Search+and+Internet+Literacy


 * __ ACTIVITY __**

Let's pretend that you have distant relatives you have discovered who live in Mankato, Minnesota. You find out that many of your ancestors are from that region, so you decide to explore a little more about the town and the surrounding region. So you go to [|Google] (isn't that the only search tool?!?!) and type in "Mankato, Minnesota".
 * Would you follow the first link provided? Why or why not?
 * Would you follow the second link provided? Why or why not?
 * Would you follow any of the links on the right-hand side of the results page? Why or why not?
 * Can you find the web address for each of the links Google provides? What might this tell you about the sites?
 * Are the first couple of search results the best? Why or why not?
 * What happens if you click on the second link provided by this search ( [|Mankato, MN Home Page] )? Is this the information you are seeking?
 * What have you learned from this activity about the nature of search?

**INTERNET LITERACY SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL IN PROVIDING INDIVIDUALS WITH THE TOOLS THEY WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE**

**__INTERNET LITERACY SKILLS__**


 * 1. PREPARING FOR SEARCHING**

QUESTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION: NOT ALL SEARCH TOOLS ARE CREATED EQUAL!
 * What information am I seeking? (Be as specific as possible)
 * What is the best tool for seeking this information?

TYPES OF SEARCH TOOLS: QUESTIONS:
 * Crawler-Based: These services send out bots or crawlers throughout the Internet and compile new listings automatically. Example: [|Google].
 * Directory: Humans create and index the sites found in this search tool. Example: [|Librarian's Internet Index].
 * Mixed Results: Combines crawler-based and directory services. Example: [|Yahoo!].
 * Meta-Search Engines: Creates and organizes results from multiple search engines: Examples: [|Dogpile] and [|Meta-Crawler].
 * Deep Web Search Tools: Many search sites skim easily archived sites when building results. These sites dig for databases, primary documents, and academic content in the "deep web." Example: [|Infomine].
 * Specific Content Search or Site Search: This searches for information on a very narrow topic with limited parameters. Example: [|National Geographic for Kids].
 * What might be some advantages and disadvantages of each of these different kinds of services?
 * What activities might you create to help students see the advantages and disadvantages of different search engines?

** 2. FORMING A SEARCH REQUEST **

QUESTIONS: SYNTAX: SYNTAX RESOURCES:
 * What key words MUST I use?
 * What key words MIGHT I use?
 * What key words must I NOT use? (NOTE: Adapted from Alan November [|http://www.novemberlearning.com] )
 * Why should I use the most important key words first?
 * Should I use words like "a", "an", and "the"?
 * Should I use search sentences and phrases, keywords, or both?
 * Does capitalization matter?
 * What happens if I spell a word wrong?
 * What happens when I group key words with quotation marks? (EXAMPLE: "Lincoln Nebraska")
 * What do the "+" and "-" symbols do to a search?
 * How do the Boolean operators "AND", "OR", and "NOT" affect search results? (NOTE: Boolean operators MUST be typed using capital letters in order for them to be used properly)
 * Here is an example of a search term with an advanced feature. What sites and pages will be included in the result? EXAMPLE: "office 2007" site:microsoft.com
 * Here is another example of an advanced search. What sites and pages will be included in the result? EXAMPLE "atomic bomb" site:ac.jp
 * What are the differences in the following searches? When might each be used? EXAMPLES: "american revolution" site:.uk "american revolution" site:ac.uk
 * Do all search tools use the same commands?
 * [|Comprehensive list of Internet domains]
 * [|Internet country domain list]
 * [|Google Web Search Help Center]
 * [|Google Search Features] -- list of reference tools available through [|Google] searches.
 * [|Special Features Chart -- Search Engine Watch] : Compares and contrasts the syntax used by popular search engines.


 * 3. VALIDATING INFORMATION**

Alan November ( [|http://www.novemberlearning.com] ) has created an excellent system for validating information from the Internet. Here is his acronym:

R=Read the URL E=Examine the content A=Ask about the author and publisher L=Look at the links

READ THE URL: TRY THIS: Use a standard search using [|Google], [|Yahoo!] , or some other search tool, and spend a few moments analyzing the URLs of the links provided. What might you be able to learn about the sites from the URLS? When you follow the links, are these assumptions correct? Why or why not?
 * What does a URL tell us?
 * What does a URL not tell us?
 * What is a domain?
 * What is a sub domain?
 * What does the ~ often tell us about a page?
 * What do extensions, such as .edu, .com, .biz, .org, .mil, .gov, etc., tell us about a site?
 * What do extensions, such as .uk, .cn., .jp, etc., tell us about a site
 * What sorts of domains and extensions will provide the best opportunity for excellent search information?

EXAMINE THE CONTENT: ASK ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER: LOOK AT THE LINKS: RESOURCES -- HOAX SITES:
 * Does the information on this page answer your original query?
 * Is there evidence that this page is current and/or regularly updated?
 * Is there anything suspicious about the content or presentation of the page?
 * Does the information on this page conflict with what you have previously found?
 * Is the author clearly listed, along with the qualifications of this author? (NOTE: It might be worthwhile to run a search about the author. Why?)
 * Is there contact information provided for the organization sponsoring this page? (NOTE: It might be worthwhile to run a search about the organization. Why?)
 * Is there anything suspicious about the owner of the domain for the site? (NOTE: You may use [|Easy Whois] to run a search for information about the domain owner. Please note that this information may provide clues for you but may not be a definitive answer about the site's ownership. It is easy for owners to disguise this information.)
 * What do the links to other pages from this site tell you about the content of the site? Do these links seem to build credibility for the current site or detract from it? (TIP:You may view the URLs of these links by moving your mouse over the link. When the mouse pointer turns into a hand, you will see the URL for the link in the lower left border of your browser. From there you may use your URL analysis skills.
 * Find out who links to this site. This may help determine the validity of the site. Use the link command in [|Alta Vista] for best results. EXAMPLE: link: http://www.faithlutheranlv.org/
 * [|Mankato, MN Home Page]
 * [|Martinlutherking.org] -- One of the most offensive and dangerous of all hoax sites. Why?
 * [|Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus]
 * [|History of Robots in the Victorian Era]
 * [|Google Technology]