What makes an information website helpful?
Some websites are like a very big library. In Egypt there is a free online library for people who live here, the Egyptian Knowledge Bank. A good information website keeps articles, dictionaries, encyclopedias, books, videos and sounds. Its content is checked and safe, and suitable for all ages. It also has helpful features. A search box inside the site finds what you type. A menu with clear titles saves you from scrolling and wasting time. Icons are small pictures to click for other parts. A Contact page and an About page tell you who is behind the site, and the About page may have a tagline, one short line that gives the main idea. Always ask a grown-up to help you visit a site for the first time.
| Feature | What it does for me |
|---|---|
| Search box | finds pages for the words I type |
| Menu | shows the parts of the site in a list |
| Icons | small pictures I click to go elsewhere |
| Contact and About pages | tell me who made the site and how to reach them |
Draw a paper website. On a page draw a big rectangle for the screen. Add (1) a search box at the top, (2) a menu with four choices, (3) two icons, and (4) the words Contact and About at the bottom. Choose a topic (for example ‘Egyptian desert animals’) and write a tagline of about six words. Show a partner and ask: can you find the menu in two seconds?