Internet Navigation Skills

Internet Navigation Skills

It helps in introducing the Internet to your students to familiarize them with common terms. Explain to students that the Internet is an amazing system of computers that provides people with incredible amounts of information. In order to make sense of all of this information, search engines were created to help people find what they were looking for in a more efficient way, much like what an index does for a book. However, the very act of searching the Internet can be overwhelming. There are a large number of search engines to choose from, which can return hundreds of pages of information for a very simple search. After discussing the concept of search engines, teach your students a few handy tips for their searches. If possible, have students practice each searching rule before going on to the next one.

		Simple Searching Rules

		Use the word *AND* when you want information about two or more key words together.
		For example: colleges and SAT, dolphins and whales, Dodgers and Giants and Expos
		Use the word *NOT* when you want information about one key word but no information about the other.
		For example: art NOT painting, football NOT playoffs, national parks NOT California
		Use quotation marks around the names of people, places, or a phrase. This makes sure that the words appear right next to each other in the Web site.
		For example: "multiple intelligence theory", "President Washington", "California beaches"
		To find a picture of something, type in image: (what you are looking for).
		For example: image: dog, image: Saturn, image: Michael Jordan

Lesson Idea

Have students practice searching using each of the various options to see how the results change. It is also important to discuss what types of key words students need to type in to find the correct information. The more specific the key word, the more specific the returned information will be. Although this seems basic, some students need to see examples of key words in searches. Idea webs or concept mapping may be one useful strategy to help students focus on the exact topic and most appropriate keyword for an effective search.