Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will understand the basic concept of how computers talk to each other using names and addresses, similar to how we use names to call our friends.

Materials and Prep

For this lesson, you will need:

• A comfortable space to sit and learn
• Imagination and curiosity!

No prior knowledge is needed, just a willingness to explore and learn about how things work in the digital world!

Activities

• Story Time: Tell a fun story about a little computer that wanted to find its friend. Use simple language and make it engaging. You can say, "Once upon a time, there was a little computer named 'Compy.' Compy wanted to find his friend 'Webby' but didn’t know where to look!"

• Name Game: Play a game where you call out different names (like animals or toys) and ask the child to point to the right one. Explain, "Just like we call our friends by their names, computers use names to find each other!"

• Drawing Time: Have the child draw a picture of a computer and a friend (like a cloud or a phone). After they finish, you can say, "Look at your drawing! This is how Compy talks to Webby. They send messages back and forth!"

• Movement Activity: Create an obstacle course where the child has to follow your instructions to reach a "friend" on the other side. You can say, "Just like computers follow paths to find each other, you are following my directions to find your friend!"

Talking Points

• "Computers have names, just like you have a name!"
• "When you want to find a friend, you call their name. Computers do the same!"
• "Sometimes, computers need help to find each other, just like you might ask for help to find a toy!"
• "Isn't it cool that computers can talk to each other, just like we do?"