4th GRADE
Building Our Galactic Government System
LESSON 2: I AM A SYSTEMS ANALYST
LESSON MISSION
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WHAT IS A NETWORK?Today you are going to build knowledge. By the end of this lesson, you will understand how the internet works to help us acquire, share, and store information. It all starts with understanding the concept of a network. So what is a network? Let's do a little activity to explore this.
SCENARIO
It has been a rainy and stormy week in Trussville. One morning, you all get to school and the school is flooded. The water is up to your knees. Tables and chairs are floating around and many things are destroyed. Mrs. Tyner is devastated. She is crying hysterically in front of the school. What in the world can we do to fix this problem?
What if every student came in to help clean up? Better yet, what if every student brought their families in to help. A network is a connection that allows the sharing of information. The diagram below illustrates our school network.
In this diagram, you see how our principal is connected to members of our school community. She sent out information to the school network by crying, "Help! My school is ruined!" The information passed through the students, faculty, and staff to their families. This could even expand further, if the families contacted their friends in the community. When the information is received by everyone in the network, the whole community responds by coming in to help. So Mrs. Tyner receives help restoring the school in a timely manner.
APPLY ITWe just discussed the "School Network." The school network was a group of people who had any connection to the school. Mrs. Tyner's school network connected her to the students, the students' families, and the community. You are a part of many different social networks. There are church networks, sports team networks, club networks and so on. When people participate in social media like Facebook and Instagram, they are sending and receiving information within their social network.
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TOOL BOX
TERMS TO KNOW
network: a connection that allows the sharing of information
social network: a connection between 2 or more people who share information school network: a type of social network that connects school administration with students, parents, and friends in the community computer network: a connection between computers and other devices in order to send and receive information Local Area Networks (LAN): networks that connect computers and devices within a home, office, or campus Wide Area Network (WAN): a large network connecting several LANS networks within a corporation, school, or organization server a computer that sends out requests from its network to other network servers for information and processes requests from other networks for information from its network Internet: a worldwide network of computers, connected by wires or cables World Wide Web: a collection of text pages, digital photographs, music files, videos, and animations from all over the world that you can access over the Internet |
Just as there are different kinds of social networks, there are also different computer networks. Computer networks connect computers and other devices using a server in order to send and receive information. A server is a computer that sends out requests from its network to other network servers for information and processes requests from other networks for information from its network.
ANALYZE IT
The smallest type of computer network is called a Local Area Network or LAN. LAN Networks connect computers and devices within a home, office, or campus. Look at the example below. Cahaba Elementary's Server sends out information requests from our network to other network servers in other places and processes requests from other other places' networks for information from our network.
A wide area network or WAN a large network connecting several LAN networks within a corporation, school, or organization. Look at the example below. All of the schools in Trussville have their own Local Area Networks. Each school's Local Area Network is connected to all Trussville City Schools LAN networks by a Wide Area Network.
BRING IT ALTOGETHER
Now that you understand how networks and servers work, it will be easier to understand the difference between the internet and the world wide web. Many people think these are the same thing, but they are not. The Internet is a worldwide network of computers. These networks are connected by wires or cables. When you send an email, you are sending it over the internet.
The World Wide Web is a collection of text pages, digital photographs, music files, videos, and animations from all over the world that you can access over the Internet. The World Wide Web is made up of pages of text called Webpages. A collection of Webpages that go together is a website. When you search for information on a search engine, like Google, you're using the World Wide Web Application which travels on the Internet.
So when you type in www at the beginning of a web address, you are accessing information of the World Wide Web. This information travels on the internet.
So when you type in www at the beginning of a web address, you are accessing information of the World Wide Web. This information travels on the internet.
EVALUATE IT
We are now going to watch a video that will bring it altogether for you. Pay close attention!
Let's see what you learned today. Answer the questions below. When you are finished, you can view your score.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
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Congratulations! You accomplished your mission!
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