RESOURCE OVERVIEW:
An input device is a digital device that takes data from the outside world and converts it into a format that a computer system can use, such as a keyboard, microphone or motion sensor. This activity is an investigation of different input devices, where pupils are challenged to create programs that use the input from a device in a short piece of code. This activity is in two parts.
PUPIL OBJECTIVES:
- I can explain what an input device is.
- I can write a program that uses input from an input device (and make my sprite do something).
- I can describe common uses of input devices in school and beyond school.
TEACHING ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
- Informal teacher assessment of progress during planning, input, main task and presentation. Focus on: pupils describing their use of a range of input devices, specifically on the code they have written to utilise the input device in their program; can pupils recognise input devices in the world around them?
LESSON TIMING: 60+ min
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
- Input devices (see Teaching Notes on input devices in the download resource link above).
- MIT’s Scratch 2.0 or Scratch 1.4. (Please refer to this guide on the ways to download and use our Scratch resources in your school.)
- Pupil access to Scratch, in pairs and student template Scratch files (see Teaching Notes on input devices in the download resource link above).
- Investigating Inputs teachers’ presentation.
- Investigating Inputs student activity sheets for each input device Note: each sheet has been designed so that pupils can be given just the activity (top section), or can be given the activity and help section too.
- Teacher example Scratch programs (see Teaching Notes on Input devices in the download resource link above).
- If using WeDo or Picoboards, WeDo and Picoboard extension software downloaded (see Teaching Notes on WeDo and Picoboard extension and Scratch Lego WeDo extension installation instructions or Scratch Picoboard extension installation instructions).