Year 8 • Computing Systems • Lesson 2

Under the Hood

Investigate how hardware components work together so a computing system can execute programs.

Today’s Big Idea

A computing system executes programs by coordinating hardware like the processor, memory, storage, and input/output.

Hardware + Software

Activity 1: Starter Question

What is the main task of a general-purpose computing system?

Activity 2: A Machine Playing Noughts and Crosses

In the previous lesson, a human executed the program for noughts and crosses. To turn that into a machine task, the system needs language it can read, ways to sense and act, and hardware that follows instructions.

Drag each requirement into the correct category.

Understand the program
Read the board
Write a move
Follow the instructions
Physical components to act
Use a language the machine can read

Language (Software)

Drop cards here

Input & Output

Drop cards here

Hardware

Drop cards here

Activity 3: Hardware or Software?

Use the definitions to decide what each statement describes.

“Any component of a computing system that you can touch.”

“Programs of a computing system.”

“Components that allow the machine to follow instructions.”

“A set of instructions that can be executed.”

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