It is possible to put a 'paper essay' on the web as a single, long document, but this unit introduces students to a form of web-based essay that is a series of linked pages.

The objective of this unit is to understand the basic structure of a web essay. Students are taught how to create and use templates, and to write basic HTML code to enable them to create an essay in the form of linked web pages. Students need to know how to use a simple text editor and how to save their work in a folder.

Some students will find HTML difficult and frustrating because of the attention to detail required in the punctuation and codes. But when students have created templates, they can adapt them for future essays, so it is worth persevering. The unit includes troubleshooting to help students identify and correct mistakes.

If you are new to this yourself, you could learn alongside the students. Alternatively, you could work through this unit yourself first. The follow-up activities at the end of this unit suggest that students can investigate software that can be used for building web pages (rather than programming directly in HTML). You may want to discuss this in advance with your IT manager or head of ICT. You may also want to discuss the possibility of hosting students web essays on a school intranet.

To get started, students may want to adapt an essay they have written on paper for the web so that they can get to grips with the principles and programming without worrying too much about the content. They can then move on to planning and writing a web essay from scratch.

Extension

• In a group, discuss the differences between a web essay and one written on paper. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
• In pairs or a small group, look at each others' web essays and compare them. Do they work? What did you find difficult? Did you have any problems? If so, how did you solve them?
• Find out about any software that you can use to create web pages.