Lesson 1: What Computers can be Used for?

AIM

In this lesson you will learn:

Where are computers used?

What computers can and cannot do?

LESSON OUTCOME

After you have studied this lesson, you will be able to:

Understand the capacities and limitations of computers

The computer is a smart and useful machine that can do many things. It can

make our work easier and faster. They can store a lot of information, and can

do tasks very quickly. It can also be used for painting, watching movies and

cartoons, listening music and playing games.

1
Some of the things we can do with a computer are:

Mathematical calculations.

Write essays and reports.

Store a lot of information

Draw and colour pictures.

Listen to music or watch films and cartoons.

You must have seen computers at several places. They are used in shops,

offices, banks, hospitals, railway stations, airports and many other places.

(kaumudi can we have some pics of computer use; an accountant in bank recording data,
in hospitals for appointments, colouring, watching cartoon, playing games)

Today we use many instruments that run of machine in our daily life. You

may have seen iron, television, car, mixer, refrigerator, washing machine,

tape recorder and calculator. Computers can do work of some of these and it

cannot do work of others. Let us see if computers take the place of these

devices.

2
Computers CAN do the work of the following:

Television Calculator

Painting Screen Tape Recorder

Reading Writing

3
Computers CAN do the work of the following:

Video game Tutor

Storage of information Playing Music

Camera Letter

4
 Computers CAN NOT do the work of the following:

Refrigerator Car

Mixer Washing Machine

(kaumudi make pictures of spectacles, iron, water bottle, chair,

plant, fan)

5
Even though computer is intelligent and can be a great friend, helping you in

several ways, it cannot do several things that you can do. Let us find out

what activities you can do but a computer cannot.

(Kaumudi, drawings needed…..several of them!!

Running to show movement, getting tired, playing, making
mistakes, some picture that demonstrate our senses- we can see,
hear – eyes, ears)

Thinking Trying to Remember

6
 WORKSHEET

Mark the pictures with a tick mark where we use computers and
with a “X” mark where we do not.

Kaumudi draw the following:

BOOK SHOP
RAILWAY TICKET COUNTER
BARBER SHOP
BAKERY

7
In what activities can computer be useful? Place a tick mark ()
where you think they can be use and a cross (X) where you think
they cannot be used.

1. Seema is climbing using a rope. Can a computer be useful for

climbing with a rope?

2. Sumesh is trying to remember something. Can computer be

useful to remember things?

8
 3. Varun has prepared a list of invitees for his birthday.
Can computer be useful for writing it?

4. Som is eating a lollipop. Can computer be useful for eating the

lollipop?

9
5. Suhas is listening to music. Can computer be useful for this?

6. Reema is blowing a balloon. Can computer be used for this?

10
7. Jeet is adding the numbers. Can computer be useful for this?

8. Sita is making chapattis. Can computer be useful for this?

11
9. Nikhil is painting. Can computer be useful to paint?

10 Rahul is thinking. Can computer be useful to think?

12
 7. Here are some places where computers are used. Find
them all!

School, Bank, Shop, Hospital, Station, Airport and Office

P Y T R D X K H B
S T A T I O N O A
H N W S M I H S N
S C H O O L N P K
O U S G J Z X I C
O F F I C E B T T
A X S H O P V A A
A I R P O R T L L

13
3. Tell if computers can do the work of the following.
Place a tick mark () if your answer in yes and a cross (X) if your answer is no
1 2.

I am slate. Can computer I am a banana. Can

do my work? computer do my work?

3 4

I am a bulb. Can computer I am a diary. Can computer

do my work? do my work?

5 6

I am carrot. Can computer I am a bus. Can computer

do my work? do my work?

14
7 8

I am a television. Can
computer do my work? I am a lamp. Can computer
do my work?

9 10

I am a telephone. Can
I am a joker. Can computer computer do my work?
do my work?

15
 FOR THE TEACHER

 You may begin the lesson by explaining the concept of machine to students.
Introduce the computer as a smart machine that can be used for many things.
Here, involve the children in a discussion about the places where they have seen
a computer (home, airport, railway station, bank, school, movie theatre) and how
it can help people perform various tasks in those places. Discuss with children
what they have seen a computer being used for at home or outside. You can
mention other interesting uses that children can identify with – for example,
computers are used in the making of cartoon films, they are used in designing
various things such as toys, books, buildings, etc.

 Demonstrate some of simple applications of computer such as writing a

document, drawing a picture, playing games, etc.

■ For example: To draw a picture, open the TuxPaint Application. Click

Applications=>Graphics=>TuxPaint.
■ Next, make the children do a small arithmetic sum that will take them
some effort. Then, open the calculator program on the computer
(Applications=>Accessories=>Calculator) and show how the same
answer is obtained quickly. Ask children for sums to be solved on the
computer.
■ Show them some video clips and play some audio files on the computer
■ Similarly play games on the computer. Several games can be found by
following Applications=>Games. A good selection of simple, colourful and
easily visible games is available in the gcompris suite. Access it by following
Applications=>Games=>Educational suite gcompris.

16