Search

Search is what Google does, and they do it well. Only a small percentage of people take advantage of some of the advanced search tools and services. Being an effective searcher is quickly becoming an essential skill for the 21st century.

Search within a specific site

Precede your query with site: if you know you want your answer from within a specific site or type of site (.org, .edu). For example: site:edu or site:nytimes.com.

Search for specific types of files

Find PDFs, PPTs, or XLS, by adding filetype: and the 3-letter file abbreviation.

Get number conversions

Convert any measurement -- like miles to kilometers or ounces to liters -- by typing in the number and unit of measurement.

Get the time

To see what time it is anywhere in the world, search time and the city or country.

Check the weather

Search weather followed by a U.S. zip code or the name of any city in the world to get the current weather and forecast. Enter weather by itself to get the weather report for your current location.

Search with an exact phrase

Put quotation marks around words "[any word]" to search for an exact phrase in an exact order. Keep in mind that searching with quotes might exclude relevant results. For instance, a search for "Alexander Bell" will miss pages that refer to Alexander G. Bell.

Advanced Search Tools:

  • Advanced Image Search: search by color, search for creative commons images, search by size, search by image (Google Goggles)
  • Google Answer Engine - definitions; calculator, spell check, weather, sports scores, stock reports.

FUN Search Tools!

Google Research Tools

Google houses a massive collection of data. So large that it has been used to reveal some very surprising things. Anyone can tap into the massive volume of search queries to discover interesting things about the world in which we live and the people that live here.

  • Google Trends - worldwide search volume
  • Google Zeitgeist - an annual review of the top search trends, from searches to video to images. A snapshot of the world in which we live.
  • Public Data Visualizations - Explore massive data sets from various public sources or upload your own dataset.


Become a Search Master

Google search guru Daniel Russell guides searchers through two self-paced MOOC courses to help users become better searchers.

Those interested in teaching search as a subject should check out the Google Search in Education website which contains lots of classroom resources.

Voice Search

You can now search simply by talking to your computer or mobile device. Look for the microphone icon in the Google search bar to activate. Voice search is a technology that has been around for a while, but Google has made it even more intelligent by adding contextual cues based on your current location, recently received emails, calendar events, etc.

Try it out!

  • Weather: Do I need a jacket tomorrow?
  • Locations: Where’s the nearest pharmacy?
  • Flight status: When does United Airlines flight 900 depart?
  • Time: What time is it in London?
  • Events: When is sunset?
  • Math: What is the square root of 2209?
  • Translation: How do you say cucumber in Spanish?
  • Sports: When is the Boston Red Sox game?
  • Trivia: How tall is the tallest building in the world?
  • Conversions: How many dollars is 2600 rupees?
  • Images: Show me pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge

Possible Classroom Uses:

  • Helping elementary students find images.
  • Students have have physical disabilities which makes typing difficult.
  • Students who can't spell well.
  • Studying/researching artificial intelligence

The Common Core Standards have been adopted by many states in the US. These standards place a strong emphasis on digital literacy and fluency and on the ability of students to evaluate and interpret information.

The standards below provide a sampling of objectives related to web-search skills and could be linked to lessons focused on teaching effective searching techniques.

Grade 2

Grade 4

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Grade 6

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

Grade 8

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

Grade 9-10

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

Grades 11-12

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.