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Lesson: Searching Specialized Databases: The Invisible Web
Description
The purpose of this lesson is three-fold:
This lesson is best taught after students have a basic knowledge of the World Wide Web and library resources such as library catalogs and article indexes. If possible, collaborate with your library media teacher on this lesson and follow up with an orientation of the specialized databases and resources that are available in the library.
Learning Outcomes I Suggested Procedure I Assessment for this Lesson
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Materials for this Online lesson: |
Time allotment: 50-55
minutes Grade Level: Grade 5 - 12 Information Literacy Standard: 1. The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively. |
Students will learn about valuable
information available from specialized databases and directories that can not
be retrieved from searching Web general search engines and directories.
Students will learn how to think critically about searching for information.
Set-Up
On whiteboard or sentence strips, write the definition of invisible web/deep web:Ask students opening questions such as: "If you do a web search using a search engine or directory, will you find all possible information on your topic? What web-based search tools do you use to find information?"
In terms of answers, most students will mention search engines (e.g. Alta Vista, Google) or search directories (e.g. Yahoo). Hopefully, some will mention web-based encyclopedias (e.g. Encyclopedia Britannica) or library catalogs. · After receiving input from students, go over the definition of invisible web/deep web. (See above)
Distribute the World Wide Web Organization chart.
A. The Surface Web - is comprised of a variety of web documents, pictures, and video and audio clips that can be retrieved by using search engines or search directories.
B. Invisible/Deep Web - is comprised of documents that cannot be retrieved from searching the search engines/directories found on the surface web.
When you search the invisible web, you are searching in specialized searchable databases or directories.
Often contains research-based and specialized information that can not be found using general search engines. · Information tends to be of a higher quality because you are tapping into specialized resources.
Ask students questions to elicit whether they have used specialized databases that comprise the invisible web. Examples:
Make the point that if they have searched and found this type of information, often they are using specialized databases that yield more useful information.
Review (or have the library media teacher review) the specialized searchable databases available in the school library. If there is no school library, go to the website of your nearest local public library system and show students the library catalog and other databases available on the site.
If you want to show general examples, try the following sites:
Los Angeles Public Library: http://www.lapl.org/
Chicago Public Library: http://chipublib.org/ · Accessing invisible web resources.
There are databases that index invisible web resources. These sites may be accessed as either a guided or independent activity, or both.
Choose a topic of your choice and run the search through some of the following databases.
As an independent activity, give students a topic. Have them search for materials using
a. one of the invisible web databases
listed above
b. a general search engine
or directory (e.g. AltaVista, Google, Northernlight, Yahooligans).
Ask students to write down some results and then explain the differences found between using the 2 types of resources.
Have students complete a puzzle with word clues. Note: you may create a puzzle using PuzzleMaker ( http://www.puzzlemaker.com) and keywords from the lesson.
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This page was last
updated March 19, 2002 This lesson was created to support the AT&T/UCLA Initiatives for 21st Century Literacies. Searching Specialized Databases was created by Stephanie Brasley |