Sections of the Keyboard – JSS1 Computer Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

The keyboard is a very important part of a computer. It helps us talk to the computer by typing letters, numbers and commands. A keyboard has many keys arranged in different sections. Each section has a special job. Understanding these sections helps us use the keyboard better.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• List the main sections of the computer keyboard.
• Name the keys found in the alphanumeric section and state what they do.
• Give examples of function keys and Ctrl key combinations and say what they do.
• Describe the work of the navigation keys and the numeric keypad.
• State the use of Num Lock, Caps Lock and the indicator lights.

What are the main sections of the keyboard?

A standard computer keyboard has several main sections:

1. Alphanumeric section (main typing area)
2. Function key section
3. Control keys
4. Navigation section
5. Numeric keypad
6. Additional keys and indicators

What is the alphanumeric section?

This is the largest part of the keyboard, where you do most of your typing. It includes the keys below.

Letter keys

• Contain all 26 letters of the alphabet (A through Z)
• Arranged in what is called a “QWERTY” layout (named after the first six letters on the top row)
• Used for typing words, sentences and paragraphs
• When you press Shift with these keys, you get capital letters

Number keys

• The numbers 0 to 9 appear in a row above the letter keys
• These are different from the number pad on the right side
• When you press Shift with these keys, you get symbols like !, @, #, $, %, etc.
• Very helpful for typing dates, phone numbers and other number information

Punctuation and symbol keys

• Keys for common punctuation marks like full stop (.), comma (,), semicolon (;) and quotes (“)
• Special symbol keys like slash (/), backslash (\), brackets ([ ]) and equal sign (=)
• Used to add proper punctuation to your writing
• Help make your typing clear and correct

Space bar

• The long key at the bottom of the keyboard
• Used to add spaces between words
• Usually the largest key on the keyboard
• Pressed with your thumb while typing

Enter/Return key

• Usually a large key on the right side of the main keyboard
• Creates a new line when typing text
• Submits forms or commands
• Sometimes shown with a bent arrow (↵) symbol

Shift keys

• Located on both sides of the keyboard
• Used to type capital letters when held down while pressing a letter
• Also used to type the symbols above the numbers and other special characters
• The left Shift key is usually pressed with the left little finger

Caps Lock key

• Located on the left side of the keyboard
• When pressed once, all letters you type will be CAPITAL LETTERS
• Press again to go back to normal (lowercase) letters
• Usually has a light that shows when it is turned on

Tab key

• Located on the left side, above Caps Lock
• Used to move the cursor forward to the next tab stop
• Creates even spacing in documents
• Also used to move between fields in forms

Backspace key

• Located at the top-right of the main typing area
• Erases the character to the left of the cursor
• Hold down to erase many characters quickly
• One of the most frequently used keys when typing

What is the function key section?

This section is usually found at the very top of the keyboard.

Function keys (F1 to F12)

• A row of keys labelled F1 through F12
• Each key performs a special function that changes depending on the program you are using
• F1 is often the Help key in many programs

Other common uses:

• F2 often renames files or items
• F5 often refreshes or updates a page
• F11 often makes programs fill the whole screen

Escape key (Esc)

• Located in the top-left corner of most keyboards
• Used to cancel operations or exit programs
• Can stop a program that is running
• Very useful when something is not working right

What are the control keys?

These are special keys that give commands to the computer.

Ctrl (Control) keys

• Located at the bottom left and sometimes bottom right of the keyboard
• Used with other keys to perform special commands

Examples of combinations:

• Ctrl+C to copy selected text
• Ctrl+V to paste text
• Ctrl+S to save a document
• Ctrl+Z to undo the last action

Alt (Alternate) keys

• Located near the Ctrl keys
• Like Ctrl, used with other keys for special commands
• Sometimes used for accessing menus in programs
• The right Alt key is sometimes called “Alt Gr” on international keyboards

Windows key or Command key

• Located between Ctrl and Alt on most PC keyboards (Windows logo)
• On Mac keyboards, it is called the Command key (⌘)
• Opens the Start menu on Windows computers
• Used with other keys for system shortcuts

What is the navigation section?

This section helps you move around in documents and web pages.

Arrow keys

• A group of four keys with arrows pointing up, down, left and right
• Move the cursor in the direction of the arrow
• Used for moving around in text, web pages and games
• Often arranged in an upside-down “T” shape

Home and End keys

• Home moves to the beginning of a line or document
• End moves to the end of a line or document
• Very helpful when editing text
• Save time compared with using the arrow keys many times

Page Up and Page Down keys

• Page Up scrolls up one screen
• Page Down scrolls down one screen
• Help you to move through long documents quickly
• Much faster than using arrow keys

Insert and Delete keys

• Insert switches between insert mode and overtype mode
• Delete removes the character to the right of the cursor
• Different from Backspace, which removes characters to the left
• Delete is also used to remove selected files or text

What is the numeric keypad?

This is the calculator-like section on the right side of many keyboards.

Number pad

• Contains numbers 0 to 9 arranged like on a calculator
• Includes math operation keys (+, -, *, /)
• Has its own Enter key
• Makes entering numbers much faster, especially for accounting work

Num Lock key

• Located at the top-left of the numeric keypad
• Toggles the numeric keypad between number mode and navigation mode
• When Num Lock is on, you can type numbers
• When Num Lock is off, the keys work as arrow keys and navigation keys
• Usually has a light that shows when it is turned on

What are the additional keys and indicators?

Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause keys

• Print Screen takes a picture of your screen (screenshot)
• Scroll Lock is rarely used in modern programs
• Pause stops certain operations or pauses games
• Located in a group above the navigation section on most keyboards

Indicator lights

Indicator lights are small lights that show the status of certain keys. They usually show the status of:

• Caps Lock (when capital letters are active)
• Num Lock (when the number pad is active)
• Scroll Lock (when Scroll Lock is on)

They help you know when special modes are turned on.

What special features do modern keyboards have?

Many modern keyboards have extra features.

Multimedia keys

• Special keys for controlling music and videos
• Volume controls (up, down, mute)
• Play, pause, stop, next track and previous track buttons
• Usually located above the function keys, or on the function keys with special markings

Internet and application keys

• Keys to launch a web browser
• Email program shortcut key
• Calculator shortcut key
• Computer sleep or power button
• Usually have small pictures (icons) that show what they do

Programmable keys

• Some keyboards have keys you can set up to do special jobs
• Can be programmed to open programs or type common phrases
• Save time for things you do often
• Gaming keyboards often have many of these

What is touch typing?

With practice, you can learn to use all parts of the keyboard without looking at your hands. This skill is called “touch typing” and can help you work much faster on the computer. Different keyboards might have slightly different layouts, but most follow this basic organisation of sections.

Evaluation

1. Name the six main sections of the keyboard.
2. Why is the letter layout called “QWERTY”?
3. State the difference between the Backspace key and the Delete key.
4. What do Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+S and Ctrl+Z do?
5. What does the Num Lock key do when it is turned off?

Assignment

Write down the six main sections of the keyboard. Under each section, name two keys found in it and state what each key does.