Module 1: Overview of Scripting on the Web

Overview

Today's Web is highly interactive and includes a tremendous wealth of tools that enable everyday users to participate in creating, contributing, and sharing content. At its core, the Web is still comprised of HTML and CSS, but with these technologies alone it's impossible to create the sort of rich web applications that students are using in their everyday lives.

This single-lesson module is important because it provides an opportunity to pause and look at the big picture. HTML and CSS provide the foundation, but scripting, both server-side and client-side, make it possible to change HTML and CSS content on-the-fly, which has resulted in an explosion of rich, interactive websites.

Lesson 1: Client-side vs. Server-side Scripting

• Estimated time required: 30 - 60 minutes
• Link to student Lesson 1 page

Tips for Delivering This Lesson

• The document Building the Web: Beyond HTML describes a variety of server-side technologies, including various scripting languages. Since PHP is the most widely used scripting language on the Web, the page includes some sample PHP code. The primary purpose of this sample code is just to give students a glimpse of what PHP looks like. If you're comfortable with PHP, it may be helpful to walk through the code as a class, explaining how it works. If your class has access to a web server running PHP, students could even try their hand at creating a sample web page that includes some PHP content. It's important though for students not to get bogged down or frustrated by this code: It's just an example.
• The activity in this lesson calls for students to find three websites. This is a good opportunity for some class discussion, with students projecting sites and sharing what they found for all to see and consider.