Children's Literature

The book "Internet Power Research Using the Big6 Approach," by Art Wolinsky, opens with a discussion of the problem of finding too much information when doing an Internet search. Read pages 38-41 for a clear and simple description of the use of Boolean logic in Internet searches. Then have students search using a broad topic, narrowing it down three times and comparing the results for each of the four searches. See the chart on page 40 as an example. Have students make a note card that will remind them of how they can use quotations marks, the plus sign, and the minus sign to narrow their searches.

Technology

We are bombarded by information constantly, from the Internet to television. How do we select what's important and what's trash? Some Web browsers have firewalls or filters that allow you to sort out what you want to see and read. Show students examples of spam, telemarketing ads, and junk mail. Ask students to design a system to filter out offensive or unwanted messages and information.