Research and Critical Thinking
Research and Critical Thinking
Part of the History/Social Studies Web Site for K-12 Teachers. Concept Mapping

Web Site Evaluation

Research Skills and Tools

Search Tools and How to Use Them

Critical Thinking and the Web

Concept Mapping

  1. Inspiration Software, Inc -- Teacher's Diagrams
    Social Studies webs. Examples for teachers and students in various areas, as well as a well organized online totorial for the software. I liked the current events web! Trial version (active 30 days) available for evaluation and download (You can order a trial on CD aslo). Used for Concept maps, Diagrams, Prewriting, Plans and Webs.
  2. Inspiration Software: Sample Education Diagrams
    Concept mapping software. Currently offering samples of concept maps in social studies: Concurrent and reserved powers for the federal and state governments in the US, The Hero Cycle in US History, Current Events Web, US Civil War Timeline, Life in Ancient Sumer, The Rule of Napoleon III, Sample charge: " Create an interconnecting diagram to show the effects of different elements on the fabric of society in Ancient Sumer. Or create a simpler web that highlights the foreign, colonial and economic policies of a ruler like Napoleon III." The vendor recently added a link to a new book, Classroom Ideas Using Inspiration: For Teachers By Teachers with some excerps from the book online.
  3. Axon Idea Processor - Design Concepts
  4. ILTweb: LiveText: Semantic Mapping
  5. ISTE - Learning & Leading With Technology Vol. 26 No. 7
    Computer-Based Concept Mapping: A Tool for Negotiating Meaning. By Lynne Anderson-Inman and Leslie Ditson. PDF version.
  6. History Page
    See the grahics (concept maps) under SPIDER MAPS OR WEBS. The page also informs on how to use flow charts, flash cards, herringbone maps, spider maps or webs, time lines, compare-contrast organizers, matrices, hierarchies or arrays and outlines.
  7. Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus
    Explores sense relationships within the English language. By clicking on words, you follow a thread of meaning, creating a spatial map of linguistic associations.
  8. Graphical Organizers as Thinking Technology
  9. Summary of Tufte Seminar on Data Visualization
    Edward R. Tufte is the author of some important books on the presentation and visualization of information.
  10. Graphic Organizers
  11. WebMap:Concept Mapping on the Web
  12. Micronesian Navigation: Schematic Mapping
    Animation sequence of the mental mapping used for navigation in the Pacific. Part of a sequence of pages on that topic.
  13. Graphic Organizers
    A graphical way of organizing notes for studying or writing from a 7th Grade World History class Brethren Christian Jr/Sr High Schools.
  14. An Introduction to Concept Mapping for Planning and Evaluation
    See the 6 step visual for the concept mapping process in Figure 1.
  15. Inspiration Software
    Commercial site for a visual learning tool for students to organize their thinking. Students use the software to create and modify concept maps, webs and other graphical organizers. The site has a special K-12 section with examples of concept maps sent by teachers.
  16. Uni High: The Flow of History 3
    Elements of a Sample Historical Unit on the Age of Colonization and The Rise of Greek Democracy. See the "flowa.gif" ( "Flowcharts show cause and effect models" ) Concept map on the development of democracy in Greece. The same site presents The Egyptian Flood Cycle Flowchart,
    one of the earliest examples of concept mapping on the Web, From University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign campus school).
  17. Peter Lalor Secondary College Internet Projects
    Virtual Concept Map Of Animals.
  18. Thinking Fountain
  19. Concept Mapping
    See the Graphic that presents the steps in concept mapping.
  20. WebMap: Concept Mapping on the Web
  21. Concept Mapping Bibliography
    Part of the The Concept Mapping Homepage.
  22. Concept Mapping and Other Formalisms as Mindtools for Representing Knowledge
    David H. Jonassen, Pennsylvania State University and Rose M. Marra from AT&T.
  23. Concept Mapping: Soft Science or Hard Art?
    An exceptional collection of concept maps and their appliation and use are presented at this page.
    TOP
Web Site Evaluation
  1. The AWArds
    Pages evaluated by Kids, for kids.
  2. ED's Oasis Evaluation Guidelines: Streamlined Version
  3. ED's Oasis Evaluation Guidelines: Educator Version
  4. Web Evaluation of Elementary Home Pages
  5. The AWArds
  6. Welcome to Annual Reviews
  7. Evaluating Internet Information
  8. Finding and Evaluating Internet Information
    Social Studies School Service Article on Finding and Evaluating Internet Information.
  9. World Wide Web Site Evaluation for Information Professionals
  10. Evaluating Internet-based Information: A Goals-based Approach
  11. Evaluating Web Sites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist
  12. Evaluating websites & information on the Internet
  13. Evaluation of information sources
  14. ThinkQuest Junior
    1999 Judging Rubric.
  15. Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation
  16. Evaluation of information sources
  17. Evaluation Rubrics for Websites
    With rubrics for Web Evaluation for Primary Grades, Intermediate and Secondary.
  18. Evaluating Web Resources | Home Page
  19. Evaluating Web Resources | Home Page
  20. What Makes a Great Web Site? - WebReference.com
  21. Scout Report Signpost - Home
    Search for the best of the best from Scout Reports.
  22. Teaching Students to Think Critically about Internet Resources
  23. Evaluating Web Resources | Home Page
  24. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources
  25. How to Evaluate Web Sites
    By Kristin Kubly, Librarian, Florida Community College at Jacksonville.
  26. Internet Detective
    An interactive tutorial on evaluating the quality of Internet resources.
  27. ED's Oasis Evaluation Guidelines
    Guidelines for evaluation are extended with links to individual sites that provide specific examples of the feature at its best...
  28. Information Literacy, Guidelines for Evaluating Internet Resources
  29. Evaluating Internet Resources
    From the Virginia Wing Library, Winsor School, Boston MA.
  30. Evaluating Quality
  31. Criteria for evaluation of Internet Information Resources
  32. Evaluating Information from the WWW
  33. Evaluating Web Sites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist
  34. World Wide Web Site Evaluation for Information Professionals
    Compiled by Susana Alves.
  35. Rubrics - Secondary School Educators - 12/20/98
  36. Handouts From the Classroom
    Rubrics and Forms for Keeping Students Accountable on the Internet. PDF format.
  37. Creating Rubrics
  38. Student Web Page Rubric
    Presents a modified version of that created by John Pilgrim, SW Computer Electives, Fall 1995, Horace Mann MS.
  39. Evaluating Internet Based Information
  40. McIntyre Library--Internet Resources10 C's
    Ten C's for Evaluating Internet Resources.
  41. Evaluating Internet Research Sources
  42. Testing the Surf: Criteria for Evaluating Internet Information Resources
  43. Online Journalist
    Great site for information and guides to evaluating online information.
  44. Evaluating Internet Information
  45. TIC Intro Page
    Guidelines for the Evaluation of Instructional Technology Resources for California Schools See the link to "Clearinghouse Publications & Projects" for a host of pubications in the evaluation areas (example -- Guidelines for the Evaluation of Instructional Technology Resources for California Schools, Guidelines for the Evaluation of Subject-Matter Technology Resources for English Learners, Instructional Technology Resources Recommended for English Learners, Standards for Evaluation of Instructional Materials with Respect to Social Content.)
  46. Evaluating Web Resources
    From the Widener University/Wolfgram Memorial Library and part of the Modular Web. Provides categories of Web pages and presents criteria for evaluation of each: Advocacy Web Pages(PowerPoint Presentation: The Web as a Research Tool: Evaluation Techniques), Business/Marketing Web Pages (PowerPoint Presentation: Text Version), News Web Pages (Actual Web Pages as Examples), Informational Web Pages (Bibliography for Web Evaluation Techniques), Personal Home Pages. Additional Web Evaluation Sites are also listed. See the Modular Web Teaching Pyramid for a general introduction to the Web, including "Basic Concepts, Using the Web for Research, Basic Web Searching, Comparing Web Subject Directories, Comparing Web Search Engines, Advanced Web Search Techniques, Evaluating Web Resources, Web Research Strategies: A Synthesis.
  47. Resource Selection and Information Evaluation
    Lisa Janicke's essay explains how Internet users can be critically skilled consumers of information. She poses three basic questions: "Is the resource or information likely to be found on the internet? Where is the resource or information located on the internet? Is the resource or information that exists accurate and reliable?" Add it to you list of sites to help students evaluate the mass of data on the Internet.
  48. Blue Web'n Applications Evaluation Rubric
    Presents a comprehensive chart used by Blue Web'n for evaluation. If you like it, send them some feedback and ask to use it in the classroom. Looks like it could easily be adapted to a 1 page handout or Overhead.
  49. Evaluation Rubrics for Websites
  50. Evaluating Quality on the Net
  51. Web Page Evaluation Worksheet
  52. Clearinghouse Ratings System
  53. Voices of the Web
    Web Sites That Sing! Features an evaluation methodology for school-produced Web sites. The key elements are: Vision (How well the fundamental purpose or purposes of the Web site articulated and implemented), Originality (How original are the technical tool kit and technical design elements and the content and how different in terms of partnerships, collaboration, and interactive elements), Integrity ("How fully integrated are the design, content, technical and vision components? How well does the site as a whole serve to advance a unified vision or create a new learning community or experience?"), Community ("How effective is the site in facilitating new communication, encouraging new collaborations, and building connections, internally, externally, or in combination?"), Empowerment ("How active is the involvement of students, teachers, and parents in the design, content development, production, and sustenance of the site?"), Structure ("How easy it is to navigate between pages and main components? How well is the code written? How well is the content organized? How well does the site serve audiences with diverse access capabilities and requirements?"). In addition to the evalalution methodology, the site lists a number of high school sites that rate high using the methodology.
  54. W3C/ANU - Information Quality WWW VL
    Another site designed to focus on the evaluation of information and especially information on the Web. Key words --Quality, Guidelines. This is a key site for all interested in teaching students how to evaluate and be critical of Internet resources.
  55. Internet Source Validation Project
    Site Rating Guide with links to other sites. "There are online exercises for students, a guide for teachers, and a bibliography of extremely useful references for helping students to become information literate." Visit Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators : Critical Evaluation Surveys which also provides links to the critical task of helping students evaluate web sites. See link to Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources and Selection Criteria for WWW Resources, a checklist of criteria for assessing WWW sites. Any teachers find general templates for student evaluation of all forms of media?
  56. The Electronic Librarian Is a Verb /
    "The fact that we can digitize information does not necessarily mean that it is useful to do so. What is the functional equivalent of the problem of copying documents in today's digital environment? Well, the situation is reversed. We have the materials, but we don't know where to put them. The problem then is creating what I call knowledge structures that will allow us to use digital information. The elements are in place to create such structures--computers, searching tools, and librarians."
  57. From Now On
    This excellent publication and the site information associated just keeps getting better.
  58. Thinking Critically about WWW Resources
    Esther Grassian, UCLA College Library.
  59. NII Awards - Eligibility & Judging Criteria
    Results of the 3rd annual award are currently posted.
  60. CyberGuides
    Great pages/templates for evauation from Karen McLachlan, a Media Specialist from East Knox High School (Ohio). Includes CyberGuide Ratings for Content and Design Evaluations by students.
  61. The Imager Gallery Foyer
TOP
Research Skills and Tools
  1. CHS/Welcome to Just the Arti-FACTS
  2. VOICE OF THE SHUTTLE HOME PAGE
  3. Navigator
    The home page used by the newsroom of The New York Times. "Its primary intent was to give reporters and editors new to the Web a solid starting point for a wide range of journalistic functions without forcing all of them to spend time wandering around blindly to find a useful set of links of their own." Links to all the major search tools.
  4. Librarians' Index to the Internet
  5. ZDTV | Teach Students to Research Online
  6. WWW Projects: Teleresearch Purposes
    Curriculum-Based Educational Telecomputing Project Pages, Classified by Teleresearch Purposes.
  7. The InvisibleWeb
  8. Internet Research FAQ
  9. Scout Report Signpost - Home
    Search tool for the over 9,000 report summaries from the Scout Report.
  10. Scholars' Guide/ 99.05 5-3-99
  11. Facts On File. Print and Electronic Reference Publishing.
  12. Electric Library Personal Edition
    Providing FREE 30 day unlimited access.
  13. Best Information on the Net - Librarianship
  14. Scoring High with New Information Technologies
  15. H-GIG Web Technology for Scholarship
  16. LibraryLand: Children's Services: Library Skills
  17. Power Reporting bookmarks
    Free sources for backgrounding people, companies and issues. Check out other Power Reporting resources for journalists.
  18. Research | University Library, University of Nebraska at Omaha
  19. Internet Research News
  20. Ambit's Links To Reference Information On The Web
  21. Using the World Wide Web for Research
  22. Funk & Wagnalls Online Multimedia Encyclopedia
    Free access after completing a short application form. The site also offers free access to Reuters news summaries.
  23. Mr. Irving's Research Page
  24. Annual Reviews in full text
    Thinking About Research Annual Reviews - Free Trial Period. Reviews in Psychology and Public Health. Currently this resource is free (Trial Period to 31 December) and will be offered on a subscription basis later. Best visit soon before the full texts are removed. A resource for K-16 teachers and post-secondary students.
  25. Resource Central -- Informational Links for Your Internet Research. Find links here to every subject.
  26. The Internet as a Research Tool: Dispelling the Myths
    Part of a workshop presentation at the 1998 Computers and Writing Conference, held in Gainsville, Florida in May 1998.
  27. Study Guides/readin'/writin'/testin'/etc
    Many thanks to Joe Landsberger of the University of St. Thomas's Learning Center.
  28. Cornell
    Notetaking Template and guide.
  29. Web Research
  30. Open Stacks -Best Bet Internet
  31. Keeping Your Sailors on Course
  32. Finding Information on the Internet: A TUTORIAL
  33. ILTweb: Academic: The Study Place
  34. 4th and 5th Grade Student Research Resources - a great cybrary
  35. The Research Skills and Strategies Strand of WWW.2Learn.ca
  36. How to find information on the Internet
    Long list of "How do I" links that provide practical timely information on the Internet, mostly from a business standpoint.
  37. Info Zone:Research Skills Area
    Lists "Topics by the ton" and a walk through the steps in the research process. Steps: wondering about something, seeking information, choosing information, connecting useful information you have found, producing information of your own in a new form and judging the entire process and your product..
  38. LibrarySpot - The best of libraries, newspapers, encyclopedias, maps and more in one Spot.
  39. 4th & 5th Grade Student Research Sources - A Cybrary
  40. Hot News / Hot Research (1998 Topics)
    Hot News / Hot Research compiles valuable web resources on current and previous news topics.
  41. Repositories of Primary Sources
  42. 05/22/98 - Reporter's Digital How To
    This how to was designed for reporters new to the digital information on the Thomas site and guides the cub reporter through a general assignment. Might be fun for students.
  43. McIntyre Library--Internet Resources10 C's
  44. LibrarySpot - The best of libraries, newspapers, encyclopedias, maps and more in one Spot.
  45. The ONGIR Home Page. Welcome!
    Official Netscape Guide to Internet Research, 2nd Edition (We call it ONGIR2 around here.)
  46. Part 1
    Tutorial/guide for effective searching on the Internet. See the Index at the bottem of the URL above. One of the best tutorials I have seen recently.
  47. School Crossings | Information Literacy
  48. ISWorld Net Research and Scholarship
  49. April 1998 Issue of Search
    A Newsletter For Graduate Students Research On The Internet: What To Find and How To Find It.
  50. Eric Resources
    Links to the many resources of Eric.
  51. Nueva Library Research
    Suggestions on: Research on a Complex Topic, Choosing the Best Engine for Your Purpose, Developing Variety and Depth of Research, Performing Precise Searches.
  52. Library of Congress Research Tools (Library of Congress)
  53. Evaluating Quality on the Net
  54. Web Central -- Reference Information
  55. Martindale's 'The Reference Desk'
  56. Database America People Finder
  57. Info Zone:Research Skills Area
    WONDERING Defining the Need for Information
    SEEKING Locating and Accessing Resources
    CHOOSING Understanding and Appraising Information
    CONNECTING Organizing Information
    PRODUCING Communicating the Information
    (Note - be sure to click on Feedback for a nice template of questions to give students involved in projects/research. The site also provides links to other "information skill" sites on the Internet.
  58. APlus Research & Writing for High School and College Students Home Page
  59. Martindale's 'The Reference Desk'
  60. COGNITO! Library for Family Reference
    Cognito! combines a large quantity of articles from major encyclopedias, reference books, magazines, pamphlets and other sources onto a single Web site with fast and easy search tools for all family reference needs.
  61. Research Resources for Social Studies
  62. Study WEB
    For anyone doing research and to locate informaton quickly. Sorted according to the approximate appropriate grade level.
  63. Universal Cordex for Social Sciences
    RESEARCH ENGINES FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. Table of Contents with links to: General Resource Searchers, WWW Social Sciences Virtual Library at Coombs, Aggressive Pattern Searchers, Social Science Data Archives, News and Jouralism Sources.
  64. Using the WWW for Classroom Research Investigation
  65. CyberDewey
    A guide to Internet resources organized using Dewey Decimal Classification codes.
  66. ForeFront: Internet Research Course
    Currently offering a free "Search Course" by Email. If you have taken this course or one similar, I would be interested in your reaction. Email "Mini-Courses" offered by K-12 teachers seems to be an unexplored region. Remediation, expansion and review are obvious applications, but parents could be added to the mix. Parents of students taking a foreign language could participate in the course though Email and make an effort to use a conversational level in the home. When you factor in the ESL area, where a large part of the "client" area speaks Spanish or some other language and the fact that a large segment does not speak "standard English" in the home or community.
    The American system of education missed a great opportunity in the period from 1900 to 1940, when a large segment of the population spoke a foreign language. Since many of the children entered school and were exposed to a new laguage, their native languages could have formed the basis for the academic teaching of German, Polish, Italian or other languages. Unfortunately, many simply learned that speaking these languages, even with an accent, was not acceptable.
  67. Social Science Research Network (SSRN) Homepage
    Links for Social Science Research, Accounting Research, Economics Research, Financial Economics, Legal Scholarship Network.
  68. ADN Research Page
    Anchorage Daily News has been kind enough to provide us with the Internet resources used by their staff and reporters. Form your own daily news staff and use this page for a starter for student research.
  69. Whisp
    Wanniassa Hills Information Skills Project. Provided "step-through" strategies with limited information sources for students, with the research process as the fundamental focus. These folks suspected that "....children's understanding of the research process was obscure and uncertain."
  70. Research In The Age of Networks
    Course site.
  71. V.C.O.T. - The Virtual Community of Tomorrow
    Funk & Wagnalls Multimedia Encyclopedia.
  72. Internet Tutorials
    One of the newer tutorials on the site is on Researching. TOC: Boolean Searching on the Internet, Conducting Research on the Internet, Evaluating Internet Resources, How to Choose a Search Engine or Research Database, Quick Reference Guide to Search Engine Syntax, Searching the Internet: Recommended Sites and Search Techniques.
  73. RiceInfo: Internet Navigation Tools
    How to find almost anything. Organized into finding resources by subject, keyword, location and by type (FTP, telnet, WAIS). Other data on finding forums, newsgroups, mailing lists, FAQs and people.
  74. Find Anything Online)
  75. Scholars Guide/ 97.21 7-15-97
  76. READY REFERENCE USING THE INTERNET
  77. Cyber Classroom: Research Skills
    Use of newspapers as a tool for research.
  78. Ready Reference List - Lakewood Public Library
    Subject index based on the Dewey Decimal System and linked to electronic information on the Web.
  79. Hot News / Hot Research
  80. Martindale's 'The Reference Desk'
  81. Search Engine Watch
    Search Engine News, Search Engine Tips and more about search engines.
  82. Internet Skills in Ed. Donohoe Target Competencies v2/main
  83. Avioding Plagiarism
  84. Internet Newsroom
    Key Resources for Journalists and Researchers. The "Hints for the City Desk" includes some fine ideas for student projects in history, journalism and media classes or any K-12 class.
  85. APlus Research & Writing for High School and College Students Home Page
  86. Research and Reference (Library of Congress)
  87. Research, Reports and Presentation Resources
  88. Scholars Guide
    TOC at the top of this page provides access to a well organized collection of topics/links of interest to researchers.
  89. Dead People Server
    Not the most appealing title...but they ARE dead. Links to those who have sites/pages dedicated to them.
  90. Biography
    Searchable online database with 15,000 of the greatest names, past and present, at your fingertips.
  91. Researchpaper.com - Writing a Research Paper
  92. The Web as a Tool for Research
    by Douglas W. Green. "How does the Internet compare to traditional research tools in terms of quality of finished product, veracity, and as motivation for further research for students from grade four through post graduate university level?
  93. CyberBee
    Ready, Set Go! Reference Sources on the Web.
  94. SIRS Researcher
    Currently offering schools, libraries, and other educational institutions a 60-day preview of SIRS -- Researcher On the Web!
  95. Smithsonian Institution Research Information System
    Online access to information and research.
  96. The Internet Consulting Detective's "Tip of the Fortnight"
    Sporting an extensive archive of "Tips" and problems/suggested solutions articles from the past. There are a number of special things I like about this site. First, the problems and explanations on how to solve them in searching are common to all who intend to use the Web as a serious tool for research, the language is down-to-earth and understandable (critical for students and teacher newbies), the "package" is presented in a mystery setting with Sherlock as a guide, and finally, the site is on-going and will evolve and change as the Web grows and changes (and as search/research tools evolve). See (Baker Street) for the archived tips.
  97. Finding Data on the Internet - A Journalist's Guide
  98. The American University Library
    Electronic Pathfinders--Subject Guides to the Internet.
    TOP
Search Tools and How to Use Them

    You might want to "unckeck" some of these on your first search. This tool was made available in a column at CNET on adding aMegaSearch for Your Web Site (11/1/99).

    Search for:

    Select search engines:

    Infoseek Excite Yahoo HotBot Mamma
    Magellan AltaVista Lycos Google WebCrawler

  1. SearchEdu.com
  2. BARE BONES 101: A Very Basic Web Search Tutorial
  3. searching the world wide web (tilburg university library)
  4. Oingo--Meaning-Based Search
  5. KidsClick! Worlds of Web Searching
    A project of the Ramapo Catskill Library System.
  6. Pandia Goalgetter, the Internet Search Tutorial
  7. Bill Trochim's Center for Social Research Methods
  8. Reporter's Desktop / By Duff Wilson

    Offering a very large search tool.

  9. Search Engine Strategies 99: Special Report - Web Search
  10. Scientific American: Feature Article: Hypersearching the Web: June 1999
  11. AltaVista Search Intranet Overview
  12. Classroom Connect's Connected Teacher - Internet Tips
    See the Hints for Searching the Internet, Classroom Resources, Search Engines, Internet Directories, Other Search Tools, Meta Search Engines, Expert Search Guides.
  13. Search Engine Tutorial for Web Designers
  14. Wordsmyth: Welcome!
    Merges "...a dictionary and a thesaurus with powerful and flexible search capabilities."
  15. Scientific American: Feature Article: Hypersearching the Web: June 1999
  16. Search Engine Showdown: The Users' Guide to Web Searching
  17. NYISE's Helping Hand to the Internet
  18. Library of Congress Research Tools (Library of Congress)
  19. FAST Search: All the Web, All the Time
    Newest search tool. Fast and focused. I like it....!
  20. Google
  21. Roadmap to Research: Craig McKie
    Although composed to do research on the topic of immigration, this site provide good information and links for doing any research using the Internet.
  22. Search the Web
    ZDNet is offering a host of fine tutorials, and this is a good one...
  23. Internet Detective
    An interactive tutorial on evaluating the quality of Internet resources. The site also provides an option to download the tutorial for use offline.
  24. The Emailcollector - The Fastest, Most Efficient Way to Round-Up Data & Resources from the Net.
  25. Scout Report Signpost - Home
    See the search categories section for topics /subject areas of special interest to social studies teachers. Although your search will be confined to the report archives, the actual reports that you can review when completing the search contain the annotation and clickable links needed for starting research on a topic. Over the years, the Scout Report has proved exceptional as a tool for finding out what is new on the Internet.
  26. InternetSmart's Internet Search Resources
  27. Electric Library Personal Edition - For School
    Sample searches for questions in education.
  28. Finding Data on the Internet - A Journalist's Guide
  29. Scientific American: Feature Article: Hypersearching the Web: June 1999
  30. NET Online Search Engine
  31. A Journalist's Scavenger Hunt '97
    Although designed for the "CAR" (computer assisted reporter) to test search and find skills, this page can easily be repurposed to test the search skills of your students. If the topics and subjects don't suit you, simply add your own and provide your links and search clues... A nice rubric...
  32. The Sage Colleges Libraries: Virutal Library: Web Searching
  33. Finally, an effort is under way to make Net searches easier (InfoWorld)
    Improve your internet searching. Links to a handy chart to download.
  34. Power Searching For Anyone
  35. Ask Jeeves
    I just finished reading a review of a new text by McNeill and searched this page on the phrase "Eurasian Steppe Nomads." The "go" icon generates a page listing ten matches in Web Crawler and Infoseek, seven in AltaVista, four in Excite and two in Lycos. Yahoo found one match. The service is quick and has the advantage of providing raw input on which search tool might be best for your research.
  36. Virtual Library: Cyberlibrarians' Rest Stop
    See the special section on web searching and the lessons included in the Course Syllabus. From What's the Web and Why can't I find What I want? to Power Searching Techniques (Boolean and Field Searching) and Using Multi-Search Engines.
  37. WebPlaces Internet Search Guide
    A page that lists all of them..
  38. Finding It Online: Web Search Strategies
  39. Modular Web Teaching Pyramid
    Introduction to the Web: Basic Concepts | Using the Web for Research | Basic Web Searching | Comparing Web Subject Directories | Comparing Web Search Engines | Advanced Web Search Techniques | Evaluating Web Resources | Web Research Strategies: A Synthesis.
  40. Support for learning information searching skills
  41. ENC's Searching the Web
  42. Steps in online searching
  43. Selection CriteriaHEADBONE ZONE - Be Weird, Be Wired, Be Inspired!
    A click on "Education" revealed two pleasant surprises. Try Revenge of the Lunar Fringe (Practice the fundamentals of Internet research while learning multi-cultural music history) and the Crazy Couch Caper. Others: Iz & Auggie and the Invention Snatchers, Iz & Auggie in Ecology Strikes Back! Iz & Auggie Go To the Polls, Mystery On Mars.
  44. Kid-Friendly Searching From Lycos, Disney, Ask Jeeves
  45. Search Tutorial
    See the PDF Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet (64 pages and 48 topic areas).

    ON THE DOG DAYS OF SURFING ON THE WEB

  46. OPB On-Line: Oregon Field Guide
    Visitors to the page often ask, "How do you locate the resources?"
    Here is a sequence of visits in one session to locate this page. It starts with a visit to a page listed in the previous "What's New" on the Modok War, a PBS broadcast from Oregon. In browsing the page I located a listing of previous programs and clicked on Sled Dogs and Sled Dog Resources and then on to the A True Inuk link. From Mushing magazine, an international bimonthly magazine that provides information and entertainment year-round on the growing sports of dogsledding, skijoring, carting, dog packing and weight pulling.
    While we are on the subject of dogs, you must visit the Discovery Online Exploration -- Dog Days In Alaska and find out why Dirt (see his mug shot to the right) has to wear booties! See the Web Links for more information on dogsledding and the Iditarod. You can also locate the specialized vocabulary of sledding.
  47. Marco's Doghouse - Police K-9 - Canine
    Stupid Animal On One End Of The Leash - Highly Trained Police Dog On The Other! More on the uses of working dogs. What has all this to do with K-12 Social Studies?

  48. Search Engine Terms - a glossary of internet search technology
  49. Debriefing meta search engine: fast and accurate!
  50. Northern Light Search
    After a preliminary search, this search tool generates a list of topics (on the left of the page) to refine and narrow the search. Students will find this very helpful, as it demonstrates the importance and value of precision in searching.
  51. Search Engine Watch: News, Tips and More About Search Engines
  52. Tips on How to Search the Internet
  53. Choose the Best Search Engine for Your Information Needs
  54. The Search Is Over
    The search-engine secrets of the pros
  55. Beyond Surfing
  56. A Student's Guide to WWW Research: Web Searching, Web Page Evaluation, and Research Strategies
  57. The Gestalt of Online Searching
    "Teaching research involves conceptualizing an information problem-solving process as a thinking activity. If the role of education is to teach critical thinking, then teaching research should involve designing activities that ask students to look for evidence to be examined." Debbie Abilock, Librarian at the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California, offers a some great suggestions on how to help students explore search tools on the Internet.
  58. wNetSchool -- Searching Smart
    Most "connected" teachers are casting a critical eye at "see what you can find" searches on the Web. Besides the danger of access to an unacceptable site, it is frequently a waste of time. Teachers must do much of the preliminary searching and focus the core assignments on known resources and URLs. This site offers a tutorial that might help.
  59. HotBot
    A useful search tool.
  60. How to Choose a Search Engine or Research Database
  61. Hints & Tips for Searching
  62. Northern Light Search Electric Library
    Research tool using the Internet that searchs through more than 150 full-text newspapers, hundreds of "...full-text magazines, two international newswires, two thousand classic books, hundreds of maps, thousands of photographs, as well as major works of literature and art."
  63. MetaFind Your Search Spot on the Net
  64. A Search Tutorial and Guide for Beginners
  65. go2net | MetaCrawler | search
    A very FAST search tool that samples (10 hits) some of the major search tools.
  66. Search Engines Index: Page 1/4
  67. Finding Things -- PBS Online Presents... Life on the Internet
  68. The Scout Toolkit Homepage
    The Toolkit includes "Select Bookmarks" and information on Searching the Internet.
  69. Searching the World Wide Web
    Selecting Search Strategy, Analyzing your topic, Choosing the tools you need, Searching Instructions, Search Engine features. Berkeley also has a fine TUTORIAL for "Finding Information on the Internet."
  70. RiceInfo: Internet Navigation Tools
    Loads of search options on the menu!
  71. TO SEARCH THE INTERNET
  72. KidSearch!
    a prototype search engine for kids' use.no advertising.
  73. PC Magazine's InternetUser - Internet Toolkit (Internet Search: Usenet)
  74. Mamma: Mother of All Search Engines
  75. A Webmaster's Guide to Search Engines
  76. Windweaver Internet and Windows 95 Training Resources
    Especially helpful is the "Search Helper" which give a single page guide for searches based on the search tools.
  77. Secrets of Searching the Web & Promoting Your Website
  78. Dogpile: About Us
    New Search tool.
  79. The Iconovex Corporation
    Offers a commercial metasearch tool.
  80. Webgator
    Investigative Resources on the Web.
  81. Beyond Surfing: Tools and Techniques for Searching the Web
  82. IASSIST Workshop: Strategies for Locating and Using International Data
  83. Search Engine Showdown
  84. Needle in a CyberStack
    Megasearch site.
  85. Yahoo! - Reference
  86. The Spider's Apprentice--Tips on Searching the Web
  87. The Seeker Magazine
    Looking for people?
  88. AltaVista Search Center
  89. Find-It! - Search tool finds *anything* on the net!
  90. Search Basics
    Part of the The Headbone Derby site that provides some information to teachers on conducting searches.
  91. Infoseek
  92. AltaVista Search: Main Page
  93. Search Basics
    Learn the fundamentals of Internet research and discover challenging ideas about ecosystems and important environmental issues.
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Critical Thinking and the Web
  1. The Critical Thinking Community
  2. UT's Learning Skills Center
  3. Cognition and Creation
    The site "...examines what cognitive processes are needed to create art, which are advanced by art-making, and how these processes are exemplified in student artwork."
  4. FCAT Practice:  Written Response Questions - Secondary School Educators - 11/21/98
    Questions requiring short written responses, yet involve high level thinking. Interesting reading selections seem to cover diverse topics in the curriculum. Worksheets included. Handy for emergency plans.
  5. NGA - Teacher Programs/Resources: Critical thinking
    The National Gallery listing of museums that offer programs in the area of critical thinking. li>Intellectual Standards
  6. Strategic Teaching
    See the impressive archive of past issues and topics. A must for your bookmarks.
  7. CAL Learning Strategies Database Home Page
    Showing General-Purpose and Content-Specific Learning Strategies, a Bibliography of Learning Strategies Resources. History strategies inlcude: Time and Pace, Cause and Effect, Change and Comparing Events, Accuracy and Validity of Data, Notetaking Strategies, Information Organization, Reading Strategies, Memory Strategies, Test Preparation Strategies, Test Taking Strategies. This section also has an excellent overview of SPIDER MAPS OR WEBS and some graphic examples in several area.
  8. Critical Thinking Resources - Longview Community College
  9. The Critical Thinking Community
    Major section on K-12 critical thinking, with an archive of the critical thinking e-mail discussion group, information on critical thinking conferences and lessons for integrating critical thinking into the curriculum.
  10. Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking
    Current research findings.
  11. Critical Thinking
    Critical Thinking Staff Development Program. Includes: Bridging: A Teacher's Guide to Metaphorical Thinking, A Commitment to Critical Thinking, Critical Thinking across the Curriculum: Building the Analytical Classroom, Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing, Critical Thinking: Helping Students Learn Reflectively, Critical Thinking: A Semiotic Perspective, Critical Thinking and Reading: Empowering Learners to Think and Act and Critical Thinking and Writing: Reclaiming the Essay.
  12. Study Skills Help Page MTSU
  13. MegaSkills
  14. CRI Charles Research Institute
    See links to: Critical Thinking Theory of Knowledge Applied - Dr. Meehan and a discussion of the application of critical thinking to policy-making.
  15. THE BIG SIX
    Teaching Technology Information Skills. Identifies six logical steps/skills to be used in an "information-oriented problem."
  16. thesite: Altered Reality
    Digital television and movies creates great opportunities for altering the truth.
  17. A VISUAL LITERACY EXERCISE
    Offers a six step process for analysis using a set of fifteen woodblock prints. A series of viewings is followed by written exercises with a guide for processing and evaluating the "... insights gleaned from the experience."
  18. Photo Analysis Discussion Guide
    Presents a question set for historic photographs (of mining) that can be applied to all photograhic data. Part of the Electronic Teaching Portfolio of Joseph A. Braun, Jr. and a larger unit on Coal mining The unit relates to several thematic strands identified by the National Council for the Social Studies. Another fine question set/template is provided at the "Book Buddy" site. Suggest a contact with the author for permission to use.
  19. Chapter 2
    Standards in Historical Thinking. From the Ohio Council for the Social Studies and Paul Filio.
  20. Mission: Critical (Main Menu) Mission: Critical (Home Page)
    Provides "...an interactive tutorial for critical thinking, in which you will be introduced to basic concepts through sets of instructions and exercises."
  21. NCECT
    National Council For Excellence in Critical Thinking.
  22. Critical Thinking Primary & Secondary Information
  23. Learning Skills
    From the "World Cutlures" page, well worth a visit on its own. Organized into Solutions Skills, Critical Thinking and Study Skills.
  24. Does it Make Sense to Teach History Through Thinking Skills?
  25. Study Skills Help Page MTSU
    See the link to "Power Point Presentations for Topics Discussed in Class." The topic areas of the presentation are common topics for study skills courses at the K-12 level. The site also has a page for internet assignments, which require simple Email and web exposure.
  26. Thinking and Communication Guides
    Resources for use by teachers in creating internet-based lessons and units for students down to the sixth grade level, each guide describing a specific thinking or communicating skill or technique. This is a new site that could be extremely valuable as it forms and takes shape. The page features information on Semantic Feature Analysis, Tips for getting ready to learn new information, Comparing & Contrasting (Strategies for teasing out similarities and differences), Graphing Cause and Effect, Decision Making with the Weighted Sum Technique, How to Reach Consensus and Interviewing Techniques.
  27. LEARNER ONLINE--THE ANNENBERG/CPB PROJECT
  28. Critical Thinking Community
    Includes information on tactics to ensure that students are actively engaged in thinking about the lesson, sample remodeled lessons (To Kill a Mockingbird) and group and individual stereotypes. Lessons are very comprehensive and well organized. See the Teacher/Faculty Resource Center, for instructional guides and lesson plans to implement Critical Thinking.
  29. Welcome to the Online Internet Institute!
    Offers teachers experience in inquiry-based learning, enhanced by technology.
  30. Mission: Critical (Home Page)
    Critical Thinking College Lab.. A fine page that might be useful to secondary teachers and interested students.
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Last revised February 9, 2001

For suggestions on sites to add and possible lessons and applications, contact Dennis Boals -

Mail Slot Send E-Mail to dboals@execpc.com