Year 8 - Computing systems Unit Overview

Year 8 – Computing systems

Unit introduction
This unit takes learners on a tour through the different layers of computing systems: from programs and the operating
system, to the physical components that store and execute these programs, to the fundamental binary building blocks that
these components consist of.
The aim is to provide a concise overview of how computing systems operate, conveying the essentials and abstracting away
the technical details that might confuse or put off learners.
The last lessons cover two interesting contemporary topics: artificial intelligence and open source software. These are linked
back to the content of the unit, helping learners to both broaden their knowledge and focus on the topics addressed in the
unit.
The unit assumes no prior knowledge. There are, however, links to the ‘Representations’ units taught in Years 8 and 9 and
the ‘Networks’ units taught in Years 7 and 8.

Overview of lessons
Lesson Brief overview Learning objectives

1 Get in gear In this first lesson about computing systems, you will focus on ● Recall that a general-
what sets these devices apart from other purpose-built purpose computing system
machinery: it is their ability to execute programs that allows them is a device for executing
to modify their operation and perform different tasks, and thus programs
● Recall that a program is a

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become our most versatile ‘tool for thought’. sequence of instructions

that specify operations that
To develop an understanding of this unique characteristic, are to be performed on
learners will compare calculating machines from the past to data
modern general-purpose computers. After that, they will connect ● Explain the difference
the important but perhaps abstract idea of a program to the between a general-purpose
applications that they use every day. Finally, they will execute a computing system and a
program themselves, playing noughts and crosses with a human purpose-built device
opponent.

This is a gentle introduction to a broad and technical subject.

There is as yet no mention of how programs are represented, or
the hardware that is required to execute them in practice. This
lesson lays the foundation for introducing these concepts.

2 Under the hood For most humans, reading instructions (and sometimes ● Describe the function of the
memorising them), following them one at a time, and keeping hardware components used
track of where they are and what the current state is comes very in computing systems
naturally. We rarely reflect about the details of that process, so it ● Describe how the hardware
is not surprising that we rarely wonder about the components components used in
that perform these tasks in machines. computing systems work
together in order to execute
The previous lesson established how the main purpose of programs
computing systems is to execute programs that operate on data. ● Recall that all computing
It is now time to introduce learners to the hardware components, systems, regardless of
i.e. the actual ‘machinery’ that allows computing systems to fulfil form, have a similar
this purpose. structure (‘architecture’)
Learners will discover how all computing systems, regardless of
form or capabilities, make use of the same components: a
processor, memory, storage, input and output devices, and

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communication components. They will form a simple, concise

picture of what each of these ‘universal’ components does, and
how they work together in order to execute programs.

3 Orchestra The previous lesson introduced the main hardware components ● Analyse how the hardware
conductor required to execute programs. This lesson will build on that components used in
knowledge and relate it to the computing systems that learners computing systems work
see and use every day. together in order to execute
programs
The abstract descriptions of how the processor, memory, storage, ● Define what an operating
and communication components interact with each other and system is, and recall its role
function as a system will now be embedded in concrete, familiar in controlling program
scenarios that the learners will investigate. Through the activities execution
in this lesson, learners will look under the surface and gain a
further glimpse into what goes on under the hood when they use
computing devices.

This lesson will also introduce the operating system, which is

responsible for managing the complexity of modern computing
devices. Here, operating systems will serve as an additional
bridge between theory and practice.

4 It’s only logical Learners are likely to be familiar with the NOT, AND, and OR ● Describe the NOT, AND, and
logical operators from programming (and especially the Year 7 OR logical operators, and
programming units). Through practice, learners can master the how they are used to form
use of logical expressions in software, but it is a different story logical expressions
altogether to uncover the connection between logic and ● Use logic gates to construct
computing hardware. logic circuits, and associate
these with logical operators
This is the deeper goal of the lesson: to bridge the gap between and expressions
logic and circuits, and make the direct link between them explicit. ● Describe how hardware is

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This is the last step in the learners’ journey through the hierarchy built out of increasingly
of a computing system, from programs, to the hardware complex logic circuits
responsible for executing the programs, and now, to the ● Recall that, since hardware
fundamental components that comprise this hardware. is built out of logic circuits,
data and instructions alike
need to be represented
using binary digits

5 Thinking machines Even though the idea of creating intelligent artefacts can be ● Provide broad definitions of
traced in ancient myths, the single greatest step towards that ‘artificial intelligence’ and
vision becoming a reality was the invention of the computer. Less ‘machine learning’
than a decade before the first electronic computers were built, ● Identify examples of
Alan Turing “[proposed] to consider the question, ‘Can machines artificial intelligence and
think?’” machine learning in the real
world
Given the advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, ● Describe the steps involved
especially in the last decade, a series of lessons on computing in training machines to
systems wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the field that has perform tasks (gathering
such potential to revolutionise our lives. data, training, testing)
● Describe how machine
In this lesson, learners will attempt to define the term ‘artificial learning differs from
intelligence’, and explore the kinds of problems that it has traditional programming
traditionally dealt with. They will also focus on machine learning, ● Associate the use of
and investigate its relationship with conventional programming. artificial intelligence with
Learners will move on to use Google Teachable Machine, to gain moral dilemmas
an insight into what training a model involves, and the ethical
considerations that are tied into building any system that makes
decisions.

6 Sharing In this final lesson, learners will take a quiz that will assess their ● Explain the implications of
understanding of the computing systems concepts that they have sharing program code

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encountered throughout the unit.

In the second half of the lesson, learners will move away from the
technical aspects of software and hardware that have been the
focus of the unit and learn some of the key concepts of open
source software. They will explore this through a discussion about
some common Scratch practices that they are already familiar
with ( sharing, ‘seeing inside’ projects, and ‘remixing’), and a
reflection on the implications of these practices.

Progression
Please see the learning graph for this unit for information about progression.

Curriculum links
National curriculum links (Computing programmes of study: Key Stage 3)
Aims
● can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic,
algorithms and data representation
● can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve
problems
Subject content
● understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming
● understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with
one another and with other systems
● understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system

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Assessment
Each lesson includes a set of worksheets that can be used for formative assessment, and homework is provided for lessons 2
and 4.
Please also see the summative assessment question and answer documents for this unit.

Digital assessment
● Digital versions of the summative assessment document are available for this unit. These are available as self-marking
Microsoft / Google Forms. Use the links below to duplicate / copy a version to your account.
○ Microsoft Form Link
○ Google Form Link
● Student Knowledge Question Banks are also available from the Teach Computing website, presented as self-marking
multiple-choice questions as Microsoft / Google forms.

Subject knowledge
You may find the following resources useful for teaching this unit.
● The Computing Universe by Tony Hey and Gyuri Pápay (Cambridge University Press, 2014)
● D is for Digital: What a well-informed person should know about computers and communications by Brian W. Kernighan
(DisforDigital.net, 2011)
● The Pattern on the Stone by Daniel Hillis (Basic Books, 1998)
● How Computers Work is a series of videos hosted by Khan Academy that help to visualise this unit’s content
● Crash Course Computer Science is a set of short videos that provide a comprehensive overview of the field
● The ‘Revolution’ exhibition by the Computing History Museum is available online, providing an overview of the history
of computing, with a wealth of annotated photographs and videos
● Computer Science Education: Perspectives on Teaching and Learning in School , edited by Sue Sentance, Erik
Barendsen, and Carsten Schulte (Bloomsbury, 2018)
● Effective computing pedagogy by the National Centre for Computing Education

Enhance your subject knowledge to teach this unit through the following training opportunities:

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Online training courses

 How Computers Work: Demystifying Computation
 Understanding Computer Systems
 Understanding Maths and Logic in Computer Science

Remote courses
● Foundation knowledge of computer science for KS3 and GCSE

Misconceptions
Incorrect misconceptions can be easily established. Below are some common misconceptions identified within this unit of
work. These misconceptions are provided to aid the teacher in planning this unit of work.

Common misconception: Guidance on how to overcome the misconception:

1. Confusion between a "purpose-built device" (embedded 1. Explain how general-purpose computing systems let you
computer) and a general purpose computer, especially one choose which app to run
that specialises in one task such as gaming

2. Describing the CPU as the brain of a computer system 2. Describe the difference between a human reacting
(implying that it can think and be creative) differently each time they get the same instruction
compared to the predictable, logical, programmable
behaviour of a CPU

Resources are updated regularly — the latest version is available at: ncce.io/tcc.

Attribution statement
This resource was created by Raspberry Pi Foundation and updated by STEM Learning for the National Centre for Computing Education.
The contents of this resource are available for use under the Open Government License (OGL v3) meaning you can copy, adapt, distribute and publish the
information. You must acknowledge the source of the Information in your product or application, by attributing Raspberry Pi Foundation and STEM
Learning as stated here and are asked to provide a link to the OGL v3.

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The original version can be made available on request via [email protected].

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