Chapter 1: My Devices and the Internet
My Devices and the Internet 💻
Section titled “My Devices and the Internet 💻”Hello, Cyber Safety Heroes!
Do you use a tablet at school? Have you watched a show, played a game, or talked to Grandma on a video call? Then you have used a computer!
A hero knows how things work. A firefighter knows how fire works. A doctor knows how bodies work. A Cyber Safety Hero knows how devices and the internet work, so they can keep them safe. That hero is you! Let’s start.
Online or Not Online? 🌐
Section titled “Online or Not Online? 🌐”The internetinternet: A giant web of computers all over the world, joined together so they can share information. is a giant web of computers. They are all over the world, and they are all joined together. They share words, pictures, songs, and videos.
When your device is joined to the internet, it is onlineonline: Connected to the internet, so your device can send and get information from other computers.. Online means your device can send and get information from computers far away.
Some things only work online:
- A video call with Grandma.
- A show that plays from the internet.
- A map that finds the way to the park.
- A school app that sends your work to your teacher.
Other things work without the internet. They work right on your device. We call that offline, or local use.
- A drawing app that saves pictures on your tablet.
- A calculator for adding numbers.
- A game that is already on your device.
- Photos saved on your device.
Every Online Service Has a Job
Section titled “Every Online Service Has a Job”An online service is something the internet does for you. Each one has a job:
- Email sends letters to other people.
- Video calls let you see and hear people far away.
- Search helps you find answers.
- Streaming plays shows and songs.
Each service follows rules so the computers understand each other. It is like taking turns when we talk!
The Parts of a Computer 🖥️
Section titled “The Parts of a Computer 🖥️”A computer has many parts. Each part has a job. Here are parts you can see and touch:
- The screen shows pictures and words.
- The keyboard and mouse let you type and point. A tablet has a touch screen instead.
- The speaker plays sound. The microphone hears your voice.
- The camera takes pictures and videos.
- The battery gives power, the way food gives you energy.
- The chip inside is the busy thinker. It does lots and lots of tiny jobs, super fast.
The Boss Program
Section titled “The Boss Program”Every computer has one very important program. It is called the operating systemoperating system: The main program that runs a computer. It starts the device, runs the apps, and keeps all the parts working together.. It is like the principal of a school. It starts the computer, opens the apps, and makes sure all the parts work together. Tablets, laptops, and phones each have one.
An appapp: A program on a device that does one job, like drawing, reading, or playing a game. Apps are made of code. is a program that does one job. A drawing app helps you draw. A reading app reads stories. Every app is made of code. Code is a list of instructions that people write to tell the computer what to do.
Code That Listens
Section titled “Code That Listens”Have you ever tapped a star and watched it turn gold? Or pressed a button and heard a ding? That is code at work!
Little pieces of code, called scripts, wait for you to do something. When you tap, click, or type, the script tells the app what to do next. “When the star is tapped, turn it gold.” A web page uses scripts too. That is how a button knows to open a new picture when you click it.
How Devices Connect 📶
Section titled “How Devices Connect 📶”How does a video call get from Grandma’s house to yours? It travels through special equipment.
- A routerrouter: A box that shares the internet with all the devices in a home or school. Many routers use Wi-Fi. is a box that shares the internet with all the devices in a home or school. Many routers send out an invisible signal called Wi-Fi. It travels through the air, like music from a radio.
- A modem is a box that joins your home to the internet. It is often hooked to a wire that comes into the building.
- Cables are wires that carry information. Some computers plug right into the router.
Your tablet talks to the router. The router talks to the modem. The modem talks to the internet. Zoom! Information can go around the world in less than a second.
Saving in the Cloud
Section titled “Saving in the Cloud”Some apps save your work in the cloudthe cloud: Big computers far away that keep your work on the internet, so you can open it and share it from other devices.. The cloud is not in the sky! It is big computers in buildings far away. Saving in the cloud is helpful:
- You can open your work on another device.
- You can share your work with your teacher.
- If your tablet breaks, your work is still safe.
When Things Go Missing
Section titled “When Things Go Missing”Sometimes work gets lost. That is called data loss. Maybe a drawing was not saved. Maybe a tablet fell and broke. Saving often, and keeping a copy, helps.
Sometimes the internet, or an online service, stops working for a while. That is called an outageoutage: A time when the internet or an online service stops working for a while.. During an outage, online things do not work. But local things, like the drawings saved on your tablet, still do!
Smart Things and Updates 🏠
Section titled “Smart Things and Updates 🏠”Lots of everyday things can go online now:
- A smart speaker plays songs and answers questions.
- A smart thermostat keeps the house warm.
- A doorbell camera shows who is at the door.
- A smartwatch counts your steps.
- Some robot vacuums talk to an app on a phone.
All these smart things together are called the Internet of ThingsInternet of Things: Everyday things, like speakers, lights, and watches, that connect to the internet.. The “things” are everyday objects that connect to the internet.
Why Updates Matter
Section titled “Why Updates Matter”Sometimes people find a mistake in an app’s code. A mistake can be like a hole in a fence. Something unwanted might sneak through! So the people who made the app send an updateupdate: New code that fixes mistakes, closes safety holes, and sometimes adds new things to an app or device.. An update fixes mistakes, closes safety holes, and sometimes adds new things.
When your device says an update is ready, tell a grown-up. A grown-up decides when to update. Up-to-date devices stay safe and work well.
Computers Then and Now
Section titled “Computers Then and Now”Computers have changed a lot!
- Long ago, one computer was so big it filled a whole room.
- Later, computers got small enough to sit on a desk.
- Then came laptops that fold up and fit in a bag.
- Now phones, tablets, and watches are computers that fit in your hand.
- Next, scientists are building a new kind of computer called a quantum computer. Many must be kept colder than outer space! One day, they may solve some very hard puzzles.
Take care of your devices, and they take care of you!
Chapter 1 Activity: Device Detectives 🔍
Section titled “Chapter 1 Activity: Device Detectives 🔍”With a grown-up:
- Point to the screen, the camera, the microphone, and the speaker on a tablet or laptop.
- Find the router at home or school. Can you see its lights? Look, but do not touch the cables.
- Sort apps. Ask your grown-up which apps need the internet and which work offline.
- Hunt for one smart thing at home that connects to the internet.
- Draw computers then and now: a giant room computer, a desk computer, a laptop, and a tablet.
Key Concepts Checklist
Section titled “Key Concepts Checklist”- I know being online means being connected to the internet
- I can name one thing that works online and one that works offline
- I can name four parts of a computer
- I know the operating system runs the computer and apps are made of code
- I can name two things that connect a device to the internet
- I know saving in the cloud lets me open and share my work
- I know what data loss and an outage are
- I know updates fix mistakes and keep devices safe