Input and Output Devices

Active learning helps young students grasp input and output by making abstract ideas concrete and memorable. When children physically act out processes or explore devices with their hands, they build lasting understanding of how technology responds to their actions.

• Year 1
• Computing
• 3 activities
• 15 min–20 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify at least three different input devices and explain their function.
2. Identify at least three different output devices and explain their function.
3. Classify common electronic devices based on their primary input and output methods.
4. Demonstrate how a specific input leads to a specific output on a given device.

Simulation Game

⏱ 15 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Human Computer

One student is the 'Input' (pokes a shoulder), one is the 'Processor' (claps), and one is the 'Output' (jumps). They practice different 'programs' to see how an input always leads to a specific output.

Prepare & details

How can you give instructions to a tablet or computer?

Facilitation Tip: During the Human Computer relay, stand back after giving instructions to allow students to self-correct their actions and timing.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Input/Output Hunters

Pairs look at different devices (a keyboard, a speaker, a mouse, a screen). They must sort them into two hoops: 'Things we give information to' and 'Things that give information to us'.

Prepare & details

How does a computer show you its answer — can you think of different ways?

Facilitation Tip: When leading Input/Output Hunters, circulate with a clipboard to listen for precise language like ‘touch’, ‘press’, ‘see’, and ‘hear’ as students categorise devices.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Mystery Machine

The teacher describes an output (e.g., 'It makes a loud beeping sound and shows numbers'). Students must guess the machine (a microwave) and identify what the 'input' was (pressing the time buttons).

Prepare & details

Why do you think different machines have different buttons or screens?

Facilitation Tip: In the Mystery Machine activity, pause after the pair discussion to invite quieter pairs to share their guesses with the whole class.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic through multi-sensory experiences to anchor new vocabulary in real actions. Avoid abstract definitions at this stage; instead, anchor explanations in what children can see and do. Research shows that physical interaction and peer talk strengthen early computational thinking, so prioritise opportunities for movement, collaboration, and clear feedback loops.

What to Expect

By the end of the activities, students will confidently identify input and output devices, explain their roles in simple terms, and apply this knowledge to familiar technology. They will also begin to sequence events, recognizing that input always comes before output.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Human Computer activity, watch for students reversing the sequence of input and output.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the relay and ask the class, ‘What had to happen first? Did the runner start before or after the trigger?’ Model saying the sequence aloud together: ‘Press, move, stop.’

Common Misconception

During the Mystery Machine activity, listen for students saying that a screen is only an input because it is touched.

What to Teach Instead

Use the separate mouse and monitor you’ve set up nearby. Ask students to press the mouse (input) and watch the screen change (output). Then ask them to touch the screen and say, ‘Now the screen is both—it feels my touch and shows me the picture.’

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Input/Output Hunters activity, hold up objects like a keyboard, speaker, or tablet. Ask students to give a thumbs up if it’s an input device and thumbs down if it’s an output device. Follow up by asking ‘How do you know?’ for a few examples.

Exit Ticket

After the Human Computer relay, give each student a small card. Ask them to draw one input device on one side and one output device on the other. For each drawing, they should write one word describing what it does, such as ‘type’, ‘see’, ‘hear’, or ‘click’.

Discussion Prompt

During the Mystery Machine activity, gather students around a familiar device like a tablet or simple toy robot. Ask, ‘What button or screen area do you touch to make it do something?’ (Input). Then ask, ‘What does it do or show you when you touch it?’ (Output). Discuss why different buttons or screens exist on different devices.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to design a simple machine with one input (e.g., button) and one output (e.g., light or sound) using craft materials.
• Scaffolding: Provide picture cards of devices with labels for students who need support naming or grouping them.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to create a ‘Day in the Life’ poster showing all the input and output devices they use at home, school, and outdoors.

Key Vocabulary

Input Device	A piece of hardware that sends data or instructions into a computer or electronic device. This is how we tell a device what to do.
Output Device	A piece of hardware that receives data from a computer or electronic device and presents it to the user. This is how a device shows us its answer or result.
Touchscreen	A screen that can detect touch, allowing users to interact directly with the device by tapping or swiping.
Button	A physical switch on a device that is pressed to send an input signal, often to perform a specific action.
Speaker	An output device that produces sound, allowing the device to communicate audio information to the user.
Screen/Display	An output device that shows visual information, such as text, images, or videos, to the user.