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Internet Science Explorations, Afternoon Session 1999
Shodor > SUCCEED > Workshops > Archive > Internet Science Explorations, Afternoon Session 1999

The first day of class began with an introduction of all the staff at shodor. Bob2 spoke about succeed and what it stands for. Next each student paired up with someone and they talked to each other and then introduced their partner to the class.

The next thing each student did was get their own e-mail. After a short lesson on e-mail etiquette the students opened their mailbox to find mail from JP, one of the interns. The students then learned the ins and outs of Eudora, their e-mail software.

After a short break the students came inside to learn about the history of the internet from Lauren. Most students were surprised to find that the internet originated in 1969, they had thought it was much more recent. Next the students did an activity led by the interns to help understand how the internet works. Each student was assigned a job as either a: computer that sends the message, a router or a computer receiving the message. The sending computer devised a message, cut it up into smaller "packets" to be sent down the router. Once the message was passed down the router the receiving computer's job was to put the message back together. There were a couple problems along the way that showed how routers can mess up and that computers really need to communicate. After the activity the students breifly discussed the dos and don'ts of making a web page. They then visited an interactive web page that required the student to build an airplane that can fly from San Fransico to New York at the lowest cost. Most kids were able to build one that could make it.