Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet

Introduction
This document is a scheme of work created by Cambridge International as a suggested plan of delivery for the Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps
module ‘Exploring the Internet’. Learning objectives for the module have been arranged in a recommended teaching order but you are free to teach
them in any order to suit your local requirements and resource availability.

Several suggested activities have been given for each learning objective. Some are short introductory or revision activities and some are more
substantial learning activities. You need to choose a variety of activities that will meet the needs of your learners and cover all of the requirements of
the learning objectives. You will need to decide on the teaching time necessary for each activity, both to suit the pace of your learners and to fit the
work comfortably into your own term times.

Suggested approaches on integrating teaching on eSafety and ethical behaviour have been included. You will need to adapt these to be suitable for
the age of your learners and to include information about local policies and laws.

There is no obligation to follow the published Cambridge International scheme of work in order to deliver Cambridge ICT Starters. This document has
been created solely to provide an illustration of how delivery of this module might be planned.

Overview
The Exploring the Internet module is part of the Next Steps certificate. The progression of modules that relate to this topic are shown in the diagram
below.

Initial Steps Next Steps On Track

Starting Searches Exploring the Internet Website Design for a Purpose

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet
 Next Steps, Stage 2 module: Exploring the Internet
In this module learners build on their searching skills, acquired during the Initial Steps module ‘Starting Searches’, so that they are able to make use
of the internet for gathering information. They also learn how to use standard features of browser software in order to help collect, store and retrieve
the information. Learners should be able to recognise links and navigation options on a web page and be able to use them to find the information they
need. The aim is to give learners sufficient skills to be able to use the internet safely and efficiently for simple information gathering. Learners should
also be starting to identify for themselves which search results are useful, and which should be rejected.

What is assessed in this module?

Learners will demonstrate how to:
 use internet tools to find information
 evaluate relevance and usefulness of material
 store and retrieve information
 copy and paste information from a website
 save URLs and objects from a website.

What do you need to teach this module?

To teach this module you will need:
 computers with an internet connection and browser software
 a text application so that learners can copy and paste their search results into a document
 a selection of prepared web links on a topic of interest
 other prepared search topics.

Underpinning knowledge
Before commencing this module it is recommended that learners know how to:
 recognise and use navigation options on web pages, such as buttons, menus and hyperlinks
 copy information from one application and paste it into another
 identify unsuitable content and know what to do if they have concerns about the content that appears on their screen
 and have completed the Initial Steps Module ‘Starting Searches’.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 2
 General Principles and Procedures
The following are further suggestions and considerations:
 Ensure that learners have copies of any school procedures for logging on or for obtaining user accounts to the internet.
 For schools that are on a network, it may not be obvious to learners that an internet connection is active when they are browsing or searching.
This might need to be mentioned so that learners do not assume that every device they use will be able to connect to the internet automatically.
 If learners are using a device with a dial-up connection, they may need assistance to connect and disconnect in order to work on the internet.
Learners’ ability to do this is not assessed in this module.
 Learners should be helped to understand how the internet functions, so that they can appreciate, for example, how URLs work as addresses
and why some information may not be useful or trustworthy.
 This module is ideal to link to other areas of the curriculum because learners will benefit from having a meaningful and real context for
searching.
 Learners will be better equipped to select appropriate keywords and useful results if they are working on a topic of interest and relevance.
 Questions and research topics should not be too open-ended. Learners will benefit from understanding the type and detail of information that
they are looking for.
 Search engines can be difficult to use if a topic or question is ambiguous or has several different interpretations, for example ‘surfing’ can mean
surfing a web page or surfing on a surfboard.
 Encourage exploration, experimentation and the discussion of findings in lessons so that learners can learn from each other.

eSafety guidance
 We recommend that each school has an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which describes the activities that learners can, and cannot, do when
using the computers in lessons.
 Any websites or search results suggested for use by learners should be comprehensively studied before the lesson to check for inappropriate
content. Internet filtering and monitoring tools should also be in place.
 Copyright laws will vary from country to country but learners should be made aware, at an appropriate level of detail, of any ruling which may
affect what they are able to copy from the internet and, in particular, how they can use it. Learners should be encouraged not to plagiarise
whole portions of text but to rephrase it in their own words. Guidance should be given to learners on how to search for media that they can
reuse.
 Explain to learners what they should do if they feel unsafe or if inappropriate content is evident on their device.
 Further information about learner safety and responsibility can be found in section 5 of the Syllabus.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 3
 Learning Suggested activities to choose from Resources Comments
Objective

Use internet tools Using the internet to find information  ensure that learners
to find information have copies of any
 The following activities will introduce learners to using the school procedures for
Evaluate internet for the effective selection and gathering of logging on or obtaining
relevance and information. user accounts to the
usefulness of internet It is likely that many learners
material  As an introduction to the module, ask the learners whether will have used the internet
they have used the internet at home and, if they have, ask before but few will know how to
Store and retrieve them to describe some of the things that they have used it use it effectively to gather and
information for. use appropriate information.

Copy and paste  The introduction also provides a further opportunity to

information from a discuss the school’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Therefore
website ask learners to explain what they should do if inappropriate
content appears on their device or if they feel unsafe when
Save URLs and using the internet.
objects from a
website  Provide a demonstration to remind learners how to navigate
around a selection of websites. When doing this, try to
introduce appropriate internet terminology in a real context,
for example by explaining what a URL is and how it works.

 Demonstrate how to bookmark a particular page.

 Learners should work in pairs to view a selection of prepared  A list of 10 prepared
web pages. If it is appropriate to do so, partner learners who URLs on a topic of
have used the internet before with those who have not. interest.
These pairings can be based upon the opening discussion The majority of the
activity. The new or less experienced internet user should links should provide
operate the keyboard whilst the more experienced learner useful information on
offers verbal assistance. Each pair should swap roles after a the topic but some
period of time. should be better than
others. Include at least
one link with
Once all of the URLs have
been loaded, encourage
learners to use the Back and
Forward navigation buttons to
move between the pages.
It is important to focus the
learners upon using effective
information gathering skills like

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 4
  Each pair should use the selected web pages to find information on the topic skimming and scanning text in
information about an agreed topic. They should make notes which is too complex order to select relevant
about their findings from each URL and decide whether it is a and at least one totally information.
useful link or not. irrelevant link.
The URLs can be When navigating, learners
 Each pair should bookmark their best three URLs and also provided as hyperlinks should be encouraged to use a
decide which was the least helpful. in a document or in an variety of ways to locate a web
email. They could also page, such as: hyperlinks,
 Each pair should join with another pair to discuss their be URLs which copy and pasting the URL,
selections of good and poor websites and decide on a learners type into the typing URL address.
combined top three. The groups should be able to justify their browser or through a
choice based on their evaluations and discussions. website providing Discourage or prevent learners
shortcuts to URLs, from ‘free’ searching.
 The whole class should then come together to discuss the such as bit.ly or goo.gl. Restricting them to selected
following questions: URL’s will help to retain the
– Why is it that only some of the information on the internet focus upon the objectives of
is useful? this group of activities.
– Why is the information on the internet not always
correct?
– How can we evaluate the information on websites? The different ways to store
useful information from a
 To end this group of activities, the learners should work in webpage should include:
their pairs to investigate the following: – printing
– How many different ways can you find to store useful – saving the whole web page
information from a webpage for use later? – bookmarking the web page
– How many ways can you find to retrieve web pages that – copy/paste information to
you have viewed before but not saved? another document
Each pair should then share their answers to these two – saving the link.
questions so that a class list of all of the reasonable options
is created. The different ways to retrieve
previously viewed web pages
should include the use of:
– the history
– the forward/back buttons
– the dropdown URL/address
bar to show addresses that
have been visited.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 5
 Use internet tools What is the Internet?
to find information During this set of activities,
 In the following activities, learners will use some of the discourage learners from ‘free’
Evaluate features on webpages to find information quickly and will searching. Restricting them to
relevance and then practise using these to find information about the history only using the selected URLs
usefulness of and purposes of the internet. will help them to understand
material the need to select information
 Begin by demonstrating some of the features which help that is relevant.
Store and retrieve users to scan pages and to find information quickly on web
information pages, for example: The ‘ctrl key’ + ‘F’ can be used
- hyperlinks to find a particular word on a
Copy and paste - buttons web page.
information from a - headings
website - menus
- ctrl F (Find).
Save URLs and
objects from a  Either display or provide learners with a printed list of the  teacher prepared list of Note:
website following questions: websites to search for Possible answers to the
– What is the internet? information about the question about the services
– When and where did the internet begin? internet. The selected that people access on the
– Why do people use the internet? sites should provide internet could include: WWW,
– What services do people access on the internet? sufficient information to email, instant messaging, etc.
Provide learners with a list of links to particular websites from answer the questions
which they can find information that will enable them to but should avoid The links used in this activity
answer these questions. learners being can be saved so that learners
overloaded with can work offline.
 Learners should work individually to search for the answers irrelevant results
to the above questions. To do this, they will use the following
steps:
– for each of the questions, copy and paste all useful
information from the web pages into a text document
(including objects)
– save and print the document
– use a highlighter pen or marker to highlight the
information which is most useful.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 6
  As a class, discuss and collate the answers to the questions.
Use internet tools Using search engines
to find information eSafety guidance should be
 In the following activities learners are introduced to the use of reinforced during this activity
Evaluate search engines and begin to use keywords to search for and each search engine’s
relevance and information of the internet. “Safe Search” facility should be
usefulness of used wherever it is available.
material  Explain that, up until now, learners have been using ‘known’
websites. Another way of finding information on the web is by Learners will soon discover
Store and retrieve using Search Engines to find ‘unknown’ sites. how frustrating it is to retrieve
information too much information.
 Explain that there are a number of different Search Engines Therefore it is advised that
Copy and paste and each has its own particular way of searching its they pick a favoured search
information from a database to retrieve and display information. engine and learn how to use it
website effectively.
 Demonstrate the use of a chosen search engine. The search
Save URLs and can focus on a question to which the answer is up to date,
objects from a such as:
website - What is the current time in New York?
- What is the current temperature in Cairo?
Use extended - What is the current exchange rate between the local
search skills currency and the US dollar?

 Remind learners that searches can be conducted using key

words, rather than complete questions. Demonstrate this by
selecting the key words from one of the questions above, for
example by entering the following:
- ‘time New York’
Depending on the age of the learners, it might be worthwhile
to scroll down the results page here to demonstrate how
some of the results have no relevance to the intended search
question, for example references to the New York Times
newspaper or to Times Square may also be returned. Explain
that care is therefore needed when both choosing key words
and in selecting the relevant search results.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 7
  Provide learners with a search question, such as:  a prepared research
- How is the Indian Festival of Holi celebrated? topic of interest which
can be used for the
 Ask learners to work in pairs to select five keywords that they search activity
could use to find information about the research question
they have been given. For the question provided above, they
could choose keywords such as:
- Holi
- India
- Indian
- Festival
- celebrate

 Working in their pairs, learners should use their keywords to

perform searches using a selected search engine. They
should follow links that are produced from the search and
copy any good URLs they find into another document, next to
the appropriate keyword, and write a one sentence summary
or notes to explain what useful information the website
provides. Learners should do this for all five of the keywords.

 The pairs should discuss and evaluate their results to

consider the following questions:
– What did I find out about the topic?
– Can I answer the question?
– Which keyword worked best to find the information I
wanted?

 The whole class should come together to discuss the

following questions:
– Did anyone find the perfect website for the information
we needed?
– What keyword was used to find it?
– What have we learned about keywords?

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 8
  Explain that other search engines are available and provide  a prepared list of
learners with a list that contains a selection of these. suitable Search
Engines
 To end this group of activities, learners should work in their
pairs and use their best keyword to answer the following
question:
- Do you receive the same results when searching in
different search engines?
Use internet tools Research project
to find information
 In the following activities, learners will consolidate their
Evaluate learning from this module by producing an information leaflet
relevance and about a relevant research topic.
usefulness of
material  Demonstrate how learners can use a chosen search engine
to search for images.
Store and retrieve
information  Explain, at a level that is appropriate to the age of the
learners that copyright restrictions may apply to the images
Copy and paste that they find as a result of their search. Explain that these
information from a copyright restrictions may prevent them from using certain
website images in their project.

Save URLs and  If appropriate, demonstrate how image search results can be In Google, images can be
objects from a filtered so that only images that are free of restriction are filtered by first searching for
website returned. images and then selecting the
appropriate ‘Usage rights’
Use extended  Ask learners to work individually to produce a one page  research topic of option under ‘Tools’.
search skills leaflet based upon a given research topic. The selected topic current interest
can be relevant to another area of their current learning but
should be given a broad title, for example ‘Giant Redwood
Trees’.

 Explain that the leaflet should include the following: Defining the requirements for
– a paragraph or bullet points of text about the topic this project, for example a
– a picture single page document with one

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 9
 – the URLs of web pages used to provide information. paragraph and a picture, will
help learners decide upon
 If time allows, learners should produce and save a first draft which keywords to use and
of their leaflet and then discuss its content with a partner. which information to select.
The partner should provide feedback which the learner
should then act upon to produce a second version of the
leaflet. The second version should also be saved with an
appropriate filename.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 10
 Assessment ideas
To show how the Assessment idea fully incorporates the learning objectives tested, the assessment idea is cross-referenced with the learning
objective table below.

Assessment Idea One

Learners are provided with a research question which allows them to make a sensible extended search. Learners open a new word document for
recording their results. Learners use a search engine to find useful information. (1, 2, 6) They save at least one of the useful web pages and
bookmark another. (3) Learners select one or two short paragraphs of text from the web pages they have visited which best covers the research topic
and paste this into their document. (2, 4) (Teacher note: The document does not need to be tidied up). They Save and print the document. (3)
Learners then select an image related to the research topic and copy this into their document, removing the hyperlink if appropriate. (5) They copy the
URL’s of the 3 most useful sites they have visited into the document, (5) making a short comment about what the links contain in relation to the
research topic (6) and why they were considered good (2).

Stage 2 Module – Exploring the Internet

1 Use internet tools to find information
2 Evaluate relevance and usefulness of material
3 Store and retrieve information
4 Copy and paste information from a website
5 Save URLs and objects from a website
6 Use extended search skills

Teachers should retain the following evidence for moderation:

 copy of assignment question
 learners printed/saved document
 screen grab or teacher evidence for book-marked and saved web pages.

Scheme of Work – Cambridge ICT Starters Next Steps, Exploring the Internet 11