---
title: Hardware
units: [AI and the Systems That Power It, Hardware and Software]
summary: Computer systems solve problems and impact the world around us.
weight: 160
---

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## Today's Objectives
- Describe innovations in computing in different disciplines.
- Explain how computer systems and people work together to solve problems.
- Identify career pathways in computing.

## Lesson Overview
### What is hardware?
{{% define "Hardware" %}}
{{% define "Input" %}}
{{% define "Output" %}}
{{% define "Processing" %}}
{{% define "Storage" %}}
{{< video title="What Do Computers Do?" src="/videos/what-do-computers-do.mp4" poster="/images/video-poster-what-do-computers-do.jpg" >}}

## Assignment
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### Categorize the Hardware
Record at least three examples of input devices and three examples or output devices.

### Storage Component Analogies
Record the completed analogies for each term:

- RAM: It's like _______—it holds what you're actively working on but clears when you're done.
- HDD: It's like _______—it stores everything but takes time to find and retrieve files.
- SSD: It's like _______ with instant search—it still stores files but lets you access them quickly.
- Flash Storage: It's like _______—you can carry important files with you anywhere.

Word Bank:

- A backpack
- A school desk
- The back room of a shoe store
- An online shoe store

### Processing Component Analogies
Record the completed analogies for each term:

- Motherboard: It's like _______—it connects everything and allows information to flow.
- CPU: It's like _______—it follows recipes (instructions) and prepares dishes (processes data).
- GPU: It's like _______—it can handle multiple tasks at once, speeding up graphics, AI, and complex computations.

Word Bank:

- A team of assistants
- A city's road system
- A conductor in an orchestra

{{% unit-journal-define-terms "Hardware" "Input" "Output" "Processing" "Storage" "RAM" "HDD" "SSD" "Flash Storage" "Motherboard" "CPU" "GPU" %}}
{{% unit-journal-question-of-the-day question="What components are essential for a computer to work?" %}}