HTML JavaScript CSS Computer Science

Beginner

20 mins

Teacher/Student led

+75 XP

What you need:
Chromebook/Laptop/PC

Overview of how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Interact

Embark on a journey to understand the interaction of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Learn how HTML lays the foundation of web pages, CSS enhances their appearance, and JavaScript brings them to life. By the end, you'll be able to balance and integrate these components effectively.

Learning Goals Learning Outcomes Teacher Notes

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1 Introduction
2 HTML: The Structure
3 CSS: The Design
4 JavaScript: The Interactivity
5 The Synergy
6 Wrap Up

1 - Introduction

Think of web development like building a house – it's a great way to understand the roles of each technology.

HTML lays the foundation and structure, just like the walls, rooms, and roof of a house. It defines what content is on the page and organises it logically.
CSS decorates and designs, similar to choosing paint colours, furniture, and decor. It makes everything look appealing and ensures the page is visually engaging.
JavaScript adds functionality and interactivity, like installing lights, doorbells, and security systems. It makes the page dynamic, allowing things to happen when you interact with it.

This analogy will help you see how these three technologies complement each other. In this lesson, you'll explore each one in more detail and learn how they interact to build interactive websites.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+10 XP

2 - HTML: The Structure

What is HTML?

Stands for Hypertext Markup Language.
Used to define and structure content on the web.
Made up of elements represented by tags.

Basic HTML structure:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
	<head>
    	<title>Page Title</title>
    </head>
    <body>    
    	<h1>My First Heading</h1>
    	<p>My first paragraph.</p>  
    </body>
</html>

Key points:

<!DOCTYPE html>: Declares the document type.
<html>: The root of an HTML document.
<head>: Contains meta information and might link to styles and scripts.
<title>: Sets the title visible on a browser tab.
<body>: Contains the content visible to users.

👇 Mark your steps as done as you complete them.

+15 XP

3 - CSS: The Design

What is CSS?

Stands for Cascading Style Sheets.
Used to control the look and feel of a webpage.
Can be applied inline, internally (in the head of the HTML), or externally (in a separate file).

Basic CSS syntax:

selector {
	property: value;
}

CSS Example:

To change the background color and font color of a paragraph:

p {
  background-color: yellow;
  color: red;
}

Ways to add CSS to HTML:

Inline: Directly in the HTML element.

<p style="color:blue;">This is a blue paragraph.</p>

Internal: Within the <style> element in the <head> section.
```
<head>
  <style>
    p { color: blue; }
  </style>
</head>
```

External: Linking an external .css file.

<head>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>

+15 XP

4 - JavaScript: The Interactivity

What is JavaScript?

A scripting language that enables interactive web pages.
Part of the core technologies for the web, alongside HTML and CSS.
Can be placed inline (like putting a note directly on a page) or linked externally (like referencing a separate book).

Basic JavaScript:

<button onclick="displayAlert()">Click Me!</button>

<script>
function displayAlert() {
    alert('Button was clicked!');
}
</script>

Common uses of JavaScript:

Form validation
Like a teacher checking your homework to ensure you answered every question. It ensures the information entered into a website form is correct and complete before it's submitted.
Dynamic content updates
Imagine reading a book that automatically updates its stories while you're still reading it. Websites can change and update parts of a page without needing to reload the entire page.
Animations and transitions
Think of it as the special effects in movies. It's how elements on a webpage move, change, or fade in/out to make the website more engaging and interactive.
Fetching data from servers
Like going to the library to borrow a book. Your computer asks another, bigger computer (a server) for information or content, and that server provides it back to be displayed on your website.

+15 XP

5 - The Synergy

Imagine you're creating a web-based quiz:

HTML - You'd set up the questions, options, and the submit button.
CSS - You'd design it to make it visually appealing, perhaps coloring the background, styling the buttons, etc.
JavaScript - After the user submits their answers, JavaScript could check the answers, provide immediate feedback, or even load the next set of questions without needing to load a new page.

+10 XP

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Overview of how HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Interact

Live Class Feed

1 - Introduction

2 - HTML: The Structure

3 - CSS: The Design

4 - JavaScript: The Interactivity

5 - The Synergy

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