Goals

• Identify the tool bar
• Understand the functions present on the tool bar
• Effectively use Internet Explorer to navigate the World Wide Web

The Tool Bar

Before we can learn how to use Internet Explorer to navigate the web, we must first open the program. To do this, double-click on the Internet Explorer icon that is on the desktop. A window will open and we're ready to go!

The tool bar is a group of functions that are very useful when browsing the Internet. When the Internet Explorer window opens, the tool bar is located at the top of the screen. Over the next few pages, we will examine each function individually.

The first screen that pops up when you open Internet Explorer is the homepage. The address bar takes you from the homepage to the other websites you wish to visit. If you click in the address bar, a cursor will appear and you can type in this space.

To enter a web address, there are a few guidelines that must be followed:

1. Do not worry about typing http://. Internet Explorer will enter this for you automatically.

2. The beginning of a web address starts with www followed by a period.

3. Enter in the title of the address followed by another period.

4. End with the correct suffix. Some examples of suffixes are .com, .net, .org, .gov, and .edu.

After entering the web address, you may either right click on the go button or press the enter key to begin the search.

Two very useful functions available on the tool bar are the forward and back buttons. While searching the Internet, you may wish to return to the previous page. You can do this very easily by pressing the back button one time. The previous page will reload, or open again, when the back button is pressed.

Notice the arrow pointing to the right in the picture at the top. This is the forward button. If you press it once, you will go to the next page you visited.

When you enter a web address in the address bar and press go, the web page will begin to open. The stop button, shown on the left, is there if you wish to change your mind. By pressing stop, the search for the web page will cease.

When searching the Internet, sometimes a page becomes frozen, or cannot open properly. Don't worry--this is not the start of the next ice age. Most of the time, there is a simple solution to this problem: Use the refresh button which is shown to the left and located to the right of the stop button on the tool bar. After pressing the refresh button, the page often reloads properly.

When you open Internet Explorer, the first page that pops up is your ________ (This is a pop quiz!). If you answered homepage, you are correct! When searching the Internet, you may return to this page by pressing the home button shown above, an icon that looks like a house, located next to the refresh button.

If you are looking for information on a particular subject but are not aware of a web address which contains that information, you may wish to use the search button.

The search button is located to the right of the home button and its icon is a globe with a magnifying glass. When you press the search button, a vertical window will open on the left of the screen. Locate the search address bar in the new window. Here you may enter a subject topic rather than a webpage address. For example, entering in the search terms “Thunderbird 1956” will result in a list of websites devoted to this particular year and model of car. To exit the search window, simply click the box containing the “x” in the upper right hand corner.

If you find a particularly interesting page while searching the Internet and wish to be able to return to it frequently, you can add this page to your favorites list. To do this, press the favorites button while on the page. The favorites button is located to the right of the search button on the tool bar.

A vertical window will open on the side with a tab at the top that says Add. If you press the Add button, another window will open. This presents to you the address or name of the page you’re adding to your favorites list and allows you to name the page anything you want! You may change the web address to a meaningful name if you wish or you may choose not to rename the page if you are confident you can recognize the page's contents later.