Know Your Motherboard - Components :: Curriculum

Lesson Time

Time Required: 2 Class Periods

Standards

California Career and Technical Education Standards

ED.B.B4.2 Install and configure essential computer hardware and software components.
ED.B.B4.4 Know the function and interaction of basic computer components and peripherals.

Student Objectives

Students will identify and name the major components of a motherboard
Students will use the proper terminology when discussing or describing a motherboard

Set-up and Teacher Notes

Note to the teacher: (15 points)

Computers will be turned off at the beginning of the class.
Motherboards should be available and at the work stations or tables before class begins. You should be holding the most exotic, colorful and extravegant motherboard you can find to make you stand out, peak their curiosity, and have a strong visual impact. (See sample under resources and materials)
Set aside a couple of the newer motherboards to be able to show what a new one looks like compared to an old one.
Any motherboards will work and a variety will work well also.
You should also have enough blank paper 8 and ½ by 11 or bigger if you can accommodate the table size. You can use blank paper or graph paper.

(See Resources)

Supplies needed:

Some students might find it easier to work with graph paper but white paper will also work. Rulers, pencils, erasers, color pencils and a sharpener.

Activities in this Lesson

Do you know your mother board? - Hooks / Set
When the students walk in your agenda should say "Know Your Motherboard". Then hold up a motherboard and ask questions about the motherboard that my students would not yet know such as:

1. How much gold is in your computer?

This question can be used to lead into a discussion about how motherboards are made, and the materials used. Its a good idea to discuss the use of gold and the fact that gold is a conductor used in computers because it does not rust.

or

2. How do you upgrad e your computer?

This question grabs their attention really well because students want to know how to upgrade their computers. You can talk about the costs related with computer repairs and explain that they can save money by learning how to fix and up grade their computers. It helps to do a price comparison with Geeksquad or a local computer repair shop. I ask the students how much they have paid for computer repairs before.

or

3. Did any one find the bus on their motherboard yet?

With this question you can lead into a conversation about how a motherboard has data paths similar to a street or free way. You might compare a motherboard to a small city with bus lines. The data is like the passengers on a bus. The bigger the bus the more data you can move around. I ask the students to look at the lines on the motherboard closely.

The next thing I say is, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your chance to look closely at a motherboard, feel the motherboard, smell the motherboard just don’t taste it.

See Activities Section
- Motherboard [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Sample Motherboard to use for Visual Impact
- KNOW YOUR MOTHERBOARD WORKSHEET.doc [ Download ] Worksheet to identify the hardware components on a Motherboard
1. Motherboard Drawing - Independent Practice
By the end of the period you will have drawn a motherboard and all of the major components listed on the board.” Now I show them a sample of a drawing completed by a student as an example. The drawings should be 8 x 8 inches to leave room for labels on the components.

The students will go to http://tigerdirect.com and choose a motherboard from the motherboard section of the web site. Have the students write the name of the motherboard they chose on their paper so they can come back to the website and find the same motherboard they are working with if they run out of time.

At this point you can have the students work independently by choosing a motherboard to draw. (See the resources section)
- Tiger_Direct_Motherboard_Drawing_EXAMPLE.jpg [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Sample: Student Motherboard Drawing
2. Manipulative - Independent Practice
If you have the resources available you can take some motherboards apart by unsoldering the components from the motherboards. The students will then be able to take the motherboards apart and manipulate the pieces into the correct position. This can be an individual activity. (See the resources section)
- Motherboard [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Sample Motherboard to use for Visual Impact

Assessment

Assessment Types:: Observations, Illustrations

ACTIVITY#1

Student work is assessed by the level of detail, and accuracy of the illustration.
Observations will be made by the instructor by moving about the room.
The instructor should look for accuracy and proper layout of the components.
Use verbal checks for understanding of the vocabulary used.

Vocabulary used:

Motherboard, CPU Socket/Slot, Memory Slots, Battery, Chipset (North and South Bridge), SATA Connectors/Headers, IDE Connectors/Headers, ISA Slots, PCI Slots, AGP Slot ,BIOS/CMOS Chip, Power Connector

ACTIVITY#2

Students should be assessed by the instructor indoividually.
Check for understanding by ensuring the students are placing the motherboard components in the correct location on the motherboard.
Ask the students to name the major components and check for correct terminology.

Materials/Resources

Tiger_Direct_Motherboard_Drawing_EXAMPLE.jpg [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Sample: Student Motherboard Drawing
KNOW YOUR MOTHERBOARD WORKSHEET.doc [ Download ] Worksheet to identify the hardware components on a Motherboard
Hardware Presentation [ Download ] Sample Hardware Presentation
Motherboard [ View Image ] [ Download Original ] Sample Motherboard to use for Visual Impact

Required Vocabulary

Battery: A battery used to power the CMOS chip.
Chipset: An integrated collection of chips, or controllers, which receive and control the binary and scan codes for incoming data from external devices.
CPU Socket/Slot: Central processing unit (CPU) is the portion of a computer that does most of the data processing. It is the component that is responsible for the interpretation and execution of instructions.
IDE: Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is the standard interface and protocol for hard drives.
Memory Slots: Any device that can hold data in machine-readable format.
Motherboard: The main circuit board that carries the system buses.
PCI: A standard for connecting peripherals to a personal computer, designed by Intel and released around Autumn 1993.
SATA: A computer bus technology primarily designed for transfer of data to and from a hard disk. SATA is the successor to Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), which was given the retronym Parallel ATA (PATA) to distinguish it from Serial ATA.