1. UNDERSTANDING YOUR COMPUTER

2. TWO BASIC TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Personal Computers
Called PC’s.
This type of computer is made by several different companies.
The computers we will use in class.
Macintosh
Often called Macs and Apples.
These computers look different on the inside and outside but they can do basically the same things.

3. OPERATING SYSTEMS (OS)
The operating system tells everything in your computer how to act.
It can change the way things appear on your screen or desktop.
Windows is the most common operating system for PCs.

4. HARDWARE Hardware is the name for the physical parts of your computer.
CPU
Monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
Speakers
Printer

5. CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
This is what makes a computer
work. It is like the brain of the computer.
Contains the disk drives and hard drive.
This is where you will find the power switch to turn the computer on and off.
Also called CPU, Computer, and Processor.
Have students turn PCU and Monitor On. Do any other log in necessary to get to desktop.

6. MOUSE Cursor Click Double-Click Click and Drag Right-Click
Move the mouse around and see the cursor move.
Now click once with the left button on an icon on the screen. See it become highlighted
Now double click on “my Computer”. See the window open.
Now to close the window click on the X in the right hand corner.
Now hold down the left button over an icon and drag it across the screen. Notice that you’ve put it in a new place.
Now right click in the middle of the screen. See how a menu appears.
Left click on arrange icons. Another menu appears next to it.
Lift click on “Auto arrange”. The icons should go back into rows. No

7. KEYBOARD 10-Key pad Arrow Keys Caps Lock Shift Back Space/ Delete
Enter or Return
Explain what each does and have students find them on their keyboard.

8. DISKS 3.5 Floppy Disk CD ROM Disk We will use these in class.
Like a folder in your pocket
CD ROM Disk
Just like a music CD.
Software is purchased on CD.
Today, some CD’s can be used to save information, but the computer has to have a CD burners.
Have students insert their disks.

9. Desktop The first screen you see when the computer starts up
The desktop has
several icons that
can be used as
short-cuts to a
program or file.

10. DRIVES
Drives are different places on your computer to save information.
3 ½ Floppy A: is the disk drive
C: is the hard drive
Click on My computer to see the drives in your computer.
Now click on 3 ½ Floppy A to access the A drive where your disk is.

11. Folders and Documents
Folders help organize the things you save on the computer.
Each thing you save is called a document or a file.
Now click on the folder “From your Teacher”
Then click on the Document “Welcome to Class”
Explain the software program that was used to create this document.

12. SOFTWARE Software is information or instructions for your computer.
Software needs to be installed on a computer, usually from a CD.
Some examples of software programs that we will use in class:
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Publisher
Internet Explorer
Mavis Beacon

13. MICROSOFT WORD Word Processor
Like a typewriter except you can edit, copy, move and delete
text. You can
check your spelling
and grammar, too.
Use for letters and
documents which
are mainly words.

14. MICROSOFT EXCEL Spreadsheet
Use with documents which are mainly numbers or graphs.
Adds and multiplies numbers.

15. MICROSOFT POWERPOINT Presentation software.
Use for posters and presentations.
This presentation
was created on
PowerPoint!

16. MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER
This software allows you to use the internet.
When you use the internet you can send and receive .

17. MAVIS BEACON Mavis Beacon is a learning software.
Mavis Beacon teaches typing and 10-Key.
You can use this software to learn to type.