40 Researching Online

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Researching Online

Start-Up Activity

On a whiteboard, display four columns labeled with "Tallest," "Deepest," "Longest," and "Fastest." Ask your students the following questions, and write their answers in the columns:

  • What is the tallest tree?
  • What is the deepest valley?
  • What is the longest river?
  • What is the fastest jet?

Then have your students do online searches to discover which answers were right. Also, have them write down the measurements. Ask whether their answers come from trustworthy sources.

Tell them that this chapter will help them conduct online research and find reliable information.

Think About It

“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know the subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information about it.”  

—Samuel Johnson

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

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Finding Information

Lead your students through the guidelines for finding information online. In addition, share your own experiences and best practices with online research. 

Recommend that students refer to this page anytime they need to find information for a classroom report or other school project. 

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

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21st Century Skills:

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Finding Information (Continued)

Lead your students through the tips on this page to help them use keywords more effectively in their online searches. Afterward, have students practice keyword searching for a topic of their choice.

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

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21st Century Skills:

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Evaluating Results

Warn students that not all online information is trustworthy, but they can test for trustworthiness by asking questions about the communication situation. Demonstrate how to use the elements to test online information for reliability.

The video minilessons can help students understand how to use each element. 

LAFS Standard:
NE ELA Standard:

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21st Century Skills:

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Checking Extensions

Help students recognize the meaning of different Web site extensions. The type of extension often indicates the purpose and reliability of information. 

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21st Century Skills:

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Avoiding Research Pitfalls

Read the fake quotation from Abraham Lincoln to your class. Ask for volunteers to discuss why the quotation couldn't possibly be real. Use this discussion as an introduction to the pitfalls of Internet research. 

Lead your students through the advice for avoiding specific research pitfalls. Make sure students understand that they should avoid clicking on anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. 

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