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Early learners can become skilled "finders" when guided to begin with two simple planning questions:
WHAT? and WHERE?
WHAT? and WHERE?
The following questions and discussion activities may be teacher-guided (Kindergarten) or even student-led (1st/2nd) in buddy pairs or table teams.
Students will use their ideas, keywords, and notes from thinking about the "what" and "where" to conduct their online searches.
What do we need to look for?
What do we need to look for?
Where might we find it?
Where might we find it?
What do we know? What do we need to find out? Why is what we need to find important? How will finding it help us?
Create a list of questions about our chosen topic that we want to find answers for. Review our questions and circle the “power words” -- those that are the “key” words we can use in our online research.
Identify the types of things that might be useful for learning about our chosen topic. For example: websites, stories, photos, videos, sounds or music, or facts and figures (data).
Who could we ask? What types of people might be able to help us? (e.g. doctors, scientists, firemen, teachers, librarians, etc.)
Are there any organizations or companies we might check or visit? (e.g. zoos, libraries, museums, farms, NASA, schools, etc.)
Do we know anything about an area or location that might help us? (e.g. oceans, forests, desert, beach, southwest United States, state of California, etc.)
LET'S GO FINDING!
LET'S GO FINDING!
Open-ended Searching OR Pre-Selected Searching?
Open-ended Searching OR Pre-Selected Searching?
Teachers can decide how students will embark on their "finding missions" in class. Teachers may either pre-select specific websites, online databases, or apps for students to use. Or, allow students to use kid-friendly Internet search engines, databases, or directories. A few examples are provided below. DON'T FORGET! Be sure to speak with your school's media specialist for age appropriate and kid friendly applications that your school may already be using in the library!
Even if students are not skilled typers or readers, the audio dictation tools in modern devices enable even kindergarteners to search using their voice. (For some, it may even be similar to how they ask questions of Alexa or Siri at home.) Click in a search box, turn on their device's audio dictation mode, and speak their collected keywords and questions.
See how to use audio dictation on iPhone/iPad (in Safari browser) and voice search in Google (web browser on PC, MAC, and Chromebook). Chromebook users may be interested in the Oweb-Pro.com voice input extension.
Kid-Friendly Search Engines
Kid-Friendly Search Engines
NOTE: all of the above includes ads so remind students to be "mindful" clickers and tappers. KidRex's ads are more removed than others (on the side and very bottom). The other three present "Ads" in a section at the top. Guide students to remember to "skip" or "scroll down" below the word AD.
Databases, Directories, Websites, & Apps
Databases, Directories, Websites, & Apps
- Clippix ETC
- DK Find Out
- Enchanted Learning Alphabet Picture Dictionary
- Fact Monster
- ipl2 for Kids
- Kid Friendly Search
- National Geographic Kids
- National Ocean Service for Kids
- NASA Picture Dictionary (K-4)
- Photos for Class
- Photographic Dictionary
- Pics4Learning
- PuppetEDU (iPhone/iPad) -- this app has built-in search directories such as Famous Landmarks, Library of Congress, the Met Museum of Art, NASA, NOAA, and Flickr Creative Commons.
- WILD! - Wordsmyth Illustrated Learner's Dictionary (K-3). Wordsmyth's Children's Dictionary (for 4-6)
Ask Your Media Specialist About These!
MAKE YOUR OWN "BUCKET O' FINDINGS" TO COLLECT YOUR STUFF!
MAKE YOUR OWN "BUCKET O' FINDINGS" TO COLLECT YOUR STUFF!
If students need to maintain a collection of the results of their findings, use any type of "digital keeper" such as a document, presentation, drawing, notepad, etc. and...
- copy/paste web links into their digital keeper
- take screenshots of found websites or online materials
- take photos of found objects in the classroom, library, at home, or on field trips
- take photos of book covers, pages from books or magazines, or other drawings or photographs
Sample Templates for a "Bucket O' Findings"
Sample Templates for a "Bucket O' Findings"
Here is an example "Bucket O' Findings" Google Drawing template you can copy and make available to your students.
Here is an example "Bucket O' Findings" Google Slides template you can copy and make available to your students.
And, don't forget, that the easiest way to collect digital findings is to take a screenshot! (Just know where they get stored on your device! e.g. in the Camera Roll on iPad/iPhone.)
TEACHER TIPS
TEACHER TIPS
KINDER TEACHERS
Lead whole class or small group discussions with students and record their ideas and questions in one place for the whole class to see. Teachers can guide online searches using a projector with the class taking cues from students. Or, with practice and guidance, allow students to use their voice to search specific websites or apps.
1st GRADE TEACHERS
Consider alternating between whole class, small group, or pair work for students to collect their ideas.
2nd GRADE TEACHERS
Divide the "what" and "where" questions among different pairs, trios or table teams of students. Consolidate all ideas with students to create a "Finders Mission List" for students to use during their research.
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