MSAD #54 Skowhegan Area Middle School


Reading a URL
Introduction:
In this lesson, students (with partners) will learn to judge information on a web site based on the URL

Outcomes:

  • Students will understand specific language of a URL 
  • Students will develop analytical skills as they examine specific sites to determine relevance and reliability of information
  •  Students:  grade 6-12

Time: About 40 minutes

Materials
           

  • Worksheet to fill out (one per set of partners).
  • 1 chart including extensions of a domain name.

Suggested Procedure:
There are a number of good lessons regarding website evaluation on this site. Click on For Teachers and you can preview them. For this lesson we will focus on the lesson called “Where exactly am I, anyway?”

            http://allaboutexplorers.com/teachers/lesson4.html

Direct Instruction:
Go over vocabulary relating to web addresses. Refer to the teacher guide sheet on reading web addresses based on Alan November’s web resource material. Write the terms on the board as you explain the meanings for:
URL-Universal Resource Locator
Domain name
Extension
Personal web pages-Go over the keys to detecting personal pages
Pass out a chart that includes the extensions that they need to know

 

  • Explain to the students that you will be giving them an assignment that will involve understanding the language of a URL as they visit a number of websites and they will work in partners. Break them into partners. Tell them you will be collecting the work sheet and the students will be receiving an effort grade on the assignment.  Monitor the groups and gravitate to those you feel need more help (those with less developed analytical skills) Bring them back.  Discuss the responses, and go over the answers, trying to get responses from as many partner sets as possible.
  • You may gravitate towards the students who may have less developed analytical skills.