Course Content
Part 2: Talking Without Words
How people used to send messages across long distances The story of light flashes, drum beats, smoke signals, and Morse code Why using dots and dashes (or 0s and 1s) is so powerful. Let’s Talk in Just Two Choices: On or Off - What is binary, and why do computers love it? How “on” and “off” can mean anything—yes/no, true/false, A/B Why 2 choices are enough to build everything
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Part 3: How Electricity Can Carry a Message
What is a circuit? How flipping a switch sends a message Why computers are made of millions of tiny switches.
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Part 4: Building Ideas Using Only Switches
What is a logic gate? (Explained without saying “logic gate”) How switches can help us decide things How “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” control what a computer does.
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Part 5: How to Count, Add, and Remember With Just Wires
How computers add numbers using only switches What memory really is: remembering a single bit, then a byte How your computer stores your name, photos, and passwords. How switches can do math with just yes/no What memory means for a machine What bits and bytes really are (without the jargon). What are AND, OR, NOT, and more. How pictures, words, and videos are stored as 0s and 1s.
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Part 6: Making Bigger Ideas with Tiny Ones
What is a byte? What is a file? How letters, music, pictures, and videos become 0s and 1s What happens when you type on a keyboard
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Part 7: Meet the Heart of the Computer — the CPU
What the CPU really does (without calling it “central processing unit”) How it reads instructions, decides things, and tells others what to do How fast is it, really?
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Part 8: Let’s Look Inside a Real Computer
What is a motherboard? How all the parts connect: CPU, memory, storage, input/output What happens when you turn a computer on.
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Part 9: What Is Software and Who Tells It What to Do?
What is an operating system? How computers follow code like a recipe What happens when you open an app
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Part 10: How Is a Phone Like a Computer?
What’s different inside a phone or tablet? How mobile computers are smaller—but just as powerful Why phones still need the same ideas: binary, circuits, memory.
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Let’s Find Out How Computers Work

🧠 First, Think of a Computer Like a Human Body

Let’s imagine a computer is like a person:

Body Part Computer Part What It Does
Brain CPU Thinks and decides
Eyes & screen Monitor Sees things
Mouth & speaker Speaker Talks or makes sound
Ears Microphone Hears things
Memory RAM + Hard Drive Remembers facts or stores stuff
Hands Keyboard + Mouse Types and clicks
Stomach Power Supply Unit (PSU) Gives energy to everything
Skeleton Motherboard Holds everything together
Skin Case Covers and protects it all

So, building a computer is like putting together a robot-person!

 

🧩 The Big Parts You’ll Need (In Simple Words)

Here are the 7 must-have parts for your very first custom computer:

1. The Brain (CPU)

  • It follows instructions, solves problems, and runs programs.

  • Without it, the computer can’t think.

2. The Skeleton (Motherboard)

  • This is a big board where every other part plugs in.

  • It lets them talk to each other.

3. Quick Memory (RAM)

  • This is like your short-term memory.

  • RAM stores things you’re working on right now.

  • More RAM = faster multitasking.

4. Long-Term Memory (SSD or Hard Drive)

  • This stores all your files, games, apps, pictures—even when the power is off.

  • SSDs are faster and newer; hard drives are slower but cheaper.

5. The Power (Power Supply)

  • Gives electricity to all the parts.

  • Without this, nothing works—just like a body without food!

6. The Display (Monitor)

  • Shows you what’s going on.

  • Just like your eyes show you the world.

7. The Controls (Keyboard + Mouse)

  • How YOU talk to the computer.

  • Keyboards type words, mice move and click things.

 

Optional but Cool Extras

  • Graphics Card (GPU): Makes games, videos, and animations look great.

  • Wi-Fi Card: If your motherboard doesn’t have one, this lets you connect wirelessly.

  • Case Fans: Keeps your computer cool (so it doesn’t overheat).

 

🛒 Where Do You Get These Parts?

You can buy each part online or at a computer store.

Some beginner-friendly kits even include:

  • The CPU

  • RAM

  • Motherboard

  • And instructions!

If you’re just starting out, something like a Raspberry Pi is a tiny, easy-to-use computer that can be programmed, used for games, or even made into a robot!