Glossary of Terms

Resource Kit Indices

Just Added

About this Kit | Using the Resources in this Kit | Creating Units

How to integrate Resource Kit activities into exisiting lessons

About this Kit

Much of the time, keywords alone are sufficient to retrieve the information you need. But operators also can be very effective if they are used properly. Operators have powerful effects. They can be used to refine a search and eliminate hugh amounts of irrelevant information. But they can also prevent the right information from being returned.

Knowing how Boolean and special operators work, and when to use them, is paramount. Otherwise, it is better to leave them alone.

This Kit describes how and when to use operators effectively. Topics include:

• Basic operators: Boolean AND, OR, NOT and Quotes (exact phrase)

• Special operators

• Special cases requiring operators

Using the Resources in this Kit

Resources suited for stand-alone applications

When time permits only one activity, we recommend using any of the following, depending on the objective:

Timed Search Challenges (Using an effective combination of keywords to find information with a search engine)

• Action Zone: TV Search Challenge (Self-guided) -- Retrieve the name of a TV episode with operators and keywords.

• Action Zone: Apollo 8 Challenge (Self-guided) -- Use keywords and an operator to find the name of a toy these astronauts took with them into space.

• Action Zone: Poetry Challenge (Self-guided) -- Use keywords and an operator to find the poet's name.

Tutorials

• MicroModule Companion: Operators (Self-guided) -- Three different short tutorials that teach the proper use of basic abnd special operators.

• Operators (Self-guided) -- Overview of operator types and usage.

• QuickPick: Operator Smarts (Teacher-facilitated) -- Guide to using basic operators effectively and several related exercises.

Action Zone Learning Games

• Pirates and Piranhas (Self-guided) -- Two interactive tutorial games that involve decisions about effective operators.

Assessment (timed)

• Operator Assessment (Self-guided) -- An online assessment to determine student's ability to use operators appropriately in search scenarios.

Resources suited for sequences

When time permits more than one activity, combine activities into sequences for more powerful effects.

The Internet Challenge Model I (Challenge - Tutorial - Challenge)

1.Start with the TV Challenge to encourage awareness of the difficulty of finding information without operators.	2. Follow this with either the QuickPick: Operator Smarts or one or both of the Pirates and Piranhas Challenges.	3. Conclude with the Apollo 8 Challenge to allow students to apply operator techniques to find information in Google. Compare timed search challenge experiences.

The Internet Challenge Model II (Challenge - Tutorial - Assessment)

1. Start with the TV Challenge to encourage awareness of the difficulty of finding information without operators.	2. Follow this with either the QuickPick: Operator Smarts or one or both of the Pirates and Piranhas Challenges .	3. Conclude with the Operator Assessment to see how well students apply operator techniques to search problems.

A shorter option includes using one of the tutorials either preceded or followed by a timed Search Challenge or the Assessment.

Longer options include using more of the tutorials, ending with the Operator assessment or sequencing activities following this pattern: Challenge - Tutorial - Challenge - Tutorial - Challenge.

Creating Units

For information on creating larger units in which materials from this Kit are embedded, see Creating Units.