Google Gadgets in the sidebar

Thanks to Google Gadgets, we have now added new and exciting features to the class website.

You can do the following in the sidebar to the right:

-search Wikipedia. Just type in your search, click "Go" and a new window will open with your search results.

-Search Google. And not just any old Google web search! Choose from 8 different options to hone your search and find exactly what you're looking for (and maybe a few things you weren't). Just type in your searches in the search window, click "search", and a new window will open with your results.

If these features don't open at first, just click the "Refresh" button. "Refresh" is at the top right of your browser window, between "Stop" and "Home." This will reload the page.

Evaluating Web Sites

As you've already learned, anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can create a website and publish on the Web.

That means it's up to you to determine which sites are reliable and which aren't worth your time.

How do you go about doing this in a sea of online information?










A little detective work.



The following sites and activities will go through the basics of evaluating a web site and deciding whether it's authoritative, or if it suits your purposes.


Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites - http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval_criteria&state=none - Use the 5 W's (who? what? when? where? why?) as your guide as we go through some basic guidelines for evaluating web sites.

Activity: Evaluating a Web Site - http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=activity_eval_site&state=none - Applying what we just learned, let's evaluate a website. Pick one of your favorites, or choose one from the list in the above link. Use the "Evaluating a Web Site" handout to jot down your answers, or for future personal use.

Activity: Guess the URL - http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=activity_guess_url&state=none - Using your knowledge of domain names (the address of a website) and extensions (the three-letter suffix that is part of a URL, such as .com or .org), try to guess the URL for each site in the activity. Type your answers directly into the address bar to see if you're right.

Quiz - How much do you know about the Internet?

Even if you're an online novice, you may be surprised at how much you already know about cyberspace. You can test your knowledge now by taking this brief quiz.


http://www.centerspan.org/tutorial/quiz.htm