Search+Tools

Subject Directories / Search Engines For Kids / Other Search Engines / Website Evaluation / Search Help

=**Subject Directories**=

These subject directories are often a good place to start particularly when they are created by people like librarians.


 * [|ALA Great Websites for Kids] - Websites for kids compiled by the American Library Association.
 * [|CyberSleuth Kids]
 * [|DiBDaBDoo] - This subject directory searches approximately 2 million kid/teen safe sites daily.
 * [|Internet Public Library - KidSpace] - An information portal created and maintained by the School of Information at the University of Michigan.
 * [|KidsClick] - Search by subject in this directory of over 6400 sites chosen and organized by librarians.
 * [|KidsKonnect] - A site created and maintained by educators. Search by subject or by alphabet.

=**Search Engines For Kids**=

You can make searching for information, including pictures, safer by going into the "Preferences" or "Settings" of the search engine and changing to "Strict Filtering" or "Family Filtering" to make sure that results are appropriate for students. Google's default setting is for "moderate" filtering.


 * [|AskforKids] - A search engine that allows you to ask questions.
 * [|Awesome Library] - Over 14,000 sites have been classified into a directory, specifically organized for teachers, students and parents.
 * [|Fact Monster] - Reference provider Information Please produces this site.
 * [|Quintura] - Provides a web of keywords related to search terms.
 * [|YahooKids] - Designed for ages 7 to 12. Sites are hand-picked to be appropriate for children.

=Metasearch Engines For Kids=
 * [|ithaki for kids]- Searches several search engines for kids like DmozKids, FactMonster, YahooKids, KidsClick and AwesomeLibrary.

=Other Search Engines=
 * [|Google]
 * [|Altavista]

=Website Evaluation= These sites will help you to ask critical questions about the sites you find. They will help you choose the best sites.
 * [|ICYouSee: T is for Thinking] - This interactive, user-friendly site encourages critical evaluation of information found on the Web.
 * [|Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation of Web Pages Tools] - This site provides html,Word and pdf format guides for elementary, middle school and high school students. It also includes links to many other sites that will assist with teaching and learning about critical evaluation of web pages.

=Searh Help= Explore these sites to learn tips and tricks of searching for information online.
 * [|Internet Search Tips] - Tips suggested by John Newberry Elementary School for how to begin a search. A great place to start!
 * [|KidsClick: Search Tools] - Here is a step-by-step overview for searching on the web designed for younger students.
 * [|21st Century Literacies] - Information literacy skills lessons arranged by grade level.
 * [|10 Steps to Information Literacy] - Questions and activities to encourage thinking about the information search process designed by Marnie McMillian for LearningPlus.
 * [|Choosing Search Tools: Debbie Abilock's Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need] - Offers a chart to assist you in choosing a search tool appropriate for a particular information need.
 * [|Beyond Surfing] - Oregon School Library Information System - This site discusses directories, search engines, metasearch engines and portals, how they work, some of the advantages of each and when it is good to use them. This site also links to explanations of the research process.
 * [|Online Search Techniques] - This site explains search techniques in fairly easy terms with diagrams including: refining your topic, boolean searching, truncation, wild card searches and exact phrase searching. If you're not sure what those things are, this would be a good site to check out. It will make your searching much easier!