GoalUse AND, OR and NOT, a star and domain endings to improve a search, and scan results for facts.
New words
AND · finds pages that contain both wordsOR · finds pages that contain either wordNOT · leaves out pages that contain a worddomain · the ending of a web address, such as .edu or .gov
Explanation
Search words called operators can sharpen a search. AND finds pages with both words: camel AND desert. OR finds pages with either: camel OR dromedary, handy for synonyms. NOT leaves out a word: camel NOT toy gives real animals, not toys. Brackets group words, and a star at the end of a word (camel*) stands for different endings. They work on many search engines but not all, so ask your teacher. A domain ending is a sign, not a proof: .gov usually means a government site and .edu a school or university site, but check more. When you see results, scan: read the title, look for the bold key words, and look for facts that answer your question. Inside a page, a find-on-page shortcut jumps to a word. Steps differ on each device.
Worked examples
Youssef searches camel. He gets toys, cartoons and animals. He changes to camel AND desert and the results are about the animal in the desert. AND made the search narrower.
Farida searches camel NOT toy. Pages about toy camels are left out. Then she uses camel OR dromedary to include a second name for the animal. OR made the search wider.
A result says: ‘Camel – the desert animal’ and shows the words camel and water in bold. The snippet contains the fact ‘camels can drink a lot at once’. Habiba reads the title, bold words and facts before she opens the page.
Class activity
Search words on paper. Draw two circles that overlap. Write two words in the circles (for example kite and wind). In the overlap write AND, and describe what pages you would find there. Write one search using NOT and one using OR. Say which one makes the search wider and which narrower. No computer needed.
Practice
1
Which operator finds pages with both words: AND, OR or NOT?
AND.
2
What does NOT do in a search?
It leaves out pages that contain a word.
3
Is the ending .gov proof that a site is true?
No. It is only a sign; check more.
4
Name three things to look at when you scan results.
The title, bold key words, and facts that answer your question.
