JSS 1 Third Term

Lesson objectives

By the end of the week, learners should be able to:

1. Maintain home-row positioning across a longer typed passage.
2. Count the keys on a physical keyboard again and compare with the First Term record.
3. Identify the function and purpose of the mouse, scroll wheel and touchpad.
4. Select text using clicks, double-click, triple-click and drag.
5. Use arrow keys, Home and End to move through a document.

Key vocabulary

• Typing mastery: the steady improvement in position, speed and accuracy.
• Pointing device: a mouse, touchpad or trackball that lets a user select screen items.
• Scroll wheel: the wheel under the mouse that moves pages up and down.
• Touchpad: a flat pad that detects finger movement to drag items.
• Selection: choosing part of a document to edit, copy or delete.
• Arrow key: one of the four directional keys used to move the cursor.
• Home and End: keys that move the cursor to the start or end of a line or document.

Common misconceptions

• "A trackpad counts as pointing because it is flat." It behaves like a small touchpad and supports dragging.
• "Moving faster always means typing well." Accuracy and correct positioning matter more than raw speed.
• "Click once selects the whole document." A single click places the cursor; selection requires drag.

Teacher activities

1. Starter: play the First Term typing drill and compare its length and complexity with this week's passage.
2. Reintroduce home-row positioning and recite the finger assignment.
3. Demonstrate the mouse pointer movement, clicking, double-clicking, dragging and triple-clicking.
4. Show the scroll wheel turning and the touchpad drag gesture.
5. Demonstrate arrow keys, Home and End on a projected paragraph.
6. Run the selection task and close with the exit question comparing keyboard and mouse choices.

Student activities

1. Compare the starter passage with the First Term drill and note the improvement needed.
2. Re-establish home-row positioning and complete a timed home-row drill.
3. Practice mouse gestures on sample targets and record how many gestures succeed.
4. Move the cursor through a sample paragraph using arrow keys, Home and End.
5. Select a paragraph block using double-click, triple-click and drag in turn.
6. Answer the exit question in one sentence about choosing a keyboard versus a mouse.

Practical / learning evidence

A refreshed typed record sheet showing words per minute and accuracy improvements since First Term, plus a labelled pointing-device diagram explaining the mouse, scroll wheel and touchpad features. Submit both for marking.

Resources and preparation

Working mice, keyboards, printed gesture targets and a typed passage slightly longer than the First Term drill. Disable Caps Lock before drills. Ensure every learner has a mouse and a working keyboard.

Assessment for learning

Inspect the typed record for accuracy improvement and compare with the First Term baseline. Check the gesture targets for correct mouse technique. Ask a learner to point out Home and End keys on the keyboard diagram.

Inclusion and homework

Pair learners with a confident partner for mouse practice. Provide pre-drawn gesture targets for learners who struggle with small objects. Extend confident learners with a smooth scroll and an edge-case drag. Homework: find one pointing device at home or school and write its function in one sentence.