📘 Grade 7 & 8 Computing Lesson
Topic: Introduction to Computing
📖 Definitions
1. Computer System
Textbook Definition:
A computer system is an integrated set of hardware, software, and peopleware that
work together to input, process, store, and output data as useful information.
Simple Definition:
A computer system is the whole setup (machine, programs, and people) that makes the
computer work.
2. Components of a Computer System
Textbook Definition:
The components of a computer system are the essential elements—hardware, software,
and peopleware—that combine to enable the functions of input, processing, storage, and
output.
Simple Definition:
The parts that make a computer useful: the physical parts, the programs, and the people
who use it.
🖥️Explanation of the Components
A computer system needs all three main components to function.
1. Hardware
Meaning: Physical, touchable parts of the computer.
Examples: Monitor, keyboard, mouse, CPU, printer, speakers, hard drive.
Types:
o Input devices – allow entry of data (keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone,
webcam, touchpad, graphic tablet).
o Output devices – display results (monitor, printer, speaker, projector).
o Storage devices – keep data for future use (hard disk, SSD, flash drive,
CD/DVD).
o Processing unit – CPU (system unit) which controls all operations.
Importance: Without hardware, there is no machine to run software or allow users to
interact.
2. Software
Meaning: Programs and instructions that tell hardware what to do.
Examples: Windows, macOS, MS Word, Photoshop, Google Chrome, games.
Types:
o System software – runs and manages the computer (e.g., Windows, Linux).
o Application software – performs tasks for users (e.g., MS Word, browsers).
Importance: Without software, hardware would be useless because it has no
instructions.
3. Peopleware
Meaning: The people who design, operate, and maintain the computer system.
Examples: Students, teachers, programmers, IT technicians, system administrators.
Importance: Without people, computers cannot solve real problems. People give
commands, create software, and use results.
💡 Analogy
Think of a school setup:
Hardware = the classroom, desks, and chalkboard.
Software = the lesson notes and timetable.
Peopleware = the teacher and students.
👉 Without the people, the classroom and notes are useless. All three must work together.
⚙️Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Processor
Architecture
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is called the brain of the computer. It processes
instructions and controls how the computer works.
CPU Components
1. ALU (Arithmetic and Logic Unit)
o Performs mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
o Handles logical comparisons (greater than, equal to, less than).
2. CU (Control Unit)
o Directs the flow of data and instructions inside the CPU.
o Tells input/output devices what to do.
3. Registers
o High-speed memory locations inside the CPU.
o Temporarily store instructions, addresses, or data during processing.
4. Buses
o Pathways that carry data and instructions between CPU, memory, and devices.
o Types: Data Bus, Address Bus, Control Bus.
🕰️Generations of Computers
Computers have evolved in five generations, each with new technologies:
1️⃣ First Generation (1940s–1950s)
Used vacuum tubes for circuits.
Very large, consumed a lot of power, produced heat.
Example: ENIAC, UNIVAC.
2️⃣ Second Generation (1950s–1960s)
Used transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
Smaller, faster, and more reliable.
Examples: IBM 1401, CDC 1604.
3️⃣ Third Generation (1960s–1970s)
Used Integrated Circuits (ICs) – many transistors on a single chip.
Faster, more compact, cheaper.
Example: IBM 360 series.
4️⃣ Fourth Generation (1970s–1980s)
Used Microprocessors (thousands of ICs on one chip).
Rise of personal computers.
Examples: Apple Macintosh, IBM PCs.
Features: portability, graphical user interface, networking.
5️⃣ Fifth Generation (1980s–Present)
Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and parallel processing.
Uses Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) and Ultra Large Scale Integration
(ULSI).
Examples: Robotics, AI assistants (Siri, Alexa), quantum computers.
💻 Types of Computers
1. Microcomputers – small, personal computers (laptops, desktops, tablets).
2. Minicomputers – medium-sized, used by small organizations.
3. Mainframe Computers – large and powerful, used by banks, airlines, government.
4. Supercomputers – extremely powerful, used for weather forecasting, space research,
scientific simulations.
✍️Exercise
Section A: Objective Questions
1. Which part of the CPU performs calculations?
a) CU
b) ALU
c) Register
d) Monitor
✅ Answer: b) ALU
2. Which generation of computers used vacuum tubes?
a) First
b) Second
c) Third
d) Fourth
✅ Answer: a) First
3. The pathway that carries data inside the CPU is called:
a) Register
b) Bus
c) Chip
d) Memory
✅ Answer: b) Bus
Section B: Fill in the Blanks
4. The CPU is also called the ________ of the computer.
✅ Answer: Brain
5. The unit of the CPU that directs data flow is called the ________.
✅ Answer: Control Unit (CU)
6. Computers that use AI are part of the ________ generation.
✅ Answer: Fifth
Section C: Theory Questions
7. Explain the difference between hardware and software with examples.
✅ Answer: Hardware is the physical part of a computer (keyboard, mouse, monitor),
while software is a set of instructions or programs that run on the hardware (MS Word,
Windows).
8. List and explain the three main components of the CPU.
✅ Answer:
o ALU: Performs calculations and logical operations.
o CU: Directs the flow of instructions and data.
o Registers: Store temporary data.
9. Write two differences between Mainframe computers and Supercomputers.
✅ Answer:
o Mainframes are used for large-scale business operations (banks, airlines), while
supercomputers are used for scientific research.
o Mainframes handle thousands of users at once, while supercomputers perform
trillions of calculations per second.
