Mechanics of effective searching
A curriculum for critical thinking and web research
Skill level: Beginner
School level: Middle school (11–13 years old)
High school (14–18 years old)
Prerequisite skills needed
Students need to have basic computer use skills, such as the ability to launch Internet Explorer®, type a web address, type into search boxes, and navigate the Internet.
Description of plan
Teachers develop a project within their content area aligned to their state/district standards that requires students to conduct web-based research using the Bing™ search engine. Students develop beginning skills for conducting an effective and efficient search of web-based information.
Rationale for lesson
Students who are just beginning the research process may require additional support to maximize their time and efficiency while searching for resources. Many content area teachers feel that students’ time could be used more effectively when they search the Internet. Students often have difficulties locating the information they need and sorting through the masses of information (both relevant and irrelevant) on the Internet, in addition to staying focused on the assignment.
Essential concepts / questions
Essential questions for teachers:
¨ How can I support students in searching the Internet more efficiently and effectively?
¨ How can I support students in locating the specific sites needed to help them in their overall research process?
¨ How do I direct students to sites more quickly and accurately?
Essential question for students:
¨ How can I effectively use the Bing search engine to conduct research on a
specific topic?
National Educational Technology Standard (NETS)
NETS-T
¨ 4A: Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
NETS-S
¨ 3B: Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
Teacher preparation
¨ Teachers should familiarize themselves with the Bing (http://www.bing.com) search engine.
¨ Teachers should work with the lab coordinator or media specialist to determine lab logistics, level of access per student, and seating arrangements.
¨ Teachers need to develop clear criteria for the project, including guiding questions to be addressed by students’ research, and a project scoring rubric, including criteria for use of technology (for example, the number of resources and images required, or how to cite sources).
à Please see the “Citing web sources” lesson plan for ideas.
¨ If students are working in cooperative groups, teachers should develop specific roles and responsibilities that provide for individual and group accountability.
¨ Teachers should consider developing a graphic organizer or criteria for students’ note-taking.
à For example, see “Searching – Student worksheet 2: Graphic organizer.”
¨ Microsoft Office OneNote® provides the ability to track research and web sites as students take notes. See the “Related resources and tutorials” section of this document.
Management issues
Teachers must consider student arrangement in labs; if students are to locate media files, where those files will be stored; and how much time will be allotted. Teachers should determine where students will store their work (possibilities include folders on the school server or on Windows Live™ SkyDrive™). To reduce off-task behavior, teachers should develop criteria to guide students’ searches.
Instruction
Before having students conduct a web search, teachers should demonstrate how to use the Bing search engine to research a topic. Teachers should model the steps for conducting effective searches, as detailed in “Searching – Student handout: Internet address endings.”
See supplementary material, “Searching – Teacher demo – Beginner: Mechanics of
effective searching.”
Student activities / guidance
Students begin their search based on the broad topic of their project, similar to the teacher’s demonstration. Using “Searching – Student worksheet 1: Results of your search,” students follow the prompts and record the number of sites provided by the search.
Assessment
¨ Completed worksheet: “Searching – Student worksheet 1: Results of your search.”
¨ Students reflect on their own searches and answer the essential question:
à How can I effectively use the Bing search engine to conduct research on a
specific topic?
Related resources and tutorials
¨ Effective searching tips
à http://help.live.com/Help.aspx?market=en-US&project=WL_Searchv1&querytype=topic&query=WL_Search_PROC_SearchtheWeb.htm
¨ Bing User Guide: How to use Bing
à http://www.nirmaltv.com/2009/06/01/bing-detailed-user-guide
¨ Information about the Bing search engine home page
à http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=wl_searchv1&market=en-US&querytype=keyword&query=egapemoh&domain=www.bing.com:80
¨ Bing Visual Search
à http://discoverbing.com/visualsearch/
¨ 50 fantastic Bing tricks
à http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/08/24/50-fantastic-bing-tricks-for-students-librarians/
Related resources and tutorials (continued)
¨ Office OneNote
à http://www.microsoft.com/education/products/office/onenote/default.aspx#Tips
¨ Windows Live SkyDrive
à http://skydrive.live.com/
¨ See the “Validity” lesson plan for more ideas and guidelines.
¨ See the “Citing web sources” lesson plan for more ideas and guidelines.
Closure and reflection
Questions for closure and student reflection when reviewing student activity and learning:
¨ What different types of information are available through the Bing search engine?
¨ What are ways you can focus your search on a specific topic?
¨ How can you manage your time more effectively when conducting research on
the Internet?
Teacher reflection questions
¨ Were there any unforeseen management issues?
¨ Which elements of the lesson were most effective?
¨ Which elements of the lesson should be adjusted for next time?
¨ Will students be able to complete this type of lesson more independently next time?
Supplementary materials
¨ “Searching – Teacher dem0 – Tips: Conducting searches using Bing”
¨ “Searching – Teacher demo – Beginner: Mechanics of effective searching”
¨ “Searching – Student handout: Results of your search”
¨ “Searching – Student worksheet 2: Graphic organizer”
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