Computer Basics for Kids:Just How Does a Computer Work?Look at this picture of a computer from our Computer Lab. A computer is made up of man parts.Let!s e"p#ore the parts to see if ou know what the are ca##ed$ %he &onitor%he monitor #ooks #ike a %' and #ets ou see our work and our fi#es.%he C()C() stands for *Centra# (rocessin+ )nit,.%he contain the brains of the computer.%he can be desktop mode#s that the monitor sits on top of- or tower mode#s that stand up ta##..#opp Disk Dri/e%he C() has p#aces to insert disks.0ne kind of disk dri/e is a f#opp disk dri/e.A f#opp disk dri/e reads information from a /er thin- f#opp disk inside a hard p#astic case..#opp disks can ho#d up to 1.22 me+abtes of information.CD340& Disk Dri/eCD340& stands for Compact Disk34ead 0n# &emor.%he are f#at- shin disks that store information.&ost new computers ha/e CD34W dri/es. CD34W stands for Compact Disk34eWrite. %his tpe of disk a##ows ou to write information to it- as we## as read from it.&ost can ho#d up to 566 me+abtes of information.D'DDri/e7Burner%he newest computers come with the option of a D'D dri/e.A D'D 8Di+ita# 'ideo Disc9 #ooks :ust #ike a CD- but ho#ds much more information$%he can store 2.5 +i+abtes of data$.#ash Dri/eA .#ash Dri/e is a re#ati/e# new stora+e de/ice.;t!s #ike a mini- portab#e hard dri/e$nter KeWhen ou write a #etter or a stor pressin+ the >nter Ke makes the cursor :ump down to the ne"t #ine.%his is a /er he#pfu# ke to use when ou want to start a new para+raph or ou!re tpin+ our spe##in+ #ist.%he .unction Kes&ost computer keboards ha/e between 16 and 1? function kes.%hese kes are usua## #ocated at the top of the keboard and +i/e the computer user fast was to +i/e the computer specia# instructions..or e"amp#e- pressin+ .1 when usin+ a Windows pro+ram wi## a##ow the user access to the He#p screen.%he @umeric Kepad Kes0n the ri+ht side of the keboard there is a set of kes +rouped to+ether in a sAuare.%hese kes ha/e two functions.When the number #ock ke is pressed- these kes offer a Auick and eas wa of enterin+ numbers into the computer.When the number #ock ke isn!t pressed- these kes contro# the mo/ement of the cursor.%e"t >ditin+ KesLocated ne"t to the numeric kepad- there are si" te"t editin+ kes.%hese kes are desi+ned to be used in Word (rocessin+ pro+rams.%he a##ow ou to mo/e Auick# around a screen when ou are writin+ a #etter or stor.%he are /er usefu# when ou want to fi" a spe##in+ mistake- add a sentence to our work- or :ust mo/e to another pa+e.%he &ouse@ope- it!s not a rodent$;t!s another input de/ice.;t!s ca##ed a mouse because of it!s shape and the wa the cab#e attachin+ it to the computer #ooks a bit #ike a tai#. %here are two kinds of mice.=ome use a ro##er ba## that a##ows the mouse to ro## around a f#at surface.When ou do that and #ook up at the screen- ou!## see a sma## mo/in+ arrow.%his arrow is ca##ed the pointer.A #aser mouse doesn!t ha/e a ro##er ba##.;t uses a #aser #i+ht that makes the pointer mo/e. Laser mice don!t ha/e to ha/e their insides c#eaned$=cannerA scanner is a /er usefu# input de/ice.i+ht bits are +rouped to+ether to form one bte.;n that +roup of E- there are ?CF possib#e combinations of 176.Wow$$%he +roupin+ of 176 within a bte is ca##ed Binary Code.Binar Code is the #an+ua+e of computers.Here is an e"amp#e of Binar Code:when ou tpe in the #etter A on our keboard- e#ectrica# si+na#s are sent from the keboard to the C().%he C() turns the si+na#s into Binar Code.%hen the computer reads the code and sends it on to the monitor to disp#a the #etter A.A## of that happens in an instant$=o what about &e+abtes and Bi+abtes????&e+abtes and Bi+abtes0ne me+abte eAua#s one mi##ion btes.=o- a computer with C1? me+abtes of 4A& 84andom Access &emor9 means the computer can hand#e C1?-666-666 8C1? mi##ion9 btes of 4A&.Hard disk space is a#so measured in btes. =o- a ?66 BB Hard Disk Dri/e has ?66-666-666-666 8?66 bi##ion9 btes for storin+ memor$%o +et an idea of how much on7off 81769 data a computer can store- ima+ine pressin+ an ke 1 bi##ion times.How #on+ wou#d it take?#ementar =choo#0ctober- ?66C4eferencesKids Domain Resources: Computer Connections, Computers Inside & Outhttp://wwwhowstu!!workscom"Computer Basics#, $eacher Created %ateria&s, pub'(()