What Data Types and Structures Are

This lesson introduces the core idea behind programming data: computers do not work with information as humans do, so we represent it using data types and organize it with data structures.

Students will learn the difference between a data type, which describes what kind of value something is, and a data structure, which describes how values are arranged and accessed. The lesson also explains why these choices matter for correctness, readability, and performance in real-world programming.