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Learn Africa Plc Felix Iwerebon House 52 Oba Akran Avenue P.M.B. 21036 Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria Telephone: (01) 08055844008, 07027210085 E-mail: learnafrica@learnafricaplc.com Website: www.

1 Learn Africa Plc Felix Iwerebon House 52 Oba Akran Avenue P.M.B Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria Telephone: (01) , Website: Area offices and branches Abuja, Ajegunle, Akure, Benin, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikorodu, Ilorin, Jos, Kano, Onitsha, Osogbo, Ota, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Zaria with representatives throughout Nigeria. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. L ear n A frica P lc 2001, 2008 First published 2001 UBE Edition 2008 Reprinted 2009, 2015, 2016 ISBN iv

2 UNIT ONE Computer as an information machine Data Data are figures, words and symbols. Figures Figures are numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Examples of words are Dupe, Chukwu, date, book, Abuja, house, age, etc. Examples of symbols are Information An information is a data that has a meaning. That is, information is made of figures, words and symbols that have meanings. There are many sources of information. Some of them are radio, television, newspapers and the computer system, through the internet. 11

3 Examples are Data 9 Information I am 11 years old 11 $20 2

4 How data is turned to information Data are given meanings by processing them. Processing is the work we do on data to give us information. We can do this using our pencil and notebook, but this takes a long time to do. Computers do processing faster and better than when we use pencil and notebook alone. This is called data processing. The data are sent into the computer using input devices. Activity Name and draw all the input devices you know. Data processing takes place in the CPU. The computer system shows us information through output devices. 33

5 Activity Name and draw all the output devices you know. Activity Step I Type into the computer 4

6 This is data and the input device used is the keyboard Step II Data processing takes place in the CPU. You cannot see this step with your eyes. When you think with your brain, nobody sees what goes on there. Step III Type = and the screen now becomes: The monitor now gives us an information that = 6. Print out this information on paper. 55

7 The computer as an electronic machine The computer as an electronic machine which accepts data as input, processes the data and gives out information. The information which the computer gives is called the output. The computer carries out its function in a simple procedure known as Input Processing Output (IPO) 6

8 Activities 1 In Books 1 3, we learned the parts of the computer system used in the IPO procedure. Name all the input and output devices that you know. What are they used for? 2. Which part of the computer is used in processing data? Show it in the above photograph. 3. Group the following parts of a computer system into output, processing and input devices using the table below: monitor, mouse, printer, keyboard, joystick, scanner, system unit, speakers and microphone. Input Processing Output 77

9 UNIT TWO Advantages of the computer 1 Speed of the computer Computers work very fast. A computer quickly solves in two minutes, a problem that could take many weeks or even months to solve. The use of computers has therefore made work faster in places such as banks, insurance companies and airline companies. 8

10 2 Tirelessness A computer never gets tired. It works for very long hours without getting tired. The computer user may get tired but the computer system will not. 99

11 10 3 Accuracy The computer is very accurate. It does not make mistakes. The output result of a computer is wrong only when wrong input data are entered into the computer. The output result is always right when the input data is right. If a computer gives the wrong result, the user is responsible for this error. 4 Storing data and information The computer stores large amounts of data and information in its storage devices. These data and information can be used when needed. For example, the information about all the students in a school can be stored in the memory of a computer. Such data may include name, date of birth, age, etc. We can change any of the information anytime without having to re-enter all items into the computer.

12 5 Communication The computer is used to send and receive messages quickly and accurately. The and the internet use the computer to get things done. 6 Multi-task functioning The computer can do many things at the same time. 11

13 12 When an artist is drawing with a computer, he can be listening to music being played by CD ROM inserted into the same computer system and also chatting with a friend in another part of the world on the internet. Activities 1 How many activities can you do with a computer system at the same time? 2 List all these activities. 3 Which of the following are not advantages of the computer system? i) Tirelessness ii) Mobility iii) Accuracy iv) Sluggishness v) Working at a very high speed vi) Storing data and information vii) No memory to store data and information viii) Gets tired quickly ix) Performs only one function at a time x) Performs many functions at the same time

14 UNIT THREE Hardware components of the computer system We can see and touch some of the parts of a computer. These are the hardware of the computer. We cannot see or touch the other parts of the computer. These are the software of the computer. In this unit, we shall learn all about the hardware of the computer system. The hardware The hardware components of the computer system are made up of four parts. They are the i) input devices; ii) system unit; iii) output devices; and iv) storage devices. 13

15 Input devices Data is entered into the computer system through its input devices. We learned all about the different input devices and their uses in Book 3. keyboard 14 diskette light pen

16 joystick mouse scanner 15

17 microphone The system unit The system unit is made up of the central processing unit (CPU) and the main memory. The CPU is the brain of the computer. Data entered into the computer, through the input devices, are processed in the CPU. The result of this processing shows on the output devices. The computer does all its thinking, counting, calculations and drawings in the CPU. The CPU has two parts. They are: 16

18 The control unit The control unit controls all the activities of the computer system. It may be called the controller of the computer system. The arithmetic and logic unit This part of the CPU does all the calculations of the computer. 17

19 The main memory The main memory stores the data and the results of data processing. It is the main storage device of the computer. Output devices The output devices show the results of data processed in the CPU. Data is entered into the computer through the input devices. It is processed in the CPU. The result of the processing shows on the output devices. We learned all about output devices and their uses in Book 3. monitor 18

20 printer speakers 19

21 Storage devices All the storage devices mentioned in Book 3 are hardware components of the computer system. These storage devices are: diskette hard disk CD ROM DVD ROM 20

22 Magnetic tape Flash disk Activities 1 Collect photographs of all the hardware components of a computer system. 2 Paste and label them on a piece of cardboard. 21

23 UNIT FOUR Software components of the computer system In the last unit, we learned about the parts of the computer system which we can see and touch. These are the hardware components of the computer system. In this unit, we shall learn about the parts of the computer system which we cannot see or touch. These are the software components of the computer system. A computer user instructs the computer to solve a problem. This instruction is the software. Whatever a user tells the computer to do in order to solve a problem is called the software. A set of such instructions is called a program. Computer hardware cannot work without software. For example, we cannot play any games on a video game unit if we have only 22

24 the hardware. The hardware includes the main unit, television set and joystick. All this is still not enough for us to play a video game. We must have the optical disk. This is where the instructions are stored. The optical disk contains the program and is the software of the computer. 23

25 A working computer needs both the hardware and the software to function. Hardware + Software = A working computer system A computer is a machine. It cannot think, count, calculate or draw all by itself. It must be told what to do. When we give a computer instructions in a program, it follows the program 24

26 and gives us the result or output. When the instructions in a program are right, the computer gives the right output. When, the instructions are wrong, the computer gives the wrong output. There are three types of software. These are the system software, programming languages and application software. System software System software is a program that makes the computer system work. It controls and monitors the working of a computer system. It is also called the operating system. Examples of system software are: a) Disk Operating System (DOS) b) Windows 2000 or Window NT c) UNIX DOS and Windows 2000 are used in 25

27 microcomputers while UNIX is used in mainframe computers. Programming languages A programming language is used to write a set of instructions for the computer. There are many programming languages. Each programming language is written for a purpose. 1 Logo is written to teach children how to write a program. 26

28 2 Pascal is written to teach older students. 3 FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, etc are used in the many fields of science and business. Application software Word processors, spreadsheets, database and drawing tools are written to perform special jobs. They are therefore called application software. Children often make use of word processors and drawing tools. Microsoft Word is an example of an application software. We use it to type letters. 27

CorelDraw is also an example of an application software. It is used in drawing. Activities 1 Your teacher will take you on a visit to offices where computers are used.

29 CorelDraw is also an example of an application software. It is used in drawing. Activities 1 Your teacher will take you on a visit to offices where computers are used. The offices you will visit include a school, a government office, a hospital, a business centre and a bank. 2 In each of these offices, ask the computer users the various software they use and 28

30 what each software does. 3 List the software in each office as a system software, a programming language or an application software. 4 Your teacher will also show you all the software on the computers in your school s computer room. 5 Draw the following shapes using a drawing application software like the CorelDraw: square, rectangle, triangle and circle. 6 Microsoft Word can be used for i) ii) iii) iv) 29

The various parts of the computer that must be joined together before a computer system

31 UNIT FIVE Connecting different parts of the computer system We know that a computer system has many parts. A computer works only when these parts are joined together well. The various parts of the computer that must be joined together before a computer system starts to function are: system unit monitor 30 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

32 keyboard mouse printer 31 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

33 How do we join these parts of the computer together? These are the steps: Step I Connect the monitor to the system unit. Step II Connect the keyboard to the system unit. 32 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

34 Step III Connect the mouse to the keyboard. Step IV Connect the printer to the system unit and connect the printer to the source of electricity. Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts 33

35 Step V Connect the system unit to the source of electricity (the socket). Computer cables Computer cables are wires used for connecting the different parts of the computer together. 34 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

36 Computer cables transmit data from the system unit to other parts of the computer. Different types of computer cables are: VGA cable connects the monitor to the system unit. Printer cable connects the printer to the system unit. USB cables connect keyboard, mouse and speakers to the system unit. Power cables Cables that connect the system unit and the printer to the source of electricity are known as power cables. Activities 1 In your school s computer room, your teacher will show you how to connect the Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts 35

37 various parts of the computer system to one another. 2 Identify the following parts of the computer system: 36 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

38 3 Write out the steps you will take to connect all the parts of the computer shown in (2) above 4 Mention the types of cables used in each of the steps listed in (3) above. 37 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

39 UNIT SIX Booting the computer system Booting means starting a computer and loading an important program called the operating system into the computer memory. There are two types of booting. 1 Cold booting Cold booting is done while starting the computer after it has been off for sometime. That is, when the computer parts are cold. Starting the computer is an easy process. The following steps are to be followed when starting a computer system: 38 Step I: Step II: StepIII: Switch on the mains power supply. Turn on the printer and monitor buttons. Turn on the power button on the system unit. Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

40 Immediately, the computer will start performing internal checks on itself to be sure that its memory and the various input and output devices are functioning properly. After this, the computer will show the Windows screen. After a few seconds, the Windows desktop is shown. Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts 39

41 2 Warm booting Warm booting means booting the computer without putting off the supply of electricity. That is, when the parts of the computer are still warm. This is to re-start the computer system that is already in use. To do this, press Ctrl, Alt and Del keys at the same time. The operating system is then loaded, again, into the memory. Here, the computer system may not carry out the internal checks. All the images shown under cold booting now appear one after the other. Warm booting is usually used when an operator is working on a computer system and the system stops responding to the operator s commands. 40 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

42 Activities 1. i) In your school s computer room, you will boot a computer system. ii) Which type of booting did you use? What is the reason for booting the computer that way? iii) List the names of all the icons that appear on the Windows desktop after booting. 2. List the functions of the following icons Icon Function My Computer Internet Explorer My Documents Recycle Bin Norton Antivirus Video Player 3. i) What is booting? ii) The two types of booting are and. 41 Theme: Basic computer operation and concepts

Foundation Computer Studies. Book 1. for Primary Schools. UBE Edition

Foundation Computer Studies. Book 1. for Primary Schools. UBE Edition Foundation Computer Studies for Primary Schools Book 1 UBE Edition i ii Foundation Computer Studies for Primary Schools Book 1 Revised Edition E. O. Adegbeyeni Ph. D. Faculty of Administration University