Internet+Searching

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1. Information Literacy
Learning how to use online or internet resources efficiently and effectively is called being 'Information Literate.' Knowing how to SEARCH the internet and to EVALUATE websites are key components to information literacy.

2. Search Engines
The internet is a BIG place. A search engine can access almost ALL the information available online. Click on this link to watch a short video to learn how a search engine works: []

3. How to Search

 * Put your most important keywords first in the string.


 * So, if you are searching for what kind of dog would be a good family pet, you could use the following words in this order:
 * EXAMPLE: "dog breed family pet choose"
 * Or, if you were searching for the phone number for the Shorewood Pizza Hut carry out number, you might use:
 * "pizza hut whitefish bay wi phone"


 * Put "quotation marks" around words to group them for your search


 * Another very good tutorial for learning about searching:
 * []
 * Internet Searching Quiz:
 * [|http://www.learnwebskills.com/search/hunt.html#hunt1]
 * Scavenger Hunts:
 * []
 * []

** 4. Then you need to decide if the information you are getting is //“good?”// **

 * ** //The internet is a wonderful resource for students and can provide a lot of great information. However, you really can NOT trust EVERYTHING on the web. Anytime we visit a website, we need to EVALUATE it using the ideas below:// **
 * ** Authority : ** Who are the authors of the Web page, or who is responsible for it? What gives them their authority or expertise to write?
 * ** Accuracy : ** Do you have good reason to believe that the information on the site is accurate? Are the facts documented?
 * ** Objectivity : ** What is the author's point of view? What is the purpose of the site?
 * ** Currency/Date of Info : ** When was the information on the page originally written? Has the site been kept up-to-date?
 * ** Coverage : ** Does this site address the topic you are researching? Is the information basic and cursory or detailed and scholarly? However complex the language might be, is the information substantial?
 * ** Value : ** Was the page worth visiting? Does the site offer anything informative, unique, or insightful? Is the site free of careless errors, misspelled words, and poor grammar?


 * **Use the ideas above to evaluate the following three sites with a partner:**
 * [|St Robert Website]
 * [|Aluminum Foil Website]
 * [|Octopus Website]

5. Search Engines

 * [|Google]
 * [|Wikipedia]
 * [|SearchCube]
 * [|GoGooligans]
 * [|KidsClick]