for those wishing to improve internet searching methods and results,
with use of google
from School Library Journal, January 2006
"Contrary to popular belief, kids are bored and frustrated by the Web
and are less adept at online searches than adults. They may be whizzes
at instant messaging and downloading tunes, but when it comes to
searching, they're just lost puppies. Kids like clean and
simple-looking sites; should be taught basic, essential search skills.
Students often make the mistake of conducting searches by asking
questions; which isn't the way Google works best. Effective searches
consist of typing in carefully chosen words and excluding those that are
irrelevant to your search."
The Google Game
Begin the lesson by telling students that each search term is like a
bead on a string. To make things simple, we limit everyone's search to
10 terms, explaining that the addition of each word or phrase is like
adding one more bead to a string. The aim is to end up with the
information you are looking for with as few hits as possible.
three crucial google search tips:
1.
use quotation marks for works in the exact order
ex: "French Restoration"' "human rights"; "affirmative action"
2.
use a minus sign to exclude a word from your search
ex: vikings -Minnesota;
3.
limit a search to certain type of websites
ex: site:edu; site:org
lacrosse site:edu (lacrosse at educational institutions)
The team with the fewest number of hits (returns) in 15 minutes wins.
Rules:
work in pairs with new search techniques (tips) to answer a question
posed by a librarian or a teacher
students record the search terms that they used to get their results
the team with the fewest number of hist and the correct answer wins the
game
ex: Can you explain how Edgar Allan Poe used the raven as a symbol in
his poem "The Raven"?
"Edgar Allan Poe" raven symbol site:edu = 253 hits
Teachers: Keep in mind to test your own questions before the beginning
of a class to see how many search results are returned. The results
change from day to day because sites frequently come and go on Google so
it is best to construct questions shortly before the lesson is taught.
The winning team copies the search string on the board and explains its
solution to the class to help demonstrate more effective search methods;
but there is no guarantee that every search will produce so few results.
More questions that students have really enjoyed...
What are the methods of tattoo removal that a teen might consider?
Optimal search terms: "tattoo removal" teen site:gov (82 hits)
Answer: Laser surgery, dermabrasion, surgical excision
Which of William Shakespeare's plays has been said to refer to the
Gunpowder
Plot of 1605?
Optimal search terms: "William Shakespeare" play "Gunpowder Plot" 1605
site:edu (82 hits)
Answer: Macbeth
What does Don Colgan have to do with cloning an extinct tiger?
Optimal search terms: "Don Colgan" cloning extinct tiger site:org (21
hits)
Marcy V. Sandberg
Library Media Specialist
Washburn Rural High School
5900 SW 61st Street
Topeka, KS 66619
785-339-4197
785-339-4126 (fax)
sandbmar@usd437.net
library.usd437.net
>>> Cheryl Whitmore Stevens <cwstevens@EARTHLINK.NET> 1/9/2009 8:15 AM
>>>
I know that I read about a game in which students use Google to search
for an item. The ones to find the answer the quickest and using the
least number of Boolean search terms is the winner. Does this ring a
bell with anyone? If so could you either pass the game along or let me
know which issue of the magazine it is in? Thanks.
Cheryl Whitmore Stevens, MLS, MA Ed. Psych
Library Media Specialist
Mansfield, CT 06250
cwstevens@earthlink.net
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