IP addresses and DNS name resolution are the focus of this Grade 10 Computer Science worksheet for a Networks and Cybersecurity lesson. Students trace what happens after a user types a domain name into a browser, from translating that readable name into an IP address to connecting with the server that provides the requested website content.

From Domain Name to Network Destination

The lesson begins with the role of an IP address as a numerical identifier used to direct data to the correct network destination. Students then examine why readable domain names cannot perform that routing job by themselves and how the Domain Name System bridges the gap between names people use and addresses networks use.

Students follow the DNS lookup process as a resolver asks DNS servers for the IP address associated with a domain. They learn that DNS records store these mappings and that the returned address allows the browser to establish a connection with the appropriate server.

Understand What DNS Does — and What It Does Not Do

A key distinction in this resource is that DNS does not deliver the website content itself. Instead, DNS helps the browser locate the server by returning the required IP address. Once that address is available, the browser uses it to connect to the server and request the website content.

The worksheet also introduces DNS caching as a way to make later lookups faster. Students consider what happens when a website moves to a different server and how updated DNS records allow future lookups to return a new IP address.

Practice Through Explanation and Application

• A dialogue-based question introduces IP addressing and name resolution
• A matching activity connects DNS and networking concepts
• A cloze passage reinforces IP addresses, resolvers, DNS records, caching, and server addresses
• A diagram-labeling activity supports understanding of the lookup process
• An informational reading passage explains the relationship between domain names, DNS, IP addresses, and server connections
• Multiple-choice questions require students to identify DNS roles, lookup sequences, caching purposes, and likely failure outcomes
• True-or-false statements target misconceptions about DNS responses and website content
• Short-answer questions ask students to explain DNS records and what a browser does after receiving an IP address
• An extended response challenges students to evaluate the claim that DNS itself brings up a website

Teacher Support Included

A separate Teacher Guide PDF includes learning objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and common mistakes. The resource can support direct instruction, guided practice, independent work, homework, or review within a Grade 10 Networks and Cybersecurity unit.