Technologies · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Input and Output Devices

Hands-on exploration helps Year 1 students connect abstract ideas about input and output to the tools they already use every day. Moving between stations and real objects turns confusing labels into clear, memorable experiences.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2K01

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Input Device Stations

Prepare four stations with keyboard, mouse, touchscreen tablet, and voice recorder. Students spend 5 minutes at each, inputting simple commands like typing names or saying colors, then note what happens. Rotate groups and discuss patterns as a class.

Explain how a tablet knows where your finger is touching.

Facilitation Tip

During Input Device Stations, circulate with a small plastic barrier to test touchscreens and show students why a finger works but a glove or plastic does not.

What to look for

Present students with pictures of various devices (e.g., a tablet, a speaker, a keyboard, a printer). Ask them to sort the pictures into two groups: 'Things that put information IN' and 'Things that show information OUT'. Discuss their choices.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Output Showdown: Compare Displays

Use a computer to show the same picture via screen, speakers describing it, and printed copy. Pairs predict and test which output works best for different needs, like eyes closed, then vote and explain choices.

Compare all the different ways a computer can show us an answer.

Facilitation Tip

For Output Showdown, place three displays side by side with the same image to let students observe brightness, color, and size differences.

What to look for

Give each student a slip of paper. Ask them to draw one input device and label it, and draw one output device and label it. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what information goes into the input device or comes out of the output device.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 35 min · Pairs

Design Dash: Inclusive Device Sketch

In pairs, students brainstorm and draw a device for someone unable to use hands, listing input options like foot pedals or eye tracking. Share sketches whole class and vote on creative ideas.

Design a device for someone who cannot use their hands, considering input methods.

Facilitation Tip

In Design Dash, provide tactile materials like pipe cleaners and foam so sketching becomes a three-dimensional discussion of accessibility.

What to look for

Show a video of a person using a voice assistant like Siri or Alexa. Ask students: 'What is the input device here? What is the output device? How does the device know what the person is saying?' Encourage them to explain the process in their own words.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Individual

Classroom Hunt: Device Detective

Provide checklists of input/output examples. Students work individually to find and photograph three in the room, then share findings to classify as input or output.

Explain how a tablet knows where your finger is touching.

What to look for

Present students with pictures of various devices (e.g., a tablet, a speaker, a keyboard, a printer). Ask them to sort the pictures into two groups: 'Things that put information IN' and 'Things that show information OUT'. Discuss their choices.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with objects students can touch and move, not pictures on a screen. Use turn-and-talk so every child gets a chance to name a device they recognize. Avoid over-explaining; let their observations guide the next question. Research shows that concrete play leads to stronger mental models at this age.

Students will confidently name input and output devices, explain their basic functions, and recognize examples in their classroom and at home. They will also begin to describe how information flows from user to computer and back again.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Input Device Stations, watch for students who assume every device must be pressed or typed.

  Use the plastic barrier test at each station and pause the group to discuss why some devices respond and others do not, making the role of electrical signals explicit.

• During Output Showdown, listen for children who describe a screen as ‘just a picture’ rather than a way the computer shows information.

  Ask students to describe what happens when the computer sends the image to each display, focusing them on the flow of information rather than the image itself.

• During Design Dash, observe students who draw only familiar devices and ignore alternatives.

  Point to the tactile materials and ask them to consider someone who cannot see or hear, guiding them to sketch a braille display or vibrating wristband.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation