Learning to Search on the Web
Perform the tasks
below. Where you encounter the words
‘self check’ write down answers in your notebook in your technology section.
Task #1. Learning how to use a browser. Internet Explorer is called a browser. We will use it exclusively, instead of Netscape. So, you need to learn how to use the functions listed below. Try to find these spots on your browser window.
Self Check: Write down where these are located.
Address (Location in Netscape) Field
Back and Forward Arrows
Favorites (Bookmarks in Netscape)
Print Function
Find within Page
History (Go in Netscape)
Stop button
Perform the operations listed here.
1. Open up Internet Explorer.
2. Type in http://www.yahoo.com in the address (location) field. Hit return.
3. Self Check: In your notebook write down this web address.
4. Type in an important topic word related to your place study project and hit Return.
5. Note the number of hits and the category types.
6. Follow several links to your topic word.
7. Note: moving your browser pointer (the hand) over a link will display its web address at the bottom of the browser window.
8. Use your back arrow to return to Yahoo's main page.
9. Type in http://www.altavista.com in address line.
10. Self Check: Copy this web address in your notebook also.
11. Type the same word into the Search Field and hit Return.
12. Note number of hits.
13. Find a page that is interesting and then use Control-F (or select Find from Edit menu) to locate a specific word on displayed page.
14. Use ‘History’ to return to a page you found with Yahoo!
15. While looking at History, note that it is organized by date
16. Use the Stop button to cease loading of a page
Task#2. Understanding domain designators:
.org = non-profit organization
.net = network
.com = commercial site--something to sell
.gov = government site
.mil = military site
.edu = educational site
Self check: Find one site with each of the domain designators listed above. Write the web addresses in your notebook.
Task #3.
Performing an Intelligent Search. Start
by performing a search in Yahoo. Open
Yahoo and then enter your place
study topic word for your
project. Record the number of
Categories that you found. Select a
category to see the kinds of sites that are listed. Self Check:
Answer the questions.
Go back to
Categories and select the Web Sites button.
How many hits are available this time?
Select the Web Pages button. How many hits this time? Self Check: Answer the questions.
Return to the Main Search page and type in your place study topic word that you used before but this time add a 2nd important topic word closely related to your first topic word by typing ‘+ 2nd important topic word’ to the field. Hit return and see what happens. Do the same thing again but this time add the phrase ‘- 2nd important topic word’. Self Check: Explain the results.
Task #4. Performing an Intelligent Search using Altavista.com -- full-text search engine. Note: Altavista automatically adds an OR in between search terms
1. Type your topic ‘word’ and ‘2nd important topic word’ in the search fields. It looks for pages with your topic word OR protocol. It will put the pages with both at the top of the list. Record number of results.
2. Try "topic word 2nd important topic word*" This is a wildcard and will find all kinds of things. Hits?
3. Try ‘topic word ~ 2nd important topic word* The tilde means find these two terms within ten words of each other. How many hits this time?
Common Search Syntax Symbols
+ must have this term on the page
- exclude any page with this term
" " exact phrase
* used as a wildcard character
C.
Altavista.com Image Search
1. Select the Image tab in Altavista main search page.
2. Type camel in the search field.
3. Follow the link to the original of the image.
4. Macintosh: Hold your mouse pointer down on the image. You can then copy or save it.
5. Windows: Click your right mouse button with the pointer on the image. You can then copy or save the image.
E.
Google.com--full text search engine
Google adds AND between the search terms. Looks for exact matches.
1. Try ‘topic word’ in the search field.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the first page of results. Select search results.
3. This allows you to search only within the results. Add ‘2nd important topic word’
F. Google.com
map search -- cool feature
1. Type in the street address, city, state in the search field. Hit return.
2. Select a map program (probably Yahoo or MapBlast)
Pretty cool, huh?
G. Encarta.msn.com -- on-line encyclopedia
Question: Who shot Billy the Kid?
H.
People Search
1. Go to switchboard.com
2. Enter the name, city, and state of someone you want to find
3. On successful searches, you may select explore [Name's] neighborhood to get a map of where they live. Print out the map.