CyberSmart! : Lesson Plans : Making Search Decisions

Making Search Decisions

Download Student Activity Sheet(s) for printout in PDF Format

Overview
Students interpret some powerful decision-making tips to increase their searching efficiency and then apply them in school research scenarios. They also learn to look for advance search strategies offered at most search sites.

Objectives

		Interpret search tips that promote efficient Internet research
		Apply search tips to typical school research scenarios
		Explain that most sites offer advanced search strategies

ISTE^® National Technology Standards

Performance Indicator # 8

Site Preview

		Search Engines Sites AltaVista Ask.com Excite Google MSN
		Directory Sites About Open Directory Project Lycos Yahoo! Info Please Homework Center Multnomah County Library Homework site
		Meta-Search Engine Sites Dogpile MetaCrawler HotBot

Online Resources

Visit sites providing background information on The Nuts and Bolts of Searching.

Materials

		Activity sheets (2)
		Online computer access

Introduce (offline)

		Describe the following scenario to students: Your social studies class was assigned to write research reports. Michael and Elena waited until the last few days. They must work smart to get their reports done in time and have decided to do their research on the Internet.
		Ask: How should they get started? (go to a site that offers searching and browsing)

Teach 1 (offline)

		Distribute Activity Sheet 1.
		As students read and discuss the search tips, have them give you additional examples for each.
		Review or introduce the basic differences between search engines, directories, and meta-search engines. Search engines index a huge number of sites automatically without human involvement; to search the index, one submits keywords. Directories are indexed by humans who evaluate and categorize each site; a directory can be searched by selecting increasingly specific subject categories. Meta-search engines simultaneously submit keywords to several search engines. NOTE: The lesson, "Investigating Search Engines and Directories," is a recommended prerequisite to this lesson.

Teach 2 (online)

		Distribute Activity Sheet 2.
		Have students complete the online activity, linking to the recommended search sites from www.becybersmart.org
		Tell students that while search services rank their results by various criteria, they usually list first the sites that are most likely to be useful.

Teach 3 (online)

Assign each student or group of students one of the search sites selected for this lesson and have them locate and report on the advanced search features offered there.

Close (offline)

		Ask: Which of the search tips do you find most useful and why?
		Ask: How can advanced search features help you locate the information you need? (They can customize a search to find exactly what you want.)

Extend (offline)
The following activity can be added for students who completed this lesson in a previous grade.

Working in pairs, have students take turns selecting search scenarios to navigate. Student 1 gives a scenario from Column 1 from Activity Sheet 1 and adds a new topic or phrase, Student 2 conducts the search, trying to recall and use the strategy recommended for that scenario. Student 2 gets 10 points for each successful search that was completed without Student 1's help or hints. Then they switch roles. The first student to accumulate 100 points wins.