Gutenberg Exchange Lesson Ten: Creating a Basic HTML Document
There is an alternative version of lesson 10 which does not emphasize HTML coding. We recommend that you switch to the NO-HTML version unless you are in an advanced class.


Computer Literacy Objectives: In this lesson you will learn how to create a basic HTML document.

Writing Objectives: You will learn how to identify and use absolutes.

In this lesson, you will read about the structure of absolutes, and then you will scan a list of sentences, copying and pasting sample sentences that contain absolutes into Notepad, imitating each sentence with your own words. Then you will turn the collection of sentences into an HTML document and load it as a file into Netscape.

Instructions

  1. Review Lesson Nine.
  2. Find your copy of the notes you took in the last lesson on HTML codes.
  3. Go to an introduction to absolutes, and study it carefully.
  4. Leave Netscape running, but open Notepad or some other basic word processor; then return to this page.
  5. Go to a list of complex sentences.
  6. Scan the sentences looking for absolutes. (There are three sentences that contain absolutes.)
  7. As you find them, copy and paste them into the Notepad document and imitate each with your own words.
  8. Go to sample relative clauses and access its source code. Use that document as a model for coding your sample absolute sentences. Imitate that code as closely as possible using your own material. If you need to, look at An HTML Reference Guide.
  9. When you think you have it done, save it by using the "save as" option under the file prompt. When you save an html document, you need to put an .htm tag on the end of it.
  10. Test your document by returning to Netscape, knocking down the source code of "sample relative clauses," and clicking on "File" and then on "open file." At the loading prompt, specify your disk drive and file name, and then tell the computer to open the file. Your document should appear in Netscape as a web document. If it doesn't look right, toggle back to your Notebook document and look for possible errors.
  11. Whenever you change something in the Notepad, you must save it before you can reload it. After changing the Notepad document, save it, and toggle back to Netscape. To see how your changes look in the web document, click on the "reload" button in the middle of the top of the Netscape tool bar.
  12. Keep adjusting the document until it comes up as you want it to appear, and then call your teacher over to inspect your finished web page. (If you are doing this lesson from home, you can copy and paste the file from Notepad into an E-mail document and send it to your teacher. Your teacher should then be able to copy and paste it back into notepad and open it as an HTML document in Netscape.)
  13. Once your teacher has checked your work and said it is satisfactory, you should close all programs and shut down your computer. If you don't have time to finish the page today, show the teacher what you have, and finish it for next time.

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