This KS2 Inside a Computer Teaching PowerPoint takes primary pupils inside the machines they use every day and explores the hidden components that make a computer work. It’s ideal for computing or science lessons.

The 16-slide presentation opens by asking pupils to name the parts of a desktop computer: the monitor, keyboard, mouse and the computer itself. It then shows that computers come in many shapes and sizes, from laptops and smartphones to washing machines and fridges. Pupils learn that a computer takes an input, processes it and produces an output by following algorithms. The slides then look inside the case at seven key components. These are the CPU, RAM, the hard drive, the motherboard, the power supply and cooling fans, the GPU and the sound card. Each one is explained in child-friendly language with a clear illustration and an example of what would happen without it.

Discussion questions throughout encourage pupils to make connections, such as comparing the CPU to the brain and the motherboard to the nervous system. They also ask pupils to explain how RAM differs from long-term storage. Teacher notes support each question. The final slides recap the components through a naming activity and a labelled diagram, ending with a debate on which component is the most important.