LS 521- Spring ‘02
4/19/02
Objective:
Students will learn about the history of the Internet by examining different histories of the Internet and World Wide Web.
Introduction:
For many of us (“us” being my generation of 20
somethings), the Internet just happened.
One day we were playing Atari and watching Transformers, and the next
day we were e-mailing friends in Europe.
Once we got to college, the Internet was a vast tool and resource that
the average student did not, nor care to, understand. Even for those who were adults during the years the Internet was
being created into the enormous sea of information and options, the sequence of
events and causes for this creation were unknown. Today almost everyone has used the Internet. Even if it is just to send an e-mail or find
a movie listing, those services would not be available had it not been for the
early pioneers who envisioned a connected network of computers with green screens
and processors larger than a storage shed…
Activity:
You are to read and surf through information about the
Internet and its origins. First, you
must suffer through as much of the history of the Internet below as
possible. It is long and rather wordy,
but it is important to build a basic understanding of where and whys of the
Internet. As you read, take some notes
about your reaction to the events and items that you understand. Does it make sense? Why or why not?
A Brief History of the
Internet
http://www.walthowe.com/navnet/history.html
Next, you will read the much
more user-friendly history of the Internet that is provided by PBS.com and, although it is stereotypically
labeled Networking
the Nerds, is more simple and
straightforward than the first link.
Read this one through until the end.
You may even find the Glossary of
the Geek at the end to be helpful.
Because this explanation is more readable, please be sure to think about
what the basic causes and reasons for the creation of the Internet were.
http://www.pbs.org/opb/nerds2.0.1/networking_nerds/
Assignment:
After you have read through the sites provided, you will
consult with your notes. (1) Write a
brief summary of the creation of the Internet, and include at least three of
the major reasons you felt caused the creation of the Internet. (2) Follow that with a personal reflection
on what you felt as you read the information.
Were you confused? Were you
surprised?
Finally,
(3) ask at least five people of various ages whether they know at least one
reason why the Internet was created.
Include your results and any personal thoughts. Post your work and findings on your index
page.
Other Sites:
Internet Society- This site
will give you links to some the histories you already read, as well as many
others. They include timelines of many
kinds, as well as extremely technical sites. User beware….
http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/
Net History with a Human Face- This site talks about the history on the
Internet in a timeline fashion. The
interesting part of this site is that it includes pictures and quotes from
famous people in time relating to the Internet.
http://www.netvalley.com/intval.html
Rubric:
|
|
Excellent |
Satisfactory |
Poor |
|
Content |
Concrete ideas presented in a
well-supported manner. Original ideas
and observations |
Average summary with little or
no original thought. |
No, or unrelated content
presented. Off target conclusions. |
|
Effort |
Displays attention to detail
and obvious effort in reading and understanding |
Adequate level of detail and effort
displayed |
Work was sloppily/hastily
completed or not at all. |
|
Language |
Rich vocabulary used. Content-related words and phrases
correctly used. |
Written at the appropriate
level. No grammatical or syntax
errors. |
Poor word choice, mis-spellings
and grammatical errors. |