First select for your students or have the students select three age-appropriate search tools from the WOW Search Techniques page:

www.uswestwow.org/nwow/nsearch/

     The students then may explore the search tools to discover how each works. Remember what you learned about search tools in Section 2: Effective Searching for Educators? Compare search tools to see which tool performs the best for you. What authors, historical figures, or scientists are you studying in class? Search for that person.



     Write the names of the three search tools on a sheet of paper and write the answers to the following questions for each of the search tools. Consider a search on Rachel Carson. Who is she? What has she done for our well being?

1.

If you type rachel OR carson into the search box, how many hits do you get?_____

If you type rachel AND carson into the search box, how many hits do you get?_____

Which connector, OR or AND, gives you more 'hits'?_____

Which connector, OR or AND, gives you better 'hits'?_____

 

2.

If you type rachel carson, how many hits do you get?_____

If you type Rachel Carson, how many hits do you get?_____

Does using capitals get you fewer 'hits'?_____

Does using capitals get you better 'hits'?_____

 

3.

If you type Rachel Carson, how many hits do you get?_____

If you type "Rachel Carson", how many hits do you get?_____

Does Rachel Carson or "Rachel Carson", give you fewer 'hits'?_____

Which search phrase gives you better 'hits'?_____

 

4.

Go to AltaVista - www.altavista.com and write down how you can locate an image of Rachel Carson for your paper.

 

     As a class, compile the observations you have made using the different search tools. Develop some general rules together for how you will conduct effective searches. Some search tools have special ways to help you make better searches. Start a class list of these specialty tips.

 

     Each search engine searches a defined area of the WWW. If you have a very specific topic and you are having trouble finding information on it, then you may wish to try a metasearch engine that searches the defined areas of several search engines. Here are a few metasearch engines: