Think it through together · A little story
A girl draws her home network as one small island and the school network as another. The robot draws many connections between them.
Lay out the process
- Home networkOne small network
- Internet providerConnects to more networks
- Network far awayProvides services such as websites
The internet is a global system formed by connecting many networks to one another.
A home network first connects to an internet provider. Providers exchange data with other networks, allowing information to reach distant places. It may pass through many forwarding devices; we do not need a dedicated cable between every pair of computers.
Websites are only one use of the internet. Chat, email, and games use it too.
Your turn to try
Can a chat app still use the internet after you close your browser?
Have you thought it through? Open for an explanation
Yes, if the network connection is working. A browser is one program that uses the network; it is not the internet itself.
Take away one discovery
The internet is a global system formed by connecting many networks to one another.
Try covering the diagram above and explaining each step to someone in your family. If one step is hard to explain, go back and look at that card again.