HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 3-Lesson 10Tim Berners-Lee may be one of the most important people you have never
heard of. If you’ve ever gone online to look something up, you should thank him.
He invented the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is the system that allows
people to use computers to fi nd data, or information, on almost any topic.
Before 1989, people had used computers for many years. But there was no way
for people to get information from a computer other than the one they were using,
unless they actually sat down at another computer. This lack of a network made
scientifi c research more diffi cult. Then, in 1989, Berners-Lee thought of a way to
allow the transmission of information between computers.
All the information in a computer must be in the form of numbers. This is a basic
principle of today’s computers. When you type a word into your computer, the
computer uses built-in mathematical equations to turn that word into a series of
numbers. Computers use these numbers to fi nd information. When you go to the
library, you often need a librarian to help you fi nd the right book. Your computer
is like an artifi cial librarian. The World Wide Web has many functions. Most
importantly, it acts as a huge library. Instead of books, your computer helps you
fi nd Web sites.
Tim Berners-Lee created a network that allowed someone using one computer to
get information that was stored in another computer, even a computer in another
country. An important part of Berners-Lee’s system is hypertext. Hypertext is a word
or a phrase on a Web site that connects you to a different part of a Web site, or
even a whole new Web site. When you’re using a computer to look up a subject on
the World Wide Web, you’ll see hypertext. Hypertext is usually blue. If you click on
the words in blue, new information appears on your computer screen right away.
Being able to fi nd information quickly is an important way the World Wide Web helps
computer users.
Tim Berners-Lee is the man who invented the biggest “library” in the world. He
forever changed the way people share information. He has received many honors
for his work.
COMPREHENSION How is the World Wide Web like a library? Which words
about science and technology did you hear in this article?
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The year was 2210. Wiping sweat from his brow, Treal said, “Tell me again,
why do we have to use an antique tool like a shovel to dig the garden? No one
has used a shovel since 2090.”
Mara grinned. “My mom and dad want me to learn about life two hundred
years ago,” she replied. “That’s what happens when your parents are
archaeologists.”
Treal grunted. He dug deeper, and suddenly a muffled clang came from
underground. “Hey! I hit something!” Treal exclaimed.
Mara stuck her shovel in the dirt and came to look. Treal wiped away the
soil covering the metal object. He pulled it out of the ground.
“What have you unearthed?” Mara asked. “Oh, it’s a time capsule! My
dad told me about these. A long time ago, our ancestors would put stuff in
a metal container and bury it for people in the future to fi nd.”
“Cool!” Treal said. “Where’s the switch to turn it on?”
“No switches,” Mara explained. “The technology is on the inside.” She
tugged until the capsule opened.
“Wow! Look at these ancestral items!” Treal said. “But why did they bury
the capsule way out here?”
“Back then, this terrain was covered with roads. I’m surprised they found
a place to dig and bury this at all.”
Treal pulled a crackly sheet from the container. “A real newspaper!
July 4, 2010,” he read aloud.
The friends took the artifacts from the capsule, one at a time. “What’s this?”
Treal asked, holding up a little metal device with numbers and a screen.
“That’s called a cell phone,” Mara replied. “My dad wrote an article about
them. Everybody had one so they could talk to each other anytime.”
“Yuck,” Treal said. “I’m glad I live now and not back then.”
“Me too. But it’s fun to learn about our heritage.” As she spoke, Mara
gathered up the objects and put them back in the capsule. “Come on. Let’s
show my parents what happens when they let us excavate the yard.”
COMPREHENSION What words helped you understand that the story
involves digging into the past? How do Mara and Treal feel about their
discovery?
The Time Capsule
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