Content Area Standards:

BMA-IBT-2.3 Execute efficient online searches for specific and credible

resources.
BMA-IBT-2.5 Demonstrate time-management and organizational skills to
complete tasks in allotted time.
ELACC9-10SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 910 topics, texts, and issues, building on others ideas and expressing their
own clearly and persuasively.
ELACC9-10SL2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility
and accuracy of each source.

AASL Standards:
1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new
understanding.
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy,
validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual,
visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning
1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying
misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of
view or bias.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and
pursuing inquiry.
1.1.9 Collaborate with others to broaden and deepen understanding.
1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in
the selection of resources and information.
1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all
information.
1.2.5 Demonstrate adaptability by changing the inquiry focus, questions, resources,
or strategies when necessary to achieve success.
1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite
challenges.
1.2.7 Display persistence by continuing to pursue information to gain a broad
perspective.
1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.
1.4.3 Monitor gathered information, and assess for gaps or weaknesses.

2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize
information.
2.4.1 Determine how to act on information (accept, reject, modify).
3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
4.3.2 Recognize that resources are created for a variety of purposes
4.4.6 Evaluate own ability to select resources that are engaging and appropriate for
personal interests and needs.

Digital Information Fluency:

Locating Information Efficiently- What information am I looking for? Where will
I find the information? How will I get there? Learners create effective and efficient
search queries and select and apply appropriate search strategies to effectively and
efficiently locate reliable digital information related to their academic learning
goal(s).
Evaluating Information Effectively- How good is the information? Learners
evaluate the quality of a search result to determine its usefulness in the search
process as well as evaluate the quality of a search result to determine the reliability
of its content and source.
Using Information Ethically- How will I use the information ethically? Learners
ethically use digital information

Principles of Inquiry Based Learning:

Authenticity- An adult at work or in the community might actually tackle the
question, problem or exploration posed by the study/s. It is deeply connected to life
and work beyond the school.
Deep Understanding- The inquiry study embeds healthy critical and skeptical
thinking habits of mind including: evidence and viewpoint.
Assessment- Ongoing assessment is woven into the design of the inquiry study
providing timely, descriptive feedback and utilizes a range of methods, including
peer and self- evaluation. Assessment guides student learning and teachers
instructional planning.
Appropriate Use of Technology- The study requires students to conduct research,
share information, make decisions, solve problems, create meaning, test theories
and communicate with various audiences inside and outside the classroom.

Connecting with Experts- The study provides opportunities for students to

collaborate with relevant experts in a variety of situations. Students use experts (or
expert work) as mentors (or examples) for their own work.
Performance of Learning- The study creates a knowledge-building environment
where students support, challenge, and improve each others ideas with the goal of
deepening the collective understanding of the topic.

Guiding/Essential Question:
What steps can help you find what you're looking for when you search online?
How do I convert research questions into meaningful keywords for searches?
How do I know if an information source valid? How do I know it's true?

Purpose:
In this lesson, students will use critical thinking skills to formulate their searches,
identify the specifics of a search topic and practice search refinements.

Assignment:
Part 1: Teach About Searching Strategies
A. Use the Google Presentation "The Keys To Search City" provided with this
lesson to introduce students to keyword search. As an introduction to search,
guide students in a brainstorm about questions they may have about search
and how it works. [Slide #3]
B. To begin answering some of these questions, show How Search Works by
Matt Cutts. [Slide #4] Discuss parts of the video with the class.
C. Start with the warm-up activity on [Slide #7]: Have students try a set of
similar searches, modifying punctuation, capitalization, and word order.
Discuss the outcomes of these searches with students. Findings can be
collected and written on the board, and compared to the generalizations
on [Slide #8].
D. Get students thinking about keyword selection with a class brainstorm
around the question: "How do I decide what keywords to use to find what
I'm looking for?" [Slide #9] List all ideas and strategies on a white board.
Discuss with students their experiences finding things that weren't easy to
search. How would these ideas help?
E. Share with the class three general tips on selecting effective keywords to
narrow their search results. Ask students to provide examples and
counterexamples of each tip. [Slide #10]
a. Keep it simple. Describe what you want with as few terms as possible.

b. Think of how the page you want will be written. Use words that are
likely to appear on the page.
c. Use descriptive, specific words. Avoid general or common words.
F. Students should also apply five key questions to narrow their topics. [Slide
#11]
a. What am I looking for? (What do I want? What am I trying to find?
What am I trying to find out?)
b. How would I talk about this? (What keywords could I use in my
query?)
c. How would someone else talk about this?
d. How can I describe this better? (Which of these keywords are
common or general words? Which would be more specific? Are there
better words I could use?)
e. What kind of results am I looking for? (Do I want a definition, a
database, a list, a map, an image, a video, or something else?)
Part 2: Team Keyword Challenge
A. Interactive Class Activity - Keyword Challenge [Slide #12]:
a. What rights do students have under the First Amendment?
b. What is the state of teen health in the nation today?
c. What are the all-time classic book favorites of teens?
d. How has teen involvement in the political process changed over time?
e. What changes do young people want in their school or education
systems?
f. What issues matter most to teens today?
g. What have schools done to "go green"?
B. Divide the class into teams. Tell student teams they'll be brainstorming
keywords they would use to search a topic. Each team will have the same
topic.
C. In a Google Form, students take 5 minutes to brainstorm five keywords they
would use to search the topic. They can use a combination of words or use
quotes or other features. They cannot use the exact wording of the search
topic.
D. After 5 minutes, teachers and students share the Google Spreadsheet where
the results of the form input are located. Class compares the list each team
has made, discusses results and votes on or ranks the top keywords that they
think would be most effective on a search.
E. Teacher tries the search terms that the students have selected as "the best" on
Google. Class analyzes results and determines if they made good choices in
their keyword search [Slide #8].

An alternate approach to this challenge - teacher or students select the topic

and create the keywords, then give the teams the keywords and see if each
team can "guess" what the topic might be from the keywords given.
Part 3: Special Functions for Refining Searches
Introduce students to the use of Boolean operators and other special search
functions. Students will take the search topics from the previous activity and use
the following websites to determine ways to refine their searches:
10 tips for smarter, more efficient Internet searching:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-for-smarter-moreefficient-internet-searching/
Infographic- Google Search Shortcuts: http://journalistsresource.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/GoogleSearchShortcuts.jpg
Google Tricks That Will Change the Way You Search:
http://motto.time.com/4116259/google-search/
Optional Task 1: In a Google Doc, students will take each of the following search
topics and keywords brainstormed previously so come up with 2-3 ways their
search could be refined with special functions and operators:
a. What rights do students have under the First Amendment?
b. What is the state of teen health in the nation today?
c. What are the all-time classic book favorites of teens?
d. How has teen involvement in the political process changed over time?
e. What changes do young people want in their school or education
systems?
f. What issues matter most to teens today?
g. What have schools done to "go green"?
Optional Task 2: Challenge students to use their new knowledge of web searches
with A Google A Day. Students show teacher evidence of completion. Class
discussion about struggles and what they found helpful.
Part 5: Evaluate a Website
1. Introduce to students the concept that not all information found online is
reliable or useful.
2. Students will access 11 Hilarious Hoax Sites to Test Website Evaluation.
Each student will pick one website that interests them and perform an
evaluation on it using the following online tool:
https://21cif.com/tools/evaluate/#close (teacher will walk students through
how to use the site and the help function).
3. Students will save and submit their completed evaluation to turn in for
teacher feedback.

Part 6: Show What You Know

1. Students will complete the Writing to Win prompt: Tell me what you think
I taught you about performing good online searches and choosing good web
sources. For their response, students need to decide on three main points
from the lesson. For each point, students must write at least 2-3 sentences
describing each point and why it is important. Responses will be posted to a
Padlet created by the teacher.
2. Students will create a SMORE titled Web Searching & Website
Evaluation. Main topics in the Smore must include: How Search Engines
Work, Questions to Keywords, Special Functions, and Evaluating Websites.

Enhancing or Extending Learning (per Keren-Kolb)

Enhance the technology:
Lets students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the
content
Creates a way to make it easier to understand concepts or ideas.
Allows students to demonstrate their understanding in a way that they
could not with traditional tools
Web-based evaluation tool organizes evaluation into a finished
product
Smore allows students to create a professional-looking product
in a very user-friendly format. The tool is much faster to put
together than a traditional flyer in a program such as
Publisher.
Extend the technology allowing students to:
Learn outside of their typical school day
Bridge their school learning with their everyday life experiences
Grow as lifelong learners, without the need for the teacher or school
to continue to use the tools
Students will continue to complete web searches into their
personal and professional lives.

Forms of Assessment:
Teacher observation during class discussion
Padlet Response
Written Response- operators and keywords
Performance- Creation of product

Curated Resources: http://bundlr.com/b/evaluating-websites

Web 2.0 Tools: Padlet, Google Forms, Google Docs, Smore