How to use a Search Engine

A search engine helps you to find information on the Internet. When you type into the search engine something you would like to find out about, for example soccer, it sorts through all of the web pages it has stored and provides you with a list of sites about soccer that it thinks you may be interested in.

There are several search engines available to help you find information on the Internet.

1) The following web addresses are different search engines you can use. Have a look at the following by clicking on the links:

www.yahoo.com
www.ask.com
www.google.com
www.anzwers.com
www.alltheweb.com

2) Look up www.yahoo.com again and type into the search box your favourite sport. Next click the search button. This will help to find all possible web pages about related to that sport. Have a look at some of the sites.

3) There are many different ways of searching. Go to www.yahoo.com and search for Aardvarks. How many web pages did you find? (write the answers to all questions in your book) Are all the sites listed just about Aardvarks?

4) Now go back to the homepage for www.yahoo.com and scroll down the page to the website directory. Under the title of science should be the word animals. Click on this link.

5) Next click on the complete list of animals by name. This will then take you to an alphabet. Click on the letter A.

6) Up will come a site about Aardvarks (write its address down in your book). Go and visit the site. Is this site related to Aardvarks

From doing this exercise you should see that there are other ways to search that are sometimes more effective in finding the information you are looking for. Another way to search more specifically is to use the advanced search option. Most search engines have an in-built Advanced search engine for you to use.

Once you have finished this take your work to the teacher.