Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
CONNECTING AND COMMUNICATING ONLINE
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CONNECTING AND COMMUNICATING ONLINE
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Ict
Class: SHS 1
Term: 1st Term
Week: 14
Grade code: 1.1.3.LI.2
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 3
Content standard code: 1.1.3.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.1.3.LI.2
Theme: ICTs IN THE SOCIETY
Subtheme: CONNECTING AND COMMUNICATING ONLINE
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In today's world, we are constantly connected. We use WhatsApp to chat with family, watch videos on YouTube, check news on MyJoyOnline, and even check our BECE results online. But have you ever wondered how, when you send a photo from your phone in Kumasi, it instantly appears on your cousin's phone in Takoradi or even London? This lesson demystifies the "magic" behind the internet. We will explore the journey your data takes, how every device gets a unique address, and how to use essential online communication tools like email. Understanding this is crucial for becoming a knowledgeable and safe digital citizen in Ghana and the world.
A. How Data Travels on the Internet: Packet Switching
When you send something over the internet—whether it's a message, a picture, or a video—it doesn't travel as one big chunk. The internet cleverly breaks it down into small pieces called packets.
Analogy: Sending a Book by Post Imagine you want to mail a large book from Accra to a friend in Tamale. Instead of trying to find one giant envelope, you do the following: Break it Down: You carefully tear out each page of the book. Package Each Piece: You put each page into its own small envelope. This is a packet. Address Each Packet: On each envelope, you write your friend's address (the destination), your own address (the source), and the page number (e.g., "Page 1 of 300," "Page 2 of 300"). This information is called the header. The page itself is the payload (the actual data). Send them Off: You drop all the envelopes into the post box. Different Routes: The Ghana Post system might send the envelopes on different trucks taking different routes to Tamale. Some might go through Kumasi, others through Techiman. This is what routers do on the internet—they are like postal sorting offices that direct packets along the best path at that moment. Reassembly: When your friend receives all the envelopes, they use the page numbers to put the book back together in the correct order.
This entire process is called Packet Switching. It's efficient and reliable. If one packet gets lost, only that small piece needs to be sent again, not the entire file.