Advanced+Searching

Stasha West South Hagerstown High School Library Media Specialist


 * Title: ** Refining and Expanding Search Results to Find What You Need


 * Objective: ** Learners will be able to refine/expand search results using various strategies including creating search term lists, Boolean operators, etc.


 * Activities: **
 * 1) Introduction of instructor
 * 2) Entrance ticket: Learners will fill out a quick survey on how they feel they do on Internet searches. After they complete the survey, they will create a human line showing how they feel they rate on Internet searches from Good to Poor.
 * 3) The instructor will introduce the information research process explaining that when teachers and students usually research, they have no set plan as to how to find the information. The process will be introduced with the following steps:
 * 4) Establish a focus and goal
 * 5) Generate a list of key words
 * 6) Search
 * 7) Add Boolean operators
 * 8) Evaluate results for relevance to goal
 * 9) Evaluate research process
 * 10) Key Terms Activity
 * 11) The instructor will introduce key term searching by holding a short discussion amongst learners about key terms. Dividing the learners into equal groups, the instructor will ask them to generate a list of 6 key terms that they believe will help them locate information using a database and the Internet; they will have 5 minutes for this small group activity. Once they are finished, a spokesman from each group will share their topic, key words, and the rationale behind those key words.
 * 12) The instructor will then demonstrate how to use those search terms in a database and search engine search to model the use of key terms in locating information.
 * 13) Individually, learners will be given different topics to research; they will first create a list of 6 key terms to begin research. The learners will use one of the databases, preferably SIRS or Newspaper Archive (learners may use a database of their choice but for the purpose of this activity, they will probably get the most positive results using SIRS or NA), to research on their topic using 3 of the 6 key terms. They will list and evaluate the results – at least 3 results.
 * 14) Learners will then perform the same search using a search engine, such as Google. Again, the learners will list and evaluate their results – at least 3 results.
 * 15) The process and results will be shared.
 * 16) Boolean Operators Activity
 * 17) The instructor will then introduce Boolean operators. Because the instructor has shown the learners how to search using Advanced searches, the learners will be familiar with general Boolean operators, such as AND, OR, and BUT. The instructor will include other Boolean operators in this introduction using a Venn Diagram.
 * 18) Learners will then choose a topic of their own interest and perform a search after creating key terms. In their search, they will use these terms and the Boolean operators. As above, they will use one of the databases and a search engine; they will list and evaluate 3 of their results.
 * 19) Comparisons Activity
 * 20) Learners will compare these two activities with the survey they took at the beginning of the lesson. They will also compare the use of key terms to the use of Boolean operators.
 * 21) Closure: Learners will fill out an exit slip evaluating the instructor and themselves.