November 13-19 Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event: U.S. President Barack Obama Urges FCC to Uphold Net Neutrality
President Barack Obama recently posted an essay arguing for net neutrality, the idea that all data that flows over the Internet should be treated equally. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is currently considering new rules for net neutrality. Net neutrality supporters worry that Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) may block, slow down, or charge extra for certain kinds of data, such as websites from rival companies. They also argue that access to Internet information has become a necessity, much like access to water or postal services, and thus should be subject to stricter regulations than utilities. ISP’s have argued that they need technological leeway to manage their traffic and worried that strong net neutrality regulations might cripple their ability to do so.
Objective:
The Internet is a system of computer networks that links together billions of computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices around the world. People using these devices have rapid access to vast stores of information. The amount of information stored on the Internet dwarfs that in the world’s largest libraries. Much of the Internet’s information is organized into the World Wide Web. The Web is the part of the Internet that contains—and links together—millions of websites. But the Internet does not just store information. It also enables people to work, shop, play games, form online communities, and share their artwork and ideas. The Internet originated in the United States in the 1960′s. At first, only the armed forces and computer experts used it. The World Wide Web developed during the 1990′s, making the Internet much easier to use. By the 2000′s, ordinary people could easily find information, communicate, and publish content on the Internet. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the Internet.
Words to know:
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students to discuss how they think the Internet will be used differently 10 years from now.
2. Ask your students to debate, “Schools should replace textbooks with tablet computers.”
3. Ask your students to debate, “Schools should block websites that have advertising on them.”
4. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the History of Computers timeline. (Students may wish to use the World Book’s “Computer” article for help.)