Year 8
Lesson 2 Under the hood
For most humans, reading instructions (and sometimes memorising them), following them one at a time, and keeping track of where they are and what the current state is comes very naturally. We rarely reflect about the details of that process, so it is not surprising that we rarely wonder about the components that perform these tasks in machines. The previous lesson established how the main purpose of computing systems is to execute programs that operate on data. It is now time to introduce learners to the hardware components, i.e. the actual ‘machinery’ that allows computing systems to fulfil this purpose. Learners will discover how all computing systems, regardless of form or capabilities, make use of the same components: a processor, memory, storage, input and output devices, and communication components. They will form a simple, concise picture of what each of these ‘universal’ components does, and how they work together in order to execute programs.
Learning objectives
- Describe the function of the hardware components used in computing systems
- Describe how the hardware components used in computing systems work together in order to execute programs
- Recall that all computing systems, regardless of form, have a similar structure (‘architecture’)
Package contents
- Lesson plans
- Learning graphs
- Unit overviews
- Activities
Not registered yet?
Create an account and get access to over 500 hours of free teaching resources.