Asking Good Questions to Locate Information on the Internet

The Internet can be a great place to locate lots of information. But it’s not always easy to find what you’re looking for.

FIRST, you need a good question.

• A thin question has a one or two word answer. It is usually a yes/no question or a recall of information. It is helpful for finding facts.
• What is … When … How many ….

• A thick question is a question that requires more than a one or two word response. It causes a person to think and there usually isn't a right or wrong answer. It helps you really understand something interesting about a topic.
• Why … How come ….. I wonder …. What if …

Try the THINK AND DO Activity A to practice generating your own questions.

SECOND, there are important things to know about how to use a search engine.

1. Choose a good search engine and know how it works.
1. Yahooligans www.yahooligans.com - A good starting place
2. Google www.google.com - A powerful search engine

1. Use important keywords rather than the whole question.
   Try TOPIC + FOCUS keywords: Try one keyword and one focus word to narrow your search.

1. Type your keywords into the search bar. Don’t use www or .com!

1. Try using quotation marks for a whole phrase and a plus sign in front of the phrases that MUST be on the page you are looking for.

1. Look carefully at the list of search results. Remember your question as you are deciding what links to select and what websites to view.

Try the THINK AND DO Activity B to generate two good keyword Internet searches.

Asking Good Questions to Locate Information on the Internet

• THINK AND DO: Work with one partner to generate 2 good thin questions and 2 good thick questions you have about the story Rose Blanche and the Holocaust.

THIN: ____________________________________________________

THIN: ____________________________________________________

THICK: ____________________________________________________

THICK: ____________________________________________________

• THINK AND DO: Circle one thin question and one thick question from above. List two different ways you could use a search engine to locate information that might answer the two questions you circled. Use some of the strategies we talked about
• Choose topic and focus keywords and connect with a plus sign
• Use quotation marks for phrases

THIN QUESTION

Search strategy #1: ___________________________________________

Search strategy #2: (if that didn’t work) ______________________________

THICK QUESTION

Search strategy #1: ___________________________________________

Search strategy #2: (if that didn’t work) ______________________________

Using Good Searching Strategies to Locate Information on the Internet

About the Holocaust

Use the following clues and the Google search engine (www.google.com) to help locate information that answers each question. Before you begin your search, circle the most important keywords or phrases in each part of the task. Use the keywords you circled with quotation marks and plus signs to begin your search.

Activity 1: Use the Internet to search for the website called the Ghetto Fighters’ House created by the Korczak International School.

What is the complete address of the website?

__________________________________________________________________________

What search phrase worked best to help you locate the site?

_________________________________________________________________________

1. At the part of the site called History Workshop, use the glossary to find the meaning of the phrase “Final Solution”. Write your answer in a complete sentence.

1. At the part of the site called History Workshop, try to find the testimonies (or stories) of survivors who were children during the Holocaust. Find out how Rina Bechar and her family survived the war. Write you answer in a complete sentence.

1. Take a few minutes to explore 7-8 of the photographs of children taken during the Holocaust. These photos are also on the History Workshop page. What do you notice about the children in the photographs? What is one thing that the photos make you wonder about?

I noticed… _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

I wonder… _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Using Good Searching Strategies to Locate Information on the Internet

About the Holocaust

Activity 2: Use the Internet to search for the website called the Cybrary of the Holocaust created by a community called Remember. At the part of the site called the Student Gallery, try to find the Imagine 1 Art Gallery, which has children’s art about the Holocaust.

What is the complete address of the website?

__________________________________________________________________________

What search phrase worked best to help you locate the site?

_________________________________________________________________________

Explore some of the drawings and poems that sixth grade students created after learning about the Holocaust in their class. Find a drawing that attracts your attention. Write 2-3 sentences to describe your reaction to the drawing. Provide evidence from the drawing to support your thoughts.

SHARING SEARCH STRATEGIES

*** What strategies worked best for you as you used the Google search engine to locate a specific website?

***What strategies worked best for you and your partner as you tried to find the best link to follow off of the homepage for each website?

*** What strategies DIDN’T seem to work for you today?