Information Search Strategies-Identifying Keywords for Efficient and Effective Searches

Presented by: Stacie Tsukiyama

Subject Area(s):

Grade Level(s):

Description:

Taking care of our ocean is critical in maintaining a healthy environment for both humans and sea life. The ocean covers about 75% of the earth and it helps to sustain our survival. Pollution threatens not only the survival of sea life, but also human life. This lesson is part of a unit that provides students the opportunity to study how pollution impacts the ocean around them.

Previous lessons in the unit have already covered the development of meaningful, higher-level questions. Students have already generated a class list of these research questions and this was recorded in the W section of a KWL chart that was initially started in a previous lesson. This list will be used in the following lesson.

This lesson is conducted in the Library Media Center (LMC). The teacher introduces the target and concept. The Library Media Specialist (LMS) models and explains what students are expected to do during the practice portion of the lesson. Prior to this lesson, the LMS types the research questions the class listed in the W section of the KWL chart into the Keyword Worksheet and writes 2 model research questions on chart paper. Both circulate among student pairs during the practice activity and conduct informal conferences. The LMS compiles searchable keywords identified by students on chart paper.

Goals & Objectives:

Students will develop information seeking strategies by identifying keywords for more effective and efficient searches.

Materials:

KWL chart (with W section listing student questions)
Keyword Worksheet (1 copy for every 2 students)
Chart paper
Markers

Procedures:

Learning target and assessment introduced:
(1) The LMS posts the learning goal on the flip chart: "By the end of this lesson:I will list possible keywords to use for searches by highlighting the important words using our class-generated list of research questions.”

Concept introduced:
(1) The teacher briefly recaps what students learned in previous lessons, referring back to KWL chart used in previous lessons.
(2) The teacher introduces concept by explaining that today, students will prepare how to do effective searches to find the answers to their research questions. Part of searching for answers involves finding keywords, or important words, that we can use as we search.

Concept explained and modeled:
(1) The LMS refers to the W of the KWL chart and explains the following to class:
(a) Before you begin to look for, or search for information for your research questions, determining which words are important to search with will provide better results.
(b) Based on the research questions you generated, as documented in the W section of the KWL chart, keywords need to be identified before you begin searching for information.
(c) Today, we will look for the important, main words in your questions; these are keywords.
(2) The LMS demonstrates the process of identifying potential keywords by saying aloud the thinking process and highlighting the keywords using 2 questions listed in the W section (for purposes of this lesson, identified keywords are in capital letters):
(a) Question 1 – “What is the impact of OIL SPILLS on our ENVIRONMENT?”
(b) Question 2 – “What if organizations such as the UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM did not exist?”

Practice and feedback provided:
(1) The LMS explains that for the next 15 minutes, students will work in pairs and identify potential keywords for the remaining questions using the Keyword Worksheet.
(2) The LMS asks students if they have any questions and answers them as needed before distributing worksheets.
(3) Both the LMS and teacher circulate among pairs of students, providing immediate verbal feedback and assistance as needed.

Assessment conducted:
(1) Both the LMS and teacher conduct informal conferencing during the practice activity:
(a) What keywords have you highlighted?
(b) Why did you select that as the keyword?
(2) The LMS brings entire class together and students share some of the keywords they highlighted. LMS will begin to compile a master list of potential keywords by listing them on chart paper.
(3) The LMS explains to class that for the next lesson, they will use the potential keywords from the master list to begin searching for information regarding their research questions.
(4) The LMS collects keyword worksheets. After lesson, LMS reviews worksheets and adds other potential keywords to chart that were not shared during group sharing. LMS will keep this master list for subsequent lessons.

Assessment:

Criteria to Assess Student Achievement:
Students generate a list of possible keywords to use for searches by highlighting the important words using the class-generated list of research questions. Students record their keywords on a Keyword Worksheet.

Supporting Files:

Standards: