Effective Searching

• Drill: You want to know the average weight of a human brain. How would you find the information?

• Objective: SWBAT identify several components of developing effective search criteria in order to answer questions.

Use Good Tools!

• Choose an appropriate search engine• Google• Ask• Chrome

• What is the highest point in America?• Look at 3 sites to confirm the answer.

• Which site is most trustworthy? Why

Just The Facts!

• DO NOT USE A QUESTION• Use key words or phrases

• Ex: How much does the human brain weigh?

• Should be: Average Weight Human Brain

Synonyms

• Think of other words that might have been used.

• Weight = • Mass, pounds, size

• Human =• Homo sapiens, person, people

You Try!

• What percent of the population likes ketchup?

• How fast can a cheetah run?• How many teeth do alligators have?

Consider the Source• Two studies were conducted to determine

which meal of the day is the most important. One stated that breakfast was most important while the other determined lunch was most important.

• One study was conducted by the National Institute for Health.

• The other study was conducted by Kellog’s Co.

• Which was which?

General Rules• Always choose information at your level or

you risk misinterpreting information.• .edu = good for text knowledge and current

research• .gov = good for population statistics,

national spending, GDP, etc.• .com = BE CAREFUL; make sure it is a

credible source that doesn’t contain biases.

Your Turn

• How much time does the average American 8th grader spend on their cell phones?