What is the Internet and How Do Search Engines Work?
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What you will learn
- 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
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 billions 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
- You type a question or keywords into a search engine (like Google or Bing).
- The search engine looks through its index, a giant list of billions of web pages it has already found and saved.
- It picks the pages that best match your keywords.
- It shows you a list of results — click a link to visit that website.
Words to know
Internet
A worldwide network of computers connected together
e.g. The internet lets me video-call my cousin in another country.
Website
A group of web pages people can visit online
e.g. Our library has a website with a calendar.
Browser
A program used to view websites, like Chrome or Firefox
e.g. I open a browser to visit a website.
URL
The web address that points to a website
e.g. I typed the URL into the browser bar.
Search engine
A tool that finds web pages that match the words you type
e.g. A search engine helped me find info on planets.
A search engine is like a super-fast librarian: you ask a question, and it finds the most helpful books (websites) for you.
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