Introduction to the Internet

 

Class 1

 

Pre-Class

v Choose a country that your students would probably say they would like to go to and do a search for it and pick a place to go within the webpage for your students to “surf” around and explore

v Look for a reliable travel website where you do not need to be a member so that your students can enter in their information for a plane ticket and get prices

 

(Note: www.travelocity.com only allows one search before you have to become a

member and www.lowestfare.com does not bring up a list of fares)

 

v Explore Job Search site (recommended site because of its simplicity: www.boston.com)

 

v Post vocabulary terms:

§ Taskbar

§ Desktop

§ Icons

§ Start Menu

§ Internet

§ Internet Service Provider

§ Browser

§ Search Engine

§ Hyperlink

§ Address Bar

 

v Post class objectives:

§ To be more at-ease with the computer

§ To be able to access the Internet and find something you’re interested in

 

Class Outline

v Introductions (go around the room): Where is your dream vacation spot?

v Talk about our philosophy of making students independent learners and to encourage students to use each other as a resource

v Go over syllabus

v Brainstorm: What is the Internet?

v Talk about the difference between what the Internet tangibly is and what we can use the Internet for

v Give plain definition of the Internet – phone lines between computers; the phone is dead until it is connected

v Parts of the Computer: Point to Taskbar, Desktop, Icons, and Start Menu and ask if anyone knows what they are called and what they do

v Ask if anyone knows how to go to the Internet

 

v Scenario: We’re going to go to a foreign country and we want to find out when is the best time to go (check out the weather), what we might expect to find there (i.e. local attractions, festivals), and how to check for airfare information on the Internet.

 

v Ask the class if anyone knows how we might find information on __________? (Answers will vary from typing in the country in the search box to going to the travel section)

v Direct them to the website location you would like them to go (i.e. Travel Guide after typing in the country’s name)

v Direct them to the weather box on the left-hand site and have them go to a specific city together

v Have them click on the “satellite” icon for a view of the satellite forecast

v Explain that you would like to know when the best time is to go to __________ and have them click on “Records and Averages”

v After you’re finished with this activity, explain to the class how the Internet is like a book and you are flipping pages and ask if anyone knows how to go “back” a page.

v Have them click on the “Local Attractions” hyperlink and direct them to a website that allows them to click on pictures and give them time to explore

v Now we want to find the cheapest airfare to go to ____________. Instead of pressing the “back” button multiple times, does anyone know a quicker way of going back?

v At the main yahoo page have them type in the website you found to search for airfares in the web address box. (Explain that web address tells the computer where to go on the Internet and use a visual aid of an envelope to explain that it is similar to when you address an envelope).

v Go through looking for airfare and have your students find out why some airfares are more expensive than others and explain that you can get cheaper fares on the Internet that cannot be found elsewhere.

 

v Job Search

Recommended site because of its simplicity: www.boston.com

Click on Classifieds on left column

Click on Search for a Job

Go through how to select more than one category or location (hold down CTRL and click)

 

v Other Possible Activities

Map Search

People Search

Topical Search (i.e. Olympics)

 

 

Class 2

 

Pre-Class

 

v Handouts:

§ Getting an Email account

§ Anatomy of an Email Account

§ Popular Websites

§ Anatomy of a Web Page (after class)

 

v Post vocabulary terms:

§ Email

§ Email account

§ Yahoo ID

§ Compose

§ CC/BCC

§ Sign In/Sign Out

 

v Post class objectives:

§ To know how to get an email account

§ To be able to send a message

§ To know how to check a message you’ve received

 

v Draw on white board picture of email compose screen

 

Class Outline

 

v Email (approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes)

 

v Have students get onto the Internet while reviewing vocabulary from Class 1 including Taskbar, Start Menu, Icon, Internet Service Provider, Search Engine, Address Bar and Hyperlink

v Ask them how we might get an Email account from the main Yahoo! Search page

v Explain to students that they will be filling out an application for an account and the reasons they need to provide certain personal information

v Go through application and get students email accounts (people will complete this process in different amounts of time – think of challenge exercises for those that complete theirs first)

v Send greeting card to the person next to you

v Send an email to the instructor with an evaluation of the class

 

v Independent Time (30 minutes)

A good time for students to use the “Popular Websites” handout and surf the Internet