Learning Target: I can conduct research to find relevant information

1. Learning Target: I can conduct research to find relevant information Do Now: Create a KWL chart for the 1930’s! Remember to fill out the first two columns with as much information as you can! Leave the last column blank for now!

2. How do you begin your search? Let’s brainstorm a list of how you go about finding information! Almost half of middle school students chose “I type a question.”

3. If a search doesn’t give you good results...

4. ... what do you do next? • I try another search engine. • I try different keywords but if I still can't find an answer, I just think real hard for an answer. • I focus on the encyclopedia.

5. How do you decide if an online article is a good source to use for a school report?

6. It’s a good source…. • if it has the information I need then it’s good for me. • if it sounds good, I know it’s right, and it has good vocab.

7. Actual Answer: “I don’t know. I just go with it.”

8. How often do you check the author of an article?

9. “It doesn’t really matter who wrote it.”..”

10. How often do you check to see when an article was written or last updated?

11. I can’t find it.

12. In Conclusion…. A majority of students: • don’t know how to form a sound search query; • don’t have a strategy for dealing with poor results; • can’t articulate how they know content is credible; • don’t check the author or date of an article.

13. In other words...

14. How Do Effective Researchers Behave? • Start general with several keywords • Try new combinations in a systemic manner • Use more precise, or even natural language. 9 • Look well beyond the first few results, and return often to favorite, reliable sites.

15. Step 1: Where to Search • The Internet may not be the best place to start; databases may help you find what you’re seeking far faster.

16. Step 2: Dig deep for the best results • Many websites rank high for reasons unrelated to the quality of their content. • Professionals and academics don’t practice Search Engine Optimization. • Don’t stop at the first page!!

17. Step 3: Think Before You Search “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” - Yogi Berra

18. Step 4: Make Search Engines Work for You • Connectors AND and OR can be moderately effective. • Quotation marks are a critical tool students should know when to use. • But advanced search options are the best way to mandate or exclude certain words.

19. Step 5: Don’t Believe Everything You Read Students should think like a detective. • A dose of healthy skepticism is required. • Information is only as good as its source. • No single element determines credibility. • ALWAYS verify critical information with several sources.

20. Step 6: Find Primary Sources • Think of primary sources such as photos, diaries and newspapers as “eyewitness accounts” – which are generally more reliable than second-hand information.

21. Step 7: Who Published the Article? • Do editors or experts review the information? Is it thorough? • Do the author and publisher have a well-established reputation? Search their names in a search engine. • If the site does not provide the name of the publisher and its editors you cannot rely on it. • Even if it “looks good or sounds good.”

22. Step 8: When was information written or last revised? • Determine when an article was published or last updated. • If you can’t, then confirm the currency of the information elsewhere. • Use a news search engine, add the current year as a search term, or Advanced Search Options to restrict dates (imperfect).

23. Beginning your Research Let’s look over your project guidelines! You will then be put into groups and start planning!

24. Summary/Wrap Up Add 2 pieces of information to the “L” column from the Do Now!