Search Strategies Image

Quest 2 Safe Searching

9. Search Strategies

Introduction

Congratulations on your successful completion of Quest one. 

You have just learned how to do a search in Mel.org and now you are going to learn how to gather information using a search engine. 

After completing this Quest you will know how to filter your results and find the most relevant information. 


I Can Statements

  • filter and narrow down results using Boolean Logic
  • search safely

Key Vocabulary

Filter: A filter uses different strategies to narrow down a search.

Search strategies: Search strategies is the best method used to find relevant information.


Play the interactive Quizlet Game: Direct Link

Steps

1. Visit KidzSearch. If you have younger brothers, sisters or relatives, you may want to show it to their parents or guardians. This page can be set as the home page (the one that always opens first when they open a browser) to help keep their searching safe! Click here for a short video on how to use KidzSearch. 

Kidzsearch

Part One:

In Quest One you found some historical facts using the Mel.org databases. Now, use the KidzSearch Engine to search for a couple of other interesting facts about the delegates and the U.S. Constitution. See if you can work with a classmate for this search.

Use this Safe Searching Assignment Document to answer the questions in PARTS 1-3. 

2. Find out why:

  • Thomas Jefferson and John Adams didn't sign it.
  • Why some of the others refused to sign. 

3. Bonus challenge questions: 

  • Which state's name was misspelled in the signature area of the U.S. Constitution?
  • Who was the oldest person to sign the U.S. Constitution?
  • Who was considered the Expounder of the U.S. Constitution?
  • Who actually hand wrote the U.S. Constitution?

Part Two:

Now that you have warmed up your search engine, see how you do on the questions below. Check to see if you can work with a partner.

Using KidzSearch to answer the questions below.
 

  1. What year was the first coin operated pinball machine invented?
     
  2. What was the name of this first coin operated pinball invention?
     
  3. When was the first electronic pinball machine released? 
     
  4. What was the first electronic pinball machine named?
     
  5. What was the name of the first video arcade game machine?
     
  6. Do you agree with the answers the rest of your class picked?

Part Three:

1. Search for information about a sponge for a science report using KidzSearch. The challenge is to narrow down the search to the fewest results and also the most accurate and helpful ones. Use the combinations of words shown below, use the + symbol with a word, and "quotation marks" when there is more than one word.

Search Strategies to try out:

  • Search #1:   sponge
  • Search #2:   sponge animal
  • Search #3:   sponge +ocean
  • Search #4:   sponge +animal
  • Search #5:   sponge +"ocean animal"

2. Which of the search strategies above do you think had:

  • the largest number of results
  • the smallest number of results
  • the best results for writing the report

Part Four

You have already seen that KidzSearch has many special features to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. You can find a definition of a word, track a flight, find your favorite sport team's scores and solve math problems. 

  • Can you become an expert Google Features user?
  • Complete the following document using Google and turn it into your teacher. 
  • You may find the Additional Resources helpful in completing it.

Do you want to go an extra step for mankind and learn how to use Google Scholar? It is a library of millions of books and other materials digitized for easy reading and searching.

Watch the video to learn more about Google Scholar. 

Completing this Quest

You learned various search strategies in this Quest. You are now ready to learn how to evaluate the resources you have found. 

 Check off this Quest on the 21t4s roadmap 

 Proceed to Quest Three

MITECS   Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students, and

ISTE Standards for Students

1. Empowered Learner
d. Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies

2. Digital Citizen
b. Engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices
c. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property

3. Knowledge Constructor
a. Plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits
b. Evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources
c. Curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts or solving authentic problems
d. Build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions