Teach Computer Science

Introduction to
computers

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 1.

Activities

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Activity 1
Duration: 15 minutes

A. Complete the blank timeline to fill in any four important

inventions in the evolution of computers in the order of its
occurrence. You may include the name of the inventor or device
along with its functionality.

Tommy Flowers: Konrad Zuse: The

Charles Babbage Alan Turing: The Colossus was first
and Ada Lovelace: How the modern used by British programmable
First general computer works cryptographers to computer, Z3,
purpose machine, with programs to data and
decode German
analytical engine perform different programs were
messages in WWII. stored in punched
functions
film

B. Complete the input-process-output model for a printer.

Input Process Output

Document from a Send the image of

Printed page from
word processor or this file to the
printer
pdf file printer

C. List any five applications of a computer.

a) Cryptography

b) Simulation and modelling

c) Robotics

d) Data crunching

e) Biologically-inspired engineering

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Activity 2
Duration: 15 minutes

A. A class is planning an educational trip. Decompose this task into

four sub-tasks.

Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4

Selecting the Calculating the

place and money required Arranging lunch Arranging
obtaining and collecting it and water transportation
permission from students

B. Think of a coffee machine. Write down any five details of a

coffee machine that are hidden from the user. Remember that
details that are not useful to the user are hidden. This is called
abstraction.

a) Deciding the amount of coffee powder

b) Time for which the coffee has to be ground

c) Amount of time water is heated up

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 2.
End of topic
questions

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End of topic questions
1. How has the invention of transistors transformed computers?
Moore’s law describes that computers are becoming smaller over a period of years.
The number of transistors doubles every two years. The processing speed of
computers is also increasing each year.

2. What are the three types of computers? Explain in detail with

suitable examples.
General purpose computers

A general purpose computer is designed to perform a wide range of tasks. Laptops,

tablets and mobile phones are examples of general purpose computers.

Dedicated systems

Dedicated systems are designed only for a particular operation. For example:
automatic payment in toll plazas.

Control systems

Control systems are programmed to operate automatically with minimum inputs

from the user. For example: Industrial robots and wearable gadgets.

3. What is cryptography?
The process of protecting the secrecy and the integrity of data sent through a
computer is achieved using cryptography. The message to be sent is coded using a
sophisticated algorithm from the sender’s end. The encrypted message received is
decoded at the receiver’s end to present the message in a readable format.

4. Give a few applications of robotics.

Unmanned space probes, unmanned combat air vehicles, mining, healthcare and
domestic tasks.

5. What are the essential components of computational thinking?

Algorithm design: The problem is broken down into a series of logical steps called an
algorithm.

Decomposition: A large problem is broken down into smaller chunks that can then be
solved using computing.

Abstraction: In the study of objects or systems, certain characteristics are removed so

that it is reduced to a simple set of characteristics.

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End of topic questions
6. How does nanotechnology affect the future of computing?
New materials are created that improve efficiency and are environment friendly.
Therefore, computers become cheaper, faster and contain more memory.

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