Karen North, Unit 8

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY KNOWLEDGE

SCAVENGER HUNT

STUDENT DIRECTIONS

Remember that information is organized data and knowledge is applied information. The Internet is an enormous space of data and information with many highways to go down. It is your goal as a student to decide where to go and if the information you read is valid, useful and appropriate. You also need to apply that information to gain knowledge in order to make decisions and develop opinions.

The IT scavenger hunt is designed to briefly introduce different aspects of technical reading. Hopefully you will take note of those areas that you are interested in pursing and go back and study in more depth.

Open up the word document file “scavenger hunt.” Record your answers, observations and opinions on the word document. Save As “Hunt Your Name” in your student folder. SAVE OFTEN!! Backup your answers by recording them in your written journal. If you do not know the answer, you can use advanced search techniques to look up an answer. Do not guess. Remember the rules of work ethics as you learn. When you are complete, print and submit your hunt knowledge.

Enjoy your reading, and please, watch where you go.

THE HUNT

1. Go to the Texas Education Agency home page at

What does the URL tell you about this site?

What do you think of the design elements that are used on this site?

Do the design elements help communicate information?

2. Right mouse click on one image on the TEA web site and copy and paste here:

Resize the image so it has a width smaller then 2 inches.

Use the ruler on the word document to help you check the size.

3. What link on the TEA web site would you like to re-visit when you have more time?

4. View the source code of the TEA home page by selecting source from the view menu option.

The source code contains the HTML commands called tags that are used to program web pages.

Find the keyword content for this site in this tag: <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT= …>

How many key words are listed?

Search engines use “meta” tags to increase hits on their site.

Look at the rest of the tags on the source code and list any English words you recognize. What does this tell you about programming commands?

  1. Go to and copy and paste the key words from the TEA web site in the search dialog box.

List the first web site resulting from this search?

What are the graphics on this web site?

What message do the graphics communicate?

Now try taking out some of the key words and apply advanced search methods to narrow you search and see where it takes you.

6. What have you learned about the use of “meta” tags and keywords?

7. Go to

How many links are listed on the navigation bar under the picture?

View the source code.

What is the name of the code file in the <applet …> tag?

Go to the 8th <param name=image ..> tag.

What is the value of the jpg file enclosed in the quotes?

Replace the index.htm in the URL of this site with this file name.

What did you get?

8. Click the Readings link and go to a few of the sites listed.

List one site that you found enjoyable to read and look at.

What did you like about this web site?

What design elements did you see?

What message to you think has been communicated?

9. Go to and click the book link.

What do you find on this first page?

Go to the next page and click on the preface-why everyone should learn to program.

Go to and log in to take your teacher’s quiz. Remember that your id is last name, first name and the password is workethics.

Answer the questions in the quiz, “Programming Module Activity 1” as you read the preface from the book, “How to Design Programs.”

  1. What have you learned about programming and technical reading in this hunt for knowledge?

11. What have you learned about how design elements communicate information?