UNIT 1 • STAGE 5 OF 7
Learn HTML attributes and the anchor tag to create clickable links
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:
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.
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."
Tribal nations have their own official websites. Let's link to one. Find your "About the Dakota People" section and add a link.
Click the link in the preview → it should take you to the nation's website. That's the web connecting people to information!
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.
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.
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.
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.
As a web developer, every link you create is a choice about whose voice you amplify. When building websites about Indigenous communities:
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!