OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

This lesson will introduce the concepts of information research strategies, information storage, and retrieval systems (databases and search engines, etc.). Students will learn the digital process of how information is requested by a person and sent through the Internet via networks in encoded packets, then retrieved from the content creator or curator, which in turn delivers an encoded packet (response/answer or solution/outcome) back to the original person making the search query. There will be unplugged activities as well as Internet search tests to help students understand how to use effective search strings via the use of boolean operators and specific keywords. Students will be introduced to the concept of metadata programming and algorithms that enable this process to function.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Technology, Library Media
• Grade Level : 6-8
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems, Networks and The Internet, Data Analysis, Algorithms and Programming, Impacts of Computing
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems, Communicating About Computing
• Materials:
  • Website, Paper cards for unplugged activity
• Considerations:
  • They should research and understand the technical infrastructure of networks and the Internet and how information is stored, transferred, and retrieved over the Internet. There is also a bit of preparation for the unplugged activity regarding making research process cards with info written on them describing each component of the Internet information transfer process.

Lesson Plan

Overview

This lesson will introduce the concepts of information research strategies, information storage, and retrieval systems (databases and search engines, etc.). Students will learn the digital process of how information is requested by a person and sent through the Internet via networks in encoded packets, then retrieved from the content creator or curator, which in turn delivers an encoded packet (response/answer or solution/outcome) back to the original person making the search query. There will be unplugged activities as well as Internet search tests to help students understand how to use effective search strings via the use of boolean operators and specific keywords. Students will be introduced to the concept of metadata programming and algorithms that enable this process to function.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

Pre-questions: How does information flow between consumers of information and creators/suppliers of information on the Internet? What problems have you had while researching topics on the Internet via search engines/browsers (like Google, for example)? What are some effective strategies for researching and receiving detailed information on the Internet that meets your information needs?

OBJECTIVES

Understand the process of how internet/database searches function digitally, between the information query request of a consumer through to the output/result sent back from the content provider, via networks on the Internet. Students will be able to visualize this process through unplugged, collaborative role-play activity scenarios in which search commands and results are transferred back-and-forth between student groups. Students will also learn how to use more efficient search queries (specific phrases and keywords, while using boolean operators) while using any database or search engine.

CATCH/HOOK

Imagine you could shrink yourself like Ant-man to a sub-partical size and travel through the structure of the Internet? What would you see happening?

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

The structure and processes of Internet data transfer.

Supplements

Any items in this section are the property & under the license of their respective owners.

REVIEW

Through a process of demonstrating models of the infrastructure of the Internet and experimentation regarding how it works.

STANDARDS