2.6. The Internet and the Cloud Explore Curricular Activity

This lesson introduces students to basic concepts of the Internet and cloud computing. The students will complete a group work activity using the POGIL structure. The activities reinforce the enduring understanding that the Internet and cloud computing affects how we communicate and interact.

Professional Development

The Student Lesson: Complete the activities for Mobile CSP Unit 2 Lesson 2.6: The Internet and the Cloud.

Materials

2.6.1. Learning Activities

Estimated Length: 45 minutes

  • Hook/Motivation (5 minutes): Ask students what is the Internet? What is the web? Can they explain the difference between the Internet and the WWW — many students will say that they are the same thing.
  • Experiences and Explorations (35 minutes):
    • Video (10 mins): Present the concepts in the introduction section, which are covered in the video presentation as well as in the slides and go over the new vocabulary.
    • POGIL Roles and Teams (5 minutes): Review using POGIL groupwork with the resources in unit 10.6 and the video on POGIL in the classroom from https://pogil.org. Have the students break up into teams of 3-4 students and review the POGIL roles. They should take on a different role in their team than they did in the last activity.

    • Explore Curricular Activity - Beneficial and Harmful Effects (15 minutes): Have students do the POGIL activity using this worksheet. (Note: This activity is part of the Explore Curricular Requirements for AP CSP. Additional resources and materials can be found in the Explore Curricular Requirement Teacher Resources guide available as a secure document through the AP Classroom site.)

    • Group Discussion (5 minutes): Have a group discussion where each team shares some of their answers.
  • Rethink, Reflect and/or Revise (5 minutes): Have students do the self-check questions and post their answers to the portfolio reflection questions in their portfolio.

AP Classroom

The College Board's AP Classroom provides a question bank and Topic Questions. You may create a formative assessment quiz in AP Classroom, assign the quiz (a set of questions), and then review the results in class to identify and address any student misunderstandings.The following are suggested topic questions that you could assign once students have completed this lesson.

Suggested Topic Questions:

  • Topic 1.1 Collaboration
  • Topic 4.1 The Internet
  • Topic 5.1 Beneficial and Harmful Effects

Explore Curricular Activity: This lesson includes an activity that is part of the Explore Curricular Requirements for AP CSP. Additional resources and materials can be found in the Explore Curricular Requirement Teacher Resources guide available as a secure document through the AP Classroom site.

Assessment Opportunities and Solutions

Solutions Note: Solutions are only available to verified educators who have joined the Teaching Mobile CSP Google group/forum in Unit 1.

Assessment Opportunities

You can examine students’ work on the interactive exercise and their reflection portfolio entries to assess their progress on the following learning objectives. If students are able to do what is listed there, they are ready to move on to the next lesson.

  • Interactive Exercises: Students should be able to...
  • Portfolio Reflections:
    LO x - Students should be able to ...
  • In the xxx, look for:
    - ...

Differentiation: More Practice

Here are some additional resources if students are struggling with lesson concepts:

  • Webopedia includes an article on the difference between the Internet and the WWW, including links to related terms and concepts.

Differentiation: Enrichment

Background Knowledge: POGIL

POGIL, Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, as used in Mobile CSP, is a structured cooperative learning approach where students work in teams of 3-4 students to solve problems. Research suggests that the POGIL approach helps students master the content more effectively and that most students prefer to learn in POGIL teams over more traditional approaches. This video provides an overview of POGIL. Learn more about the POGIL Project and POGIL being used in computer science courses.

Background Knowledge: Additional Resources

  • Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics - These 10 commandments (the do's and don'ts of using a computer) may be a good discussion starter for students new to a computer science course. Ask students which ones they follow and discuss which ones apply to programming as well as how so. 

Teaching Tip: Enforcing POGIL Roles

One key to POGIL being effective in the classroom is ensuring that students are participating cooperatively - each student is assuming responsibility for their role in the group. As students are working, teachers should be moving around the room and listening to groups to make sure that students are not only staying on task with activities, but are also actively fulfilling their roles. You can print and distribute the role cards to each group, or even post them in your classroom for easy reference.

2.6.2. Professional Development Reflection

Discuss the following questions with other teachers in your professional development program.

  • How does this lesson help students toward the enduring understandings that the Internet is a network of autonomous systems and its characteristics influence systems and applications built to use it? 
  • How does the use of POGIL reinforce the computational thinking practices of communication and collaboration? 

    I am confident I can teach this lesson to my students.
  • 1. Strongly Agree
  • 2. Agree
  • 3. Neutral
  • 4. Disagree
  • 5. Strongly Disagree