Downloading a short-term, offline copy
of a web site to use when the Internet is unavailable

Why download a copy?
If the actual classroom where you will be teaching a lesson does not have Internet access or you have a critical need to use a web page for a presentation, downloading a TEMPORARY offline copy is a option.

Overview:
You will need to copy the site onto a computer that is connected to the Internet.  You will save it using Favorites in Internet Explorer.  You will then use that same computer to show it offline by taking the computer to the room you use for your class. You must have access to a laptop or easily mobile computer to do this. If you do not, it is a bit more cumbersome, since the web page is not simply a “file” you can place on a USB thumb drive!

The steps:
Save an offline copy using Internet Explorer 5 and higher on a computer with Windows. These instructions were written using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6, but they should work on any version of Windows. As with any technology lesson, we suggest pre-testing the page after you save it to be sure it WORKS!

1. Starting with the machine ONLINE, open the web page.
2. Go to your Favorites menu and click Add to Favorites.
3. Check the box that says "Make available offline"
4. Click Customize.
5. This wizard will walk you through choices regarding the offline copy. You must decide if you want linked pages – and how many links deep. If you are not sure, dump out of the Favorites procedure and count how many steps away from your starting page you wish to go. You cannot go more than 5 links deep, and each link-depth adds significantly to the size of the files you are saving.
6. Tell it you want to synchronize only when you choose it from the tools menu.
7. No, it has no password, assuming you are not downloading password-protected content.
8. Click Finish
9. The computer will do its magic and place all the relevant files in a folder called Temporary Internet Files

To test whether you really have it saved:

1. Go to the File menu in Internet Explorer and select "work offline." To be even more sure, you can actually disconnect your Internet and move to the classroom where you will be using the page.
2. Now open Internet Explorer (with the dreaded "file not found" page showing!).
3. Go to the end of your Favorites menu and click on the title of the page you have just downloaded. It should run, sound files and all.

Note: Some computers are set to clear their temporary Internet files every time you close IE. If this is the case with your computer, you will need to change that setting under Tools> Internet options in IE.

To DELETE the copy when you are finished (and you should do this immediately. Offline copies are NOT legal if kept beyond the immediate “rescheduling” need):

1. Go to the Favorites menu
2. Choose organize Favorites
3. Select and delete the site by name from the Favorites list
   
   

You can always repeat these steps next year.  It works with any web site. Just remember Fair Use. We suggest that you stop and explain your ethical use of copyrighted, electronic resources as you "model"  to your students. Even young ones can understand the basics: “I borrowed it to use it in this room today, but I am giving it right back.”