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Hardware vs Software

Sixth graders learn what separates hardware from software, how the physical machine and the programs that run on it depend on each other, and sort real examples into the two groups.

Grade 6Hardware vs Software50 minutes1 class periodCSTA / ISTEExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define hardware.
  • ✓Define software.
  • ✓See how they work together.
  • ✓Sort each example.
Essential Question

Every device you use is a mix of physical parts and invisible instructions. What makes something hardware or software, and why does each need the other?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Sort the Examples

Project this and sort each example into hardware or software — tap an item, then tap where it belongs.

🖥️ Sort each example: hardware or software?Try it
🖥️ Hardware
💿 Software
Tap an example, then tap whether it is physical hardware or a program.
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Touch It or Not?

5 min

You can hold a mouse, but you cannot hold a web browser. What is the real difference between the two?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a device and an app.
  • Ask what's different.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Sort the Examples

12 min

Students sort hardware and software.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Sort the Examples.
  • Drop each item.
  • Explain each choice.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
3

Modify — They Need Each Other

13 min

Students pair hardware with software.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a piece of hardware.
  • Name software it runs.
  • Say why both are needed.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Name.
  • Say.
4

Create — Device Breakdown

15 min

Students break down a device.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a device you use.
  • List its hardware.
  • List its software.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • List.
  • List.
5

Reflect — The Whole System

5 min

Students reflect on how the two combine.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What is the difference between hardware and software?
  • Why does each need the other?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and the ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
2-CS-01

Recommend improvements to computing devices.

CSTA
2-CS-02

Explain how hardware and software work together.

CSTA
2-CS-03

Systematically identify and fix problems.

ISTE
4

Understand how computing systems work.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Example picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is hardware / software.”
  • Sort two examples at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with clear hardware.
  • Discuss one example together.
  • Sort hardware fully before the rest.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Discuss firmware as an in-between.
  • Pair each device with its software.
  • Map a full computing system.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🖼️Example cards
  • 💻Sort the Examples
  • 🖥️A device to examine
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

hardwarethe physical parts of a computer you can touchsoftwarethe programs and instructions a computer runsprograma set of instructions that tells a computer what to dooperating systemthe software that runs the whole computerapplicationa program that does a specific job, like an appdevicea piece of computing hardwareinputinformation going into a computeroutputinformation coming out of a computer
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the difference between hardware and software?
Hardware is the physical parts you can touch; software is the programs and instructions the computer runs.
QUESTION 2
Name one example of hardware and one of software.
For example, a keyboard (hardware) and a web browser (software).
QUESTION 3
Why does hardware need software, and software need hardware?
Hardware cannot do anything useful without instructions (software), and software needs hardware to run on.

Create: a device breakdown.

Have students pick a device they use, list its hardware parts and the software it runs, and show how the two work together. A printable hardware-and-software worksheet is in the Computer Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Hardware vs SoftwareFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Hardware vs SoftwareQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Hardware vs SoftwarePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: application, device, hardware, input, operating system, output, program, software
  1. the software that runs the whole computer
  2. a program that does a specific job, like an app
  3. information going into a computer
  4. information coming out of a computer
  5. a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do
  6. a piece of computing hardware
  7. the physical parts of a computer you can touch
  8. the programs and instructions a computer runs

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the difference between hardware and software?
  2. Name one example of hardware and one of software.
  3. Why does hardware need software, and software need hardware?
Answer key — Part A: 1) operating system · 2) application · 3) input · 4) output · 5) program · 6) device · 7) hardware · 8) software
Part B: 1) Hardware is the physical parts you can touch; software is the programs and instructions the computer runs. 2) For example, a keyboard (hardware) and a web browser (software). 3) Hardware cannot do anything useful without instructions (software), and software needs hardware to run on.