Goal: Create a Webquest Template that uses frames.
- Frames are dividers that cut your browser window
into sections, usually three sections. Each section is a separate
web page, and so the browser is actually showing more than one page at a
time.
- Usually, the top frame contains a heading, like a
banner. The left frame contains links, and the large main frame in
the middle presents the targets of those links.
Several examples of frames:
Back to Top of Page
Advantages:
- relatively easy creation of menus
- keeps user within site even when looking at external content
Disadvantages:
- makes it hard for user to bookmark specific pages
- takes up valuable screen real estate
Back to Top of Page
Key concept: To create a framed page, you need at least three
files.
- a "frameset" file that actually sets up the screen and divides
it into two (or more) frames
- at least two files that are the content for the frames on the
page when it first loads
From a Template:
- Choose File | New and in the Task
pane, click "More Page Templates. On the pane that opens,
click the "Frames Pages"
- Choose an appropriate template. I chose the first option, as above. This frames page will
contain no content. It is just a presentation container.
Back to Top of Page
- Now you have a frameset. Save this file as index.htm.
- Click the new page button in the top frame. Save
that page as banner.htm This is your top banner frame page,
usually used for titles, etc.
Note that you can also give the page a title.
- Click the new page button in the left side frame.
Save again, and make sure your record and remember that name. Name this
page nav_page.htm
- Click the new page button in the main frame.
Save, record, and remember. I named this page "introduction.htm" because
it will be the first part of my Webquest.
Back to Top of Page
Now you have a frameset that looks similar to this.
I typed something on each page as I made them, so it would not be blank.
Back to Top of Page
To use this Web for a Webquest, we will need a page
for each part The names of the page files will be introduction, task,
process, evaluation, conclusion. credits, and teaching_guide.
Create 6 more files and name each one appropriately. Make sure you also give
each page a title.
Below is the file list. The index is my frameset,
the banner will always be in the top frame, and the nav_page will always
present my links on the left side of the page.
Back to Top of Page
Now we will make links in the left frame page that will
open pages in the main frame.
The first page made for the main large window will be
opened there automatically.
We need links in that left side frame to open the other
pages of the Webquest. To create these links:
- Open the page we are going to use in that left
side frame, which we called the nav_page.htm.
- Click on the page where we want to make a link.
(on the left side of the page)
- Click the link button or use Insert | Hyperlink.
- In the box "Text to display", type Introduction
- in the file list, click "introduction.htm"
This will make a link to this file.
Back to Top of Page
- You are not finished. We must tell the
browser to open the page in the Target Frame.
- Click the "Target Frame" button on the right side
of the pane.
- The "Target Frame" pane will open, and you will
choose which frame will display your file.
- There are two ways to choose the target frame.
The left side of this pane shows an outline of your frameset with the
frames outlined. In the image below, the main frame has been
clicked. The word "main" appears in the "Target Setting" box. The
link will now tell the browser to display the file in that frame.
(You can also choose "Page Default (main)" from the "Common targets"
list.
Back to Top of Page
Make links for all the Webquest pages so that your
frameset will look like this.
To put content on the top page frame and the pages that
will be opened in the main frame, just open them like any other file and
enter your content. Keep in mind that the other frames take up space
on your page, so keep your content as close to the visible part of your
frame as you can. The main frame pages can be long, but not too wide.
Scrolling down is less onerous than scrolling across.
Back to Top of Page
Now you're done with the
FrontPage module!
|
