How the Internet Works — Year 5 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: Computing KS2 — understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services such as the world-wide web
Overview
Pupils develop a conceptual understanding of how the internet works — from devices connecting through networks to data travelling as packets. They explore the roles of routers, IP addresses, DNS, and HTTP, and understand the distinction between the internet (infrastructure) and the World Wide Web (content delivered over it).
Learning Objectives
- Explain the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web.
- Describe how devices connect to form a network.
- Understand how data is broken into packets and reassembled.
- Explain the role of IP addresses and DNS in locating websites.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Ask: when you type a web address and press enter, what do you think happens? Collect ideas. Establish that there is a complex journey happening in milliseconds that most people never think about.
Explain the internet as the infrastructure — cables, satellites, and wireless signals connecting billions of devices. The World Wide Web is the content that runs on top. Introduce IP addresses using the analogy of postal addresses — every device has one. Explain DNS as a phone book: you type 'bbc.co.uk', DNS looks up the IP address. Data travels as packets — like splitting a letter into many envelopes — each routed independently and reassembled at the destination. Routers are like post-office sorting rooms.
Packet routing activity: pupils each take a 'packet' card (numbered part of a message). They must deliver their packet via 'routers' (stations) to the destination, potentially via different routes. Reassemble the message at the end. Discuss: what if one route is blocked? (packets find another route — this is why the internet is resilient).
Pupils create an annotated diagram showing the journey of a request from their browser to a website and back: device → router → internet → DNS lookup → web server → response → router → device. Label each stage.
Quick-fire: 'What is the difference between the internet and the web? What does DNS do? Why does data travel as packets?' Connect to online safety: understanding how data travels is the first step to understanding why keeping some data private matters.
Common Misconceptions
- The internet and the World Wide Web are the same thing — the internet is the infrastructure; the web is one service that uses it (alongside email, video streaming, etc.).
- Data travels as one continuous stream — it is broken into packets that may take different routes and are reassembled at the destination.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Regular use of the internet for research and communication.
- Understanding of online safety principles.
- Basic awareness of networks from earlier computing lessons.
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