UNIT 1 • STAGE 5 OF 7

Connecting Your Page to the World

Learn HTML attributes and the anchor tag to create clickable links

UNIT
STEP 1

What Are HTML Attributes?

Until now you've used tags like <h1> and <ul>. But HTML elements can also have attributes - extra information you add inside the opening tag to tell it how to behave.

Attributes always follow this pattern:

<tagname attribute="value">

For example: <img src="photo.jpg" alt="A photo"> - here src tells the browser where to find the image file, and alt provides a text description for people who can't see the image. Attributes give elements their specific instructions - without them, a tag can only do its default behavior.

STEP 2

The Anchor Tag: Creating Links

The <a> tag (short for anchor) creates a clickable link. Its most important attribute is href - which stands for Hypertext Reference, or "where this link goes."

<a href="https://example.com">Click here</a>
Tag name Attribute Value (the URL) Link text
STEP 3

Add a Link to a Tribal Nation

Tribal nations have their own official websites. Let's link to one. Find your "About the Dakota People" section and add a link.

👉 Add this after your Dakota "Today" paragraph: <p>Learn more: <a href="https://www.shakopeedakota.org">Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community</a></p>

Click the link in the preview → it should take you to the nation's website. That's the web connecting people to information!

🎯 Important: Respectful Linking

When we link to Tribal nation websites, we're directing people to information the nations themselves have chosen to share. Always link to official Tribal websites - not third-party sources - to respect their digital sovereignty.

STEP 4

Open Links in a New Tab

When linking to external websites, it's polite to open the link in a new tab so visitors don't leave your page. You do this with the target attribute.

👉 Update your link to include target="_blank": <a href="https://www.shakopeedakota.org" target="_blank">Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community</a>

target="_blank" tells the browser: "open this link in a new tab instead of navigating away from this page." The underscore before "blank" is part of the required syntax - it tells the browser to use a brand new tab rather than a named frame. Without this, clicking the link would take the visitor completely away from your page.

STEP 5

Add Links for More Nations

Here are official URLs for several MN Tribal nations. Add at least two more links to your page - one under the Dakota section and one under Anishinaabe.

👉 Pattern to follow for each link: <p>Visit: <a href="URL_HERE" target="_blank">Nation Name</a></p>
STEP 6

Digital Citizenship: Linking Responsibly

As a web developer, every link you create is a choice about whose voice you amplify. When building websites about Indigenous communities:

  • Link to official Tribal nation websites, not Wikipedia or news sites
  • Let the nations speak for themselves
  • Check that links still work before publishing
  • Don't link to content that could misrepresent or stereotype

🌟 Stage 5 Complete!

You've learned HTML attributes and the anchor tag - one of the most powerful tools in web development. In Stage 6, we'll polish your page with emphasis tags and visual dividers!

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