Parts that help a computer: cables, ports, drives
A computer is like a house. A port is a door in the wall where a cable plugs in. An ethernet cable links a computer to the network, like a rope between two houses. Wi-Fi is more like a radio message through the air. The rope is steadier and often faster, because nothing in the air gets in its way. The router is the box that shares the internet with the devices at home. A HDMI cable carries picture and sound from a computer to a big screen. To store files we have two helpers. Flash memory is small, so it is easy to carry in a pocket. An external hard drive is bigger and holds much more, so it is good for back-ups, which are extra copies of important files.
| Part | What it does | Like… |
|---|---|---|
| port | lets a cable plug in | a door |
| ethernet cable | links to the network | a rope between houses |
| router | shares the internet at home | a post office |
| HDMI cable | carries picture and sound | a pipe for pictures |
| flash memory | stores and carries files | a small pocket |
| external hard drive | stores lots of files and back-ups | a big cupboard |
Label a computer. On paper, draw a laptop from the side and a big screen. Draw three ports as small boxes on the laptop. Draw a cable from one port to the screen and label it HDMI. Draw a second cable that goes to a router and label it ethernet. Add a small flash memory and an external hard drive, and write one use for each.