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Year 3

Digital devices

I can describe how digital devices work.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 3

Digital devices

I can describe how digital devices work.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A digital device uses computer technology to work.
  2. Digital devices accept inputs and produce outputs.

Keywords

  • Digital device - an object that uses computer technology to work; it stores and processes information

  • Input - data that is sent to a program to be processed

  • Process - a program, or part of a program, which is running on a computer

  • Output - the result of data processed by a computer

Common misconception

Digital devices always need the internet to work.

Some digital devices work without the internet, such as watches and calculators.


To help you plan your year 3 computing lesson on: Digital devices, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

In this lesson digital devices are being introduced. You could have some physical devices for children to explore.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these devices can you use to tell the time?
Correct answer: clock
bicycle
lamp
book
Q2.
What do you use a camera for?
reading books
measuring time
Correct answer: taking pictures
producing light
Q3.
Which of these devices is powered by pedalling?
lamp
camera
Correct answer: bicycle
mobile phone
Q4.
What do you use a book for?
Correct answer: reading stories
taking pictures
producing light
travelling
Q5.
Which of these is something you might find in a classroom? (Select more than one)
Correct answer: clock
bicycle
Correct answer: computer
Correct answer: whiteboard
Q6.
Match the device to its use:
Correct Answer:pencil,writing on paper

writing on paper

Correct Answer:lamp,producing light

producing light

Correct Answer:camera,taking pictures

taking pictures

Correct Answer:book,reading stories

reading stories

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the term to its definition:
Correct Answer:input,data sent to a program

data sent to a program

Correct Answer:process,running a program

running a program

Correct Answer:output,result of processing

result of processing

Correct Answer:digital device,uses computer technology

uses computer technology

Q2.
Put these steps in the correct order for how a digital device works:
1 - input data
2 - process data
3 - produce output
Q3.
What is a key feature of digital devices?
They always need the internet.
They only produce outputs.
They only accept inputs.
Correct answer: They process information.
Q4.
What is an example of an input for a digital device?
displaying a picture
Correct answer: typing on a keyboard
printing a document
playing music
Q5.
What is the purpose of processing in a digital device?
to store information
to display information
Correct answer: to handle and transform data
to send information to a printer
Q6.
Which of these is an example of an output?
Correct answer: a printer producing a document
a keyboard typing letters
a mouse moving a cursor
a microphone recording sound