| Hardware | Software |
|---|---|
| Physical parts you can touch, or that sit inside the machine (keyboard, screen, drive) | Programs and instructions you only see on screen (browser, word processor, operating system) |
Last time you picked your Something Real project and set up your Project Portfolio. Today you look at the machine in front of you: what you can touch, what you only see on screen, and which device types suit different kinds of school and work tasks. The full hardware-versus-software diagram appears in Key concepts next.
You should already have a Project Portfolio folder and {{code:01_project_brief}} from the kickoff lesson. If you do not, take two minutes now: create a Project Portfolio folder in your cloud storage with a classmate or your teacher, then rejoin the warm-up.
Look at the device you are using right now. Without naming the brand, jot two short lists (mini whiteboard, scrap page, or sticky):
Keep those lists handy; you will sort similar items in a few minutes.
Listen and glance while your teacher highlights the two rows the sort needs. The rest of the table is reference for your My Machine page later — you do not need to study every cell before the activity.
Diagram: hardware you can touch or that sits inside the machine versus software that only exists as instructions on screen.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware — the physical parts of a computer you can touch, move, unplug, or that sit inside the case | When something breaks or feels slow, you need to know whether the problem is a part or a program | A school Chromebook keyboard, a USB stick, or the monitor on a Centra till |
| Software — the programs and instructions that tell the hardware what to do | You create nearly all course work inside software; knowing what it is helps you choose the right tool | Your word processor, a web browser, the operating system that starts when you switch on |
| Device types — laptop, desktop, tablet and smartphone each trade power, screen size and portability | You will use this row on your My Machine page when you compare devices for a real task | A desktop suits long proposal writing; a phone is fine for a quick photo of a placement workspace |
| Main physical parts — screen, keyboard/input, storage (and inside: processor and memory) | Naming the parts you can see helps you describe your machine clearly on the My Machine page | Screen and keyboard you can point at; storage keeps files after you switch off |
Glance now; you will pick from these when you write your compare sentence.
Sort each card into Hardware or Software. First talk the placements through as a class, then drag the cards and check.
How this runs
Be ready to justify one placement in a sentence: "I put X in hardware because…"
Two cards that often fool people: the operating system is software (instructions that start first — you cannot pick it up). Spreadsheet formulas are software too (instructions inside an app), even though the laptop itself is hardware.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I am not sure if the operating system is hardware or software | The operating system is software. It is the set of instructions that starts first and runs the machine. You cannot pick it up like a keyboard. |
| I mixed up storage (the drive) with "saving a file" | The drive or chip that holds files is hardware. The act of saving, and the apps you save into, are software doing work on that hardware. |
| I do not know my screen size, OS or storage | Chromebook: try {{menu:Settings -> About Chrome OS}}, or look at the login screen / bottom-right status area. Windows: try {{menu:Settings -> System -> About}}. Mac: try {{menu:Apple menu -> About This Mac}}. If Settings is locked on a school device, write a class-default line such as "School Chromebook, Chrome OS, files mostly in Google Drive" — that level of detail is enough. |
| A card could be both (for example a phone) | For this sort, put the physical object (phone, printer, keyboard) in hardware. Put the apps and systems running on it in software. A full device is hardware that runs software. |
Quick class vote (then write your own): After the quick class vote on best device for a 4-page Work Experience report versus a photo of a placement workspace versus checking a shared club list, you will write your own compare sentence on {{code:01_my_machine}}.
Portfolio setup (not a Key Assignment). This page is foundation for later lessons so you and your teacher always know what kit you are on. It is not banked as Key Assignment evidence.
Aoife's sample (café Work Experience report)
Save name (copy exactly):
{{code:01_my_machine}}
Open your Project Portfolio folder in cloud storage, then start a blank document there so it lands in the right place automatically.
If your teacher already opened Drive or OneDrive on your machine, stay in that window and open the Project Portfolio folder from there.
Your teacher will look for the exact name {{code:01_my_machine}} inside your Project Portfolio folder.
Don't stress about perfect specs — approximate screen size and where your files live is fine. The upgrade sentence is the part to make personal.
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.