Grade Level: 6-9
Subject: Technology/Social Studies
On
March 1, 2008, AOL (America OnLine) announced that Netscape Navigator,
would no longer be supported. Though some users believe that Netscape
may eventually make a comeback, many believe that this move is the final
blow to this original Web icon.
Many are saddened by the announcement, since Netscape was essentially the first Graphical User Interface (GUI) browser available to the general public back in 1994. This browser was a key piece of software enabling the average person to surf the Web. A browser translates the zeroes and ones of binary code (i.e., computer language) into something humans can easily understand. That is why Netscape's release boosted the Web's usability, causing its commercial and educational use to boom. During the mid-1990s, about 90 percent of online surfers used Netscape. AOL bought the browser company in 1998. Unfortunately, today, only a fraction of Internet users browse with Netscape.
AOL bought Netscape in 1998, but Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) quickly gained momentum in the browser competition by packaging its browser with its Windows operating systems. IE now dominates Web browsing, though Netscape's open-source cousin, Firefox, continues to gain popularity.
Browser development, use, and disuse, is just one example of how computers and Web-related technologies evolve and change over the years. In this week's lesson you will learn about how computers are put together. You will also examine the history of computer technologies and their use.
The Journey Inside
Intel
was the first chip company to develop a microprocessor
in 1971. Today, they invite web surfers to explore The
Journey Inside a computer.
Begin with the Introduction to Computers section and read about The Digital World and How to Navigate This Site. Along the way, you will also get to watch videos and play games that help explain historical innovations and concepts. Click any underlined word for a glossary definition of that key term. Move through the lessons, starting with History of Computers.
About how long ago was the abacus first used for complex calculations? What are the Four Components of a Computer and Which Does What? What exactly does the Motherboard do?
You have identified the four fundamental components, now examine each one more closely:
- How Computers Get Input
- How Computers Store Information
- How Computers Process Information
- How Computers Deliver Information
How is a computer similar to and different from a toaster? How do the four components work together? How do you use these components on your own computer, hand-held calculator, cell phone, MP3 player, or other devices?
Lastly in this section, investigate Which is Smarter—Human Brain or Computer? Why does the answer depend on your definition of "smart"? In what way is computer intelligence directly related to human intelligence?
Next, check out the Circuits
and Switches section. Here, you will learn how electricity
works and how people harness its properties for
daily uses. What is the difference between materials
that resist and those that conduct electricity?
What does this have to do with a working circuit? Compare Mechanical
Switches and Non-mechanical
Switches. Which ones do you rely on for different uses?
Your next stop is Digital Information. This section is especially important for understanding how computers transfer and process information, since it answers the question, What is Binary Code? How does binary code compare to how circuits work? What is ASCII, and how exactly does it work? Can you explain how computers translate binary code into Pictures you can see on your screen?
Now that you understand how information is transmitted, discover how Microprocessors play a key role in getting a job done.
When you use your computer for various tasks, can you identify what your computer fetches, decodes and executes to fulfill your command? What are chips made from and how are they put together? How does the use of chemistry and electricity fit into the picture?
Make sure to also explore The Internet—the world's largest computer network and one of modern pop culture's primary communication, information, education, and entertainment tools. What had to happen before the Internet became worldwide? In what ways has the Internet shaped today's culture?
Lastly, check out how computers have impacted Technology and Society. Here, you will be Looking Back to See the Future, discover that Change is All Around Us, understand how technology has created A New Way to Work and sparked a Digital Revolution in Sports. Also, get some insight into how The Accelerating Rate of Change will influence your own future.
The Computer Age Grows Up
In
today's world, we often rely on travel-sized computer devices with microchips,
but during the early years computers were far from portable—in
fact, they crowded entire rooms and were composed of huge vacuum tubes.
To uncover the mystery of how computers got better and smaller over the years, explore the Computer History Museum's Timeline. You can begin your journey at either end of the timeline—1939 or 1994—and work your way to the other end. Doing this will show you each year's historic events under several topics.
Alternatively, you can explore the history of each topic—Companies, Components, Computers, Graphics & Games, Networking, People & Pop Culture, Robots and Artificial Intelligence, Software & Languages, and Storage.
What specific innovations did you find most interesting? Can you make any connections between those historical events and uses in today's technologies? In what ways have today's electronic devices driven changes in our society—in office work, bill paying, entertainment, communication, and so on? What kinds of factors do you think drives the development of new computer technologies? What factors influence competition and dominance of one technology over another?
Newspaper Activities
Browse throughout The Sacramento Bee and pick out advertisements and news articles that feature computer technologies, whether hardware products, software products, or a combination of both. Use your research to identify two similar items produced by different companies. Investigate the product details about each. Also, track down consumer reviews, retail sales, user statistics, etc., to get an idea of their popularity. Create charts and other illustrations to compare and contrast these products. Present your findings to classmates for discussion.
Online Lessons
Each week The Bee publishes a new online lesson for teachers, students and families who use the Internet and newspaper as learning resources. The lessons are tied to current events in the news and help learners extend their knowledge on a wide range of topics. Click here to return to the table of contents.