aid simple calculation mechanically. It used to solve simple multiplication, division and finding of square root of numbers.

 

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL COUNTING DEVICES

Electro-mechanical counting devices are devices that use both the electronic and mechanical principles to perform the task of calculation.

TYPES OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL COUNTING DEVICES

  1. John Napier’s Bone

In the early 1600s, a Scottish mathematician called John Napier invented a tool called Napier’s Bone. It consists of eleven rods, with four sides each which was used as a multiplication tool.

  1. Blaise Pascal Machine

Blaise Pascal a nineteen years old French mathematician invented a calculating machine in 1642 and named it Pascaline. He did that to aid his father who was a tax collector. It is used for addition and subtraction of up to 8 digits number.

  1. Gottfried Leibniz’s Machine

A German mathematician named Gottfried leibnitz in 1671 built a better machine that would save time. He called it Leibnitz’s stepped Reckoner. The machine can add, subtract, multiply divide and calculate square root of numbers.

  1. Joseph Jacquard’s Loom

The Jacquard Loom was invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801, which used punched cards to control weaving of patterns in fabric. Though the loom was not used in computation, it is considered an important step in the history of computing.

  1. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine

An English Mathematician Charles Babbage decided to build a machine that could perform difficult calculations accurately and more quickly than previous machines. In 1837, he designed the first programmable computer referred to as the analytical engine. According to Babbage’s design, the analytical engine would be able to save instructions, perform calculation and produce printed output. He is widely recognized as the father of modern computer.

  1. Philip Emeagwali: (Inventor of the World's Fastest Computer)

Philip Emeagwali, who has been called the "Bill Gates of Africa," was born in Nigeria in 1954. Like many African school children, he dropped out of school at the age of 14 because his father could not continue paying his school fees. However, his father continued teaching him at home, and everyday he performed mental exercises such as solving 100 math problems in one hour. His father taught him until he "knew more than he did. In 1989 Emeagwali used 65,000 processors to invent the world's fastest computer, which performs computations at 3.1 billion calculations per second. His computers are currently being used to

  1. Forecast the weather
  2. Predict the likelihood of global warming
  3. Detect the effects of future global warming

EVALUATION:    1. Explain mechanical devices mentioning two examples

  1. Explain electro-mechanical devices, mentioning three examples

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher commends the students positively