Unit 2: Web Fundamentals

Class 1 Prep

Setup

Task Resource Type Link Instructions
Read Web page About This Unit Read about the structure of this unit. In particular, pay attention to the details about curriculum resources and how you should utilize them effectively.

HTML

Task Resource Type Link Instructions
Watch Video Lessons Intro to the Web Watch all videos in this playlist, and do the associated quizzes (pause after a quiz video to answer it before moving to the next video).
Do Interactive Course Codecademy: Learn HTML This section covers the very basics. You will already be familiar with most of it from the above videos. Complete only the free (non-Pro) sections.

Git: Basics

Git is a "version control" system to help you manage your coding projects. These days, most professional programmers consider Git to be an essential aspect of their skill set. Throughout the rest of this course, we will try to integrate Git into your workflows to help you build up your comfort using this powerful tool. You will learn the basics of Git following along with an eBook, and you will use Git (and a website called Github) to submit your assignments.

Task Resource Type Link Instructions
Follow Along eBook Tower Git: Part 1 - The Basics

You might also find the Video Series helpful.		 Read and code along to all 7 articles within Part 1, starting with What is Version Control? and finishing with Working on Your Project.
Make sure you are using the version that teaches Git on the Command Line and not the Desktop GUI version.

Code along on your own computer as you go. By the end, you should have Git installed on your computer, you should have a vague idea of what Git is, and you should have gotten some practice creating a repository and committing changes to it. NOTE: Mac users may install Git by typing git at a Terminal prompt, hitting Enter, and following the resulting macOS prompts to install Xcode tools.
Do Quiz Flatiron: Git Basics Quiz Take this 2-minute quiz to test your understanding of the Git concepts you have learned so far.

Browser Tools

For this class, our preferred browser will be Firefox. If you are already comfortable using the developer tools in another browser, then you can continue to do so. Just be aware that all of our instructions, videos, and screenshots will be using the Firefox browser tools. So if you are new to using these tools, go ahead and install Firefox now so you can follow the instructions more easily.

Install Firefox for Windows

  1. Open a browser window and go to Mozilla to download Firefox. Click the "Free Download" button.
  2. Go to your downloads folder and double click the executable file (should be named something like Firefox Setup Stub).
  3. Agree to let it make changes on your hard drive.
  4. Click the install button and except the default installation options.
  5. A new Firefox browser window will appear and you'll get a choice whether to make this your default browser.

Install Firefox for Mac

  1. Open a browser window and go to Mozilla to download Firefox. Click the "Free Download" button.
  2. Double click the downloaded file (should be named something like Firefox.dmg) in your downloads area at the bottom right of your screen.
  3. Drag the Firefox icon into the Applications folder icon.
  4. Open a Finder window and go to the Applications folder. Then click on the icon for Firefox. You'll get a warning message; go ahead and click the "Open" button.
  5. You can choose whether to import your preferences, bookmarks, etc. from your default browser, or not.
  6. A new Firefox browser window will appear and you'll get a choice whether to make this your default browser.
  7. Then you'll be prompted to create a Firefox account. This is optional.