This content is located in CAPS under Network Technologies: Networks for Grade 11.

Teaching the difference between an Intranet and the Internet is an opportunity to ground students in a fundamental concept of networking while showing its relevance to real-world applications. This distinction allows students to grasp how networks are tailored to meet specific communication, security, and accessibility needs.

An intranet is a private network used within an organisation, whereas the internet is a global network accessible by anyone with an internet connection. By understanding these differences, students can contextualise concepts like network security, data sharing, and connectivity.

Making It Practical and Engaging

1. Relating to Familiar Contexts
   • Begin with examples students encounter daily:
     • The school’s internal network where they access e-learning portals is an intranet.
     • Browsing social media or using search engines occurs on the internet.
   • Use these examples to compare access rights, security, and purposes.
2. Interactive Activities
   • Role-Playing a Network: Assign students roles as “intranet users” (e.g., employees in a company) and “internet users” (e.g., global consumers). Set up a mock system where intranet users access restricted “files” (printed worksheets) and internet users can access “public resources” (classroom posters or open files). This activity clarifies how access differs.
   • Access Logs Game: Create simple “logs” showing login attempts on an intranet and internet. Ask students to identify security features like user authentication that keep intranets secure.
3. Hands-On Network Exploration
   • Use basic diagrams to demonstrate an intranet’s components: servers, routers, and client devices. Compare this to the internet by showing the added complexity of internet service providers (ISPs) and cloud-based systems.
   • Bring a router and cables (or simulate with strings and labels) to build a physical “intranet” in the classroom. Discuss how data flows securely within this network.
4. Comparing Real-Life Applications
   • Intranet: Showcase examples like a hospital’s internal database or a business’s file-sharing system.
   • Internet: Highlight services like Google search, online banking, or streaming.
   • Use video clips from online sources or case studies to illustrate both networks’ utility and vulnerabilities.
5. Debate on Accessibility
   • Organise a debate on whether intranets should integrate with the internet. Provide examples like intranets using VPNs to connect securely to external systems, balancing convenience and security.
6. Exploring Technology Terms
   • Explain how technologies like firewalls, VPNs, and usernames/passwords are more critical in intranets to protect sensitive data.
   • Demonstrate these concepts by simulating a firewall: set up a classroom activity where a “firewall” (teacher) filters which “data packets” (students) can enter the intranet.

The Pizza Delivery Analogy

• Intranet: A family ordering and eating pizza at home. The pizza (data) is shared only among family members (authorised users) within the house (private network). No one outside the home can access it.
• Internet: A pizza shop offering delivery to anyone in the neighbourhood or city. Anyone with access to the delivery service (internet connection) can get the pizza.

Ask students to expand the analogy:

• What happens if a neighbour tries to join the family dinner (unauthorised access)?
• How does the pizza shop ensure the pizza reaches the right address (internet protocols)?

Visual Method

1. Draw Two Circles:
   • A smaller circle labelled “Intranet” representing a home or office, with restricted access.
   • A larger circle surrounding it, labelled “Internet,” accessible to everyone globally.
   • Highlight that the intranet lives within the internet but is shielded by security layers.
2. Demo with Everyday Devices:
   • Use a computer connected to the school network to access a restricted portal (intranet).
   • Contrast this by opening a website like Google (internet). Point out differences in access and content availability.

Group Activity

1. Create Paper Networks:
   • Divide students into groups to “build” an intranet using only items on their desks (e.g., notes shared within the group).
   • Another group “builds” the internet by allowing everyone in the room to share and exchange notes freely.
2. Reflect Together:
   • Ask: What made the intranet secure? What risks did the internet group face (e.g., loss, incorrect notes)?

Bloom’s Taxonomy in Action

• Remembering: Define and identify intranets and the internet.
• Understanding: Explain why businesses use intranets instead of the internet.
• Applying: Demonstrate with classroom networks how data flows in both setups.
• Analysing: Compare the security protocols of intranets and the internet.
• Evaluating: Debate the pros and cons of integrating intranets with the internet.
• Creating: Design a basic network layout for an intranet in a school or small business.

Encourage students to think critically about the pros and cons of each network type and share how they see these networks influencing daily activities or future careers.