The internet and networks: routers, servers and the web: what children learn
A network is a group of computers and devices connected so they can share information. The internet is the biggest network in the world: a network of networks joining billions of devices. Servers store information such as webpages, clients are the devices we use, cables and Wi-Fi carry the data, and routers make sure it reaches the right place.
The World Wide Web, invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, is one service that runs on the internet; email and video calls are others. This game checks the key words and ideas from the Key Stage 2 statement, including how data travels in packets and how networks help people communicate and work together.
This topic covers a Key Stage 2 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Subject content): pupils should be taught to “understand computer networks, including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web, and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration”. The programme of study sets this for the whole of Key Stage 2, so schools choose when to teach it; we have placed this game in Year 5 (ages 9–10).
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Start small. Draw your home or school network: devices, the router and the connection to the outside world.
- Learn the parts. Server, client, router, cable. Give each a one-line job description.
- Separate web and internet. The internet is the roads; the web is one kind of traffic on them. Email and video calls are others.
- Follow a request. Type a URL, your request travels to a server, the page comes back in packets and your browser puts it together.
- Think about collaboration. List ways the internet helps people work together: shared documents, video calls, email.
Worked examples
Example 1: Is the World Wide Web the same as the internet?
Working: The internet is the network itself. The web is the pages and links you visit using a browser.
Answer: No, the web is one service that uses the internet.
Example 2: Which device makes sure information goes to the right place?
Working: It sits between networks and directs data, like a sorting office for post.
Answer: A router.
Example 3: When information travels across the internet, it is split into small pieces called what?
Working: Each piece is numbered so it can be put back together in the right order.
Answer: Packets.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Using “internet” and “web” as the same word. Use the roads and traffic picture: the web is one kind of traffic on the internet.
- Thinking the internet is stored in one place. It is millions of connected networks and servers all over the world.
- Thinking Wi-Fi is the internet. Wi-Fi is just a wireless link to your local network. The router connects that network to the internet.
Activities to try at home
- Find your router at home and talk about what it does.
- Look at the URL of a favourite site and talk about each part.
- Count the internet services your family uses: web, email, video calls, streaming.
- Print the game sheet and play it together.
Ideas for the classroom
- Unplugged packets: send a message cut into numbered pieces through “routers” (pupils) and rebuild it.
- Draw the school network with the IT technician’s help.
- Compare sending a letter with sending an email.
- Use the quiz before and after the networks unit.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Is the cloud part of the internet?
Yes. “The cloud” means servers on the internet that store files and run programs for us.
Who owns the internet?
Nobody owns all of it. Many organisations own parts, and they agree shared rules so the networks can talk to each other.
When was the web invented?
Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web in 1989. The internet itself is older.