Searching and Evaluating Online · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Searching and Evaluating Online

Computing · Computing Fundamentals · ages 8-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Who checks each web page before it shows up in your search results?

    • A person reads every page first
    • A computer program ranks the pages
    • The pages appear in a random order

  2. Ben searches 'space' for his report on Saturn's rings but gets too many unrelated results. What should he try?

    • Search again using exact words, like 'Saturn rings facts'
    • Copy the first page he finds
    • Give up and guess the answer

  3. The very top search result is always the best and truest answer.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Leo searches 'animals' for a report on why octopuses change color, but the results are too general. Which search would work better?

    • octopus color change facts
    • animals
    • cool stuff

  5. Zara finds a surprising claim on a website. What should she do before believing it?

    • Check who wrote the page and look at a second source
    • Share it right away since it was the first result
    • Trust it because it's written on the internet

  6. A search engine shows an ad at the very top of the results. Does that mean the ad is the most correct page?

    • Yes, the top spot always means correct
    • No, the program just ranked it there; it still needs checking
    • Yes, because a person picked it

  7. Priya searches 'dogs' for a report on why dogs wag their tails and gets millions of results about dog breeds instead. What should she do next?

    • Pick whichever page has the most pictures
    • Search the exact same word again and hope for different results
    • Narrow the search to 'why do dogs wag their tails' and check a couple of results

  8. Jay tells his teacher homework doesn't help learning, because it was the top result in his search. What mistake did Jay make?

    • He didn't check who wrote the page or compare it with another source
    • He used too many search words
    • He waited too long before searching
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_S-XboPwA8k-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Searching and Evaluating Online W1-mt_S-XboPwA8k-s1

  1. A computer program ranks the pages · No person checks each page. A program sorts them using rules, so the order isn't random either.
  2. Search again using exact words, like 'Saturn rings facts' · Broad words like 'space' bring back too much. Exact words match what he actually needs.
  3. False · The top spot just means the program ranked it highest, not that it's the most correct.
  4. octopus color change facts · Exact words about his real topic bring back pages that actually match it.
  5. Check who wrote the page and look at a second source · Checking the author and a second source helps her know if the claim is actually true.
  6. No, the program just ranked it there; it still needs checking · Programs rank pages using rules, not truth. A high spot doesn't prove a page is accurate.
  7. Narrow the search to 'why do dogs wag their tails' and check a couple of results · Narrowing the words to match her real question brings back pages that are actually useful.
  8. He didn't check who wrote the page or compare it with another source · A surprising claim needs a second look: who wrote it, and does another source agree?
Worksheet · LightMySky