💻 TechnologyGrade 3Lesson 9
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What is the Internet and How Do Search Engines Work?

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Explain what the internet is in simple, child-friendly terms
  • 2Describe how a search engine helps people find information online
  • 3Match internet and search engine concepts to their correct descriptions
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Mini Lesson

The internet is a huge network of computers all over the world that are connected to each other. Think of it like a giant web of roads — information travels along these roads to reach your device from anywhere on Earth.

Key Internet Concepts

  • Internet — a global network connecting millions of computers and devices.
  • Website — a collection of web pages stored on a computer (called a server) and accessible online.
  • Browser — a program (like Chrome or Firefox) you use to visit websites.
  • URL — a web address that tells the browser where to find a website.
  • Wi-Fi — a wireless signal that connects your device to the internet without a cable.
  • Data — information (text, pictures, videos) that travels across the internet.

How Search Engines Work

  1. You type a question or keywords into a search engine (like Google or Bing).
  2. The search engine looks through billions of web pages stored in its index.
  3. It picks the pages that best match your keywords.
  4. It shows you a list of results — click a link to visit that website.
The Internet — a global networkDiagram showing a globe in the center connected to icons for a computer, tablet, phone, and server, representing the internet network.The InternetInternetComputerTabletPhoneServer
How a Search Engine Works — 4 stepsFour numbered steps showing how a search engine works: type keywords, search the index, match results, show the list.How a Search Engine Works1Type keywords2Search the index3Match best pages4Show results list
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A search engine is like a super-fast librarian: you ask a question, and it finds the most helpful books (websites) for you.

Vocabulary
Internet
A worldwide network of computers connected togethere.g. The internet lets me video-call my cousin in another country.
Website
A group of web pages people can visit onlinee.g. Our library has a website with a calendar.
Browser
A program used to view websites, like Chrome or Firefoxe.g. I open a browser to visit a website.
URL
The web address that points to a websitee.g. I typed the URL into the browser bar.
Search engine
A tool that finds web pages that match the words you typee.g. A search engine helped me find info on planets.
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← Lesson 8: Share Digital Creations with Your FamilyLesson 10: Searching Effectively: Keywords and Filters →