Subject:   Internet Surfing

Grade Levels:  All

Description:  Students surf the Net to present a collection of interesting Web
                     sites to their classmates.

Objectives:  To provide students the basic tools for navigating the World Wide Web.

Procedure:
1.  Divide students into groups and have each  group determine a subject of interest to them all.

2.  Students should begin their search from one of the commercial search engines, so make sure your
     browsers are preset to a starting  point.  Alternatively provide students with an Internet address.

3.  Have the students create bookmarks for all the sites that pertain to their topics.  Make sure they also save
     one or two of the better sites to their disks or to the hard drive.

4.  Have students discuss the sites and choose five "better sites: about their topic.

5.  Have the group report their findings to the rest of the class, either by a presentation using the World Wide
    Web orally, or in a written format such as a brochure.
 

Activity Two

Subject:  All
 

Grade Level:  All

Description:  Students go on an "information hunt" to get the answer to a course related question.  The  "winners" are  the first group  to find the answer to the question(s).

Objective:  To provide students with a basic familiarity with Web Searches

Procedure:

1.  Divide students into small groups.

2.  Distribute a handout with the specific question to all groups.  Sample questions:

        How tall is the Sears Tower?"
        Who is the current President of South Africa?
        What is the population of China?
        When and Where was Tiger Woods born?
        Who makes the Mercedes Benz automobile?
 
 

3.  Have students start from a commercial search engine sites your predetermined.

4.   Have students keep a record of their search strategies for later discussion.

5.  Make sure you have a prize available for the "winners.
 

Activity Three  (Source:  Barksdale, Karl; Rutter, Michael; Rand, Benjamin
                                    Internet Concepts & Activities, South-Western
                                    Educational Publishing, 1998)

Subject:  Astronomy and Space Exploration
Grade Level:  6-12

Description:  Students will visit the NASA Home page and find information about the Mars Surveyor mission.

1.  Go to NASA's home page located at click here  http://www.nasa.gov
2.  Click on the image map (picture) link that leads to Mars Global Surveyor.
3.  Go to the Mission Overview page.
4.  Fill out the table below with information you find at this site.
 
 

Date of the surveyor launch

Date of arrival of Mars

Date to begin mapping phase

Date of end of mission

Amount of information surveyor will send back to earth

MOC (What does it do)?

USO (What does it do?)

MOLA (What is it?)

Activity Four  For Teacher  (My Suggestions)

Subject:  All levels
Grade Level:   All

Using the National Archives and Records Management  site to find Teacher related Information.

Description:  Using the examples above, prepare one lesson plans containing Search Engines activities using the following Link:   http//:www.nara.gov
 
 

Activity Five  For Teacher
Subject:  All Levels
Grade Level:  All

Using the Search Engines Resource Page with this module.

Description:  Understanding Search Engines.
Using the Search Engines Resource Links, prepare one lesson plan.  Be creative, and share with your staff.