How Does the Internet Work? Part 1
Summary
Materials
Instructional Activities and Classroom Assessments
- Overview of Unit 2 (5 minutes)
- Vox Video - How Does the Internet Work? (30 minutes)
- How Does the Internet Work? Discussion (10 minutes)
- Homework
Learning Objectives
- Computational Thinking Practices: [Skill 5.A](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description.pdf#page=23)
- CSN-1.B Explain how the Internet works.
- CSN-1.C Explain how data are sent through the Internet via packets.
- CRD-2.A
- IOC-1.A
Essential Knowledge
- CSN-1.B.1 The Internet is a computer network consisting of interconnected networks that use standardized, open (nonproprietary) communication protocols.
- CSN-1.B.2 Access to the Internet depends on the ability to connect a computing device to an Internet-connected device.
- CSN-1.B.3 A protocol is an agreed-upon set of rules that specify the behavior of a system.
- CSN-1.B.4 The protocols used in the Internet are open, which allows users to easily connect additional computing devices to the Internet.
- CSN-1.B.5 Routing on the Internet is usually dynamic; it is not specified in advance.
- CSN-1.B.6 The scalability of a system is the capacity for the system to change in size and scale to meet new demands.
- CSN-1.B.7 The Internet was designed to be scalable.
- CSN-1.C.1 Information is passed through the Internet as a data stream. Data streams contain chunks of data, which are encapsulated in packets.
- CSN-1.C.2 Packets contain a chunk of data and metadata used for routing the packet between the origin and the destination on the Internet, as well as for data reassembly.
- CSN-1.C.3 Packets may arrive at the destination in order, out of order, or not at all.
- CSN-1.C.4 IP, TCP, and UDP are common protocols used on the Internet.
- CRD-2.A.1
- CRD-2.A.2
- IOC-1.A.1
- IOC-1.A.2
- IOC-1.A.3
- IOC-1.A.4
- IOC-1.A.5
Details
1. Overview of Unit 2 (5 minutes)
- Introduce Unit 2 topic:
- The Internet
- Fault Tolerance
- Parallel and Distributed Computing
- Introduce Unit 2 Project
- Give students the due date for their next Impact of Computing Submission
2. Watch the Vox Video: How Does the Internet Work? (30 minutes)
- Watch the video.
- As students watch the video, ask them to answer the questions on the Guided Video Notes page.
- You may need to pause the video periodically to allow students a moment to write down their answers to the questions on the Guided Video Notes: How Does the Internet Work? page.
3. How Does the Internet Work? Discussion (10 minutes)
- Discuss what students learned by watching the video.
- Ask students to share their answers on the Guided Video Notes page.
4. Homework
- Students should have time to start their homework in class.
- Students will read the first 8 pages of "The Internet as a System and Spirit" and answer the corresponding questions.