Outputs: Lights, Sound and Display
Computer Science Fundamentals Grades 9–12 2-day lesson 22 deliverables This micro:bit lesson shows students how a device's lights, sounds and screen tell people what they need to know. In the Show It lab, they program a robot's screen and speaker to tell people where it's going and when to watch out.
● Instant download · Lifetime access · Editable & print-ready
Print + digitalPDF, PowerPoint, Word & Google
Answer keysA key for every page
Built-in assessmentExit tickets + lesson quiz
45-minute daysEvery day planned and timed
What does this lesson cover?
Students often think an output is always a screen, or that a beep tells people exactly what is happening. This lesson teaches them to name the kind of information an output gives, such as an alert or a status. Students then pick outputs that fit the people who need each message.
The lab on Day 1 has an online version that uses Robot Maze, our online game, in the Show It level. It practices using the robot's screen and speaker to tell people where it's going, when to watch out and when its job is done. Every online version comes with a paper version, so no internet is needed. Our game is free, with no accounts or sign-ins.
Show It
Students program the robot's outputs in four rooms and write about each one, on paper or in Robot Maze.
Everything that's included
00 Start Here
- READ FIRST: every file in the lesson and when you use it
- Teacher guide and pacing: the plan for each day, what to print and how to grade
- Skills map: which standards each day teaches
01 Present
- One editable PowerPoint deck for both days, 18 slides, with speaker notes
- Slide script: the speaker notes, printed
- Bell ringers: a short warm-up for each day
02 Student Handouts
- Guided notes for both days, in PDF and editable Word, with the word bank on the page
- Vocab slip: the lesson's words and what they mean, on one page
03 Labs
- Show It: program the robot's outputs in four rooms and write about each one, on paper or in Robot Maze
04 Activities
- Pick the Output: pick an output for five messages at Catalpa Avenue Train Station on paper
05 Assessment
- Exit tickets, one per day: quick questions that show who needs more help
- Lesson quiz: 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 written answers about both days
06 Answer Keys
- 4 answer key files: a key for each day (its bell ringer, notes and exit ticket) and the activity and lab keys, plus the quiz key
Digital: Google Forms™ + Google Slides™
- 3 Google Forms™ of the exit tickets and the quiz, ready to copy into your Drive
- The multiple choice grades itself, and you grade the written answers
- A Google Slides™ copy of the deck, with the same slides and speaker notes, for Google Classroom™
Online: Robot Maze
- Robot Maze, Show It level: the online version of the Day 1 lab
- Every online version has a paper version, so no internet is needed
- Free to play, with no accounts or sign-ins
Why teachers love this lesson
Every output starts with a personStudents ask who needs the message and how that person will notice it before they choose a light, a sound or a screen.
Accessibility is part of the planStudents learn that a device should be easy for everyone to use, including people with disabilities, and they choose outputs with that in mind.
Print and digitalEvery page is a print-ready PDF, and the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ let you teach the same lesson in Google Classroom™.
Real online activitiesStudents can use Robot Maze on a computer or tablet, and every online version has a paper version that works with no internet.
A key for every pageEvery day has its own answer key, and every written question has a sample answer and what to look for.
Every day fits a 45-minute classEach day's plan is timed activity by activity against real reading and writing speeds.
What Teachers Say
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How do I get the files after I buy?
Instant download right after checkout: PowerPoint and Word files you can edit, print-ready PDFs, and links that copy the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ into your Drive.
Can I buy the whole unit or course instead?
Yes. This lesson is part of the Unit 8 bundle and the complete Computer Science Fundamentals course. Both cost less than buying the lessons one at a time.
Is this AP Computer Science?
No. It is a full-year, non-AP intro course for grades 9 to 12. For AP, see AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.
What formats are the files in?
Every page is a print-ready PDF. The slides are an editable PowerPoint and the guided notes an editable Word file. The exit tickets and the quiz also come as Google Forms™, and the deck as Google Slides™.
Which standards does it cover?
Written for Florida's Advanced Information Technology course (9007610). The skills map in the lesson shows which standards each day teaches.
Do I need micro:bits or robots?
No. Robot Maze is a free browser game, and every online version comes with a paper version.