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

💡 Big Question: Are Phones and Computers Really That Different?

Let’s think about what a computer can do:

  • Run games

  • Open websites

  • Watch videos

  • Type and draw

  • Talk to friends

  • Store pictures

  • Play music

Now let’s think about what a phone can do.
…Wait! That’s the same list!

So yes — at first glance, a smartphone is just a small computer. But let’s dig deeper.

 

🧠 What Do Both Have Inside?

Let’s look at both a laptop and a phone. They both have:

Part What It Does
A screen To show pictures, videos, and text
A battery So it can work without being plugged in
A brain (CPU) To run instructions and apps
Memory (RAM) To store quick info while working
Storage (SSD) To keep apps, photos, and files
Operating System To help the device run everything

So far, it’s the same!

 

🔍 So Why Do They Feel Different?

Here’s what changes:

Feature Laptop/PC Phone/Tablet
Screen size Big Small
Keyboard & mouse Physical Touchscreen only
Ports (USB, etc.) Many Very few or none
Fans and cooling Often have Usually none
Power High power, plugged in often Low power, battery-based

🧠 The Secret: Phones Are Designed for Simplicity

Phones are made to:

  • Be small and light

  • Use less energy

  • Be easy to use with your fingers

  • Work on the go

Computers are designed to:

  • Be powerful and fast

  • Have more memory and storage

  • Let you do bigger tasks like editing videos, coding, or gaming.

 

🧩 So Why Don’t We Just Use Phones for Everything?

Phones are great for quick tasks. But they have limits:

  • Tiny screens

  • Hard to type for long

  • Can’t handle very big apps or games (easily)

  • Not great for programming or deep work

That’s why both phones and computers have their own jobs — and they both matter!

 

Bonus: Tablets?

Tablets are in between! They’re like:

  • Big phones (because of the touchscreen)

  • Small computers (because of their power)

Some tablets even have attachable keyboards — they’re like chameleons!