Using search engines and directories
Posted by Miss W. on July 10, 2010
This term we are looking at how to research a topic effectively and part of this is using the best type of search engine.
What is a search engine? The most commonly used is Google. But there are also meta search engines and search directories. What is the difference between them? Below are a list of different engines or directories. Choose a topic you are interested in and do a quick search using at least 10 different engines or directories.
Search engines: check out the list here in wikipedia
Meta Search engines: go down this list to the metasearch engines
Search directories: check out the list here in wikipedia
How are the results different with each engine you have used? Do they all come up with similar first 10 hits? Do they all give answers just with words? Leave a comment here about the engine you found most interesting and why.
Good searching depends on the keywords you use and whether you have chosen the best keywords.
Check out this video about web searching strategies.
Web Search Strategies in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.
One of the activities on the grade 6 and 10 checklist involves you finding the answers for a scavenger hunt on the web. Go to our school intranet> classes> specialist> computer and IT > activities for ICT checklist> then choose either grade 6 or grade 10. With grade 6, do the scavenger hunt and for grade 10 web searching activities which then has a scavenger hunt as well. Save the document on your own drive and complete it over the next couple of lessons. Send as an attachment to Miss W. when you have finished it.
