Installing and Changing Internal Components

Students are responsible for researching and understanding the basic function of each of the following topics. The suggested online resource to begin with is How Stuff Works.com. Once you go to the web site, type the search term you wish to find information on.

A useful format for students to collect their findings is a chart that includes the name of each component, a brief description (function), and a photo. Once students find photos online, they should be able to identify the corresponding component in a local machine and photograph each to create their own copyright-free images. Reference should be made to the sites where students got their information; site URLs should be included in the chart.

Students should be given the opportunity to disconnect the components of a computer system and be required to reconnect to the original state.

Suggested keywords: RAM, AGP, sound cards, video cards

Topics

RAM

• identifying the RAM
• identifying different types of RAM
• determine the RAM compatible with a particular motherboard
• install and replace units of RAM

Types of slots

• ISA
• PCI
• AGP

Cards

• sound card
• video card
• network/Ethernet card

Removable Drives

• floppy drive
• zip drive
• CD-ROM
• DVD

Hard Drive

CPU

CPU fan

Power Supply

Motherboard: with attention to the connections made to and from the motherboard