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Find information - Boolean Searches |
1. What is a Boolean search? (You may choose to answer this question AFTER you complete this activity)
2. Why is a boolean search useful for finding information on the Internet?
3. What are the operators for a Boolean Search?
Harness OR.
OR logic is used to search for....
OR will get results that ...
Using OR will increase or decrease your results? (Strike through the incorrect word.)
You need information about famous scientists in your state.
Write an OR search that would help you begin your search.
Try it. Open a search engine in a new web browser window.
How many results (Hits) are found?
What percentage of the first ten hits returned on your search are on your subject?
Harness AND.
AND logic is used to search for....
AND will get results with ...
Using AND will increase or decrease your results? (Strike through the incorrect word.)
You are planning a date. You want information about the schedule of shows at the nearest theatre to your town.
Write an AND search that would help you begin your search.
Try it. Open a search engine in a new web browser window.
How many results (Hits) are returned?
Did you find the desired schedule in the first 20 hits?
Is the information current?
Using NOT.
NOT logic is used to search for....
NOT will get results with ...
Using NOT will increase or decrease your results? (Strike through the incorrect word.)
You read in the local newspaper's online edition that that there is a proposed 10 pm curfew for teens. You want information about the elected local officials of your community and/or county.
Write a NOT search that would help you begin your search.
Try it. Open a search engine in a new web browser window.
Write the names of five currently serving, local elected officials.
Practice:
1. You are doing research on pets. You have decided to learn more about your family's boxer named Fifi.
Open the ixquick search engine. Enter boxer .
How many hits were returned? (Round to the nearest hundred) __________________________________
What percentage of the first set of hits are related to pet boxer dogs?____________________
Narrow the search.
Write a narrow boolean search for pages about pet boxers.
Write a boolean search for pages on boxers from your state.
Write a boolean search for pages on boxers that does not include dog artwork or decorations.
2. Search for your school's district's web site.
Did you get the district's home page as the first hit? _____________
Write a boolean search that would improve your results.
3. Martha's mom tells her that she has a made a web site about the Cratchit family tree. Her father Robert, along with her brothers, Peter and Timothy are included. She told her Belinda's page had a ribbon background. There are even pages about their grandparents.
Write a boolean search that Martha should use to find their family tree web site.
Another way to narrow your search is Adjacency. What is Adjacency?
Write a search for your school's homepage that uses adjacency.
Did it yield a satisfactory result?
Extra: Hone your logic search skills using this online exercise (requires flash)
Information Literacy - Types of info
sources | Keyword searches | Boolean Searching
Small Pieces, Loosely Joined activity | Exploring Google Search Engine | Online Collaborations & Social Networking
| "When technology is responsibly and effectively used in the classroom, students learn faster and in more depth. Use of technology can be intensely motivating and engaging. It provides a link to real-life developments. It can be a catalyst that changes schools. Technology changes the instructional role of the teacher and the educational environment of the school. Much responsibility for learning is now in the hands of the students. They are transformed into masters of their own education. For this, they must possess the cognitive strategies inherent in Information Literacy." Barton, Holly Information Literacy: Learning How to Learn, |
Extensions:
Exploratorium Learning Studio - Searching the World Wide Web.
Watch - Delicious Library - a program that helps you track your book and music collections. Which part supports a search?
Start the process at Step 0 | How do search engines work animation
Guide to Internet Sources from FactCheck.org | Bloggez- vous? Should you build a blog?
The Invisible Web | Those Dark Hiding Places: The Invisible Web Revealed created by a librarian invaluable resource!
Cynthia J. O'Hora Posted 4/5/2007 
I have not linked this info to avoid being spammed.
Save a tree - use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid fancy fonts like Symbols, 
, 
) Save frequently as you work. Perhaps you have the resources to record verbal answers. If you do, be sure to first read / record the question. Then record the answer immediately after it.
Aligned with:
AASL & AECT Information Literacy Standards