Lesson Plan for Key Word Search

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars,
hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to
produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate
with others.
Grade Level: 3rd
Time needed: 60 minute class
Materials

10 student iPads (2 per student)

powerpoint presentation with guiding questions and student directions to guide lesson
Shuttssuperstars.weebly.com
Learning Targets
Students will develop their background knowledge and understanding on what search
engines do when you search.
Students will select appropriate key words to help focus and narrow their research on one
main topic.

Procedure:
Guiding Questions: What do search engines do when you search? How can you come up with
the right words you are searching for? Have you ever had trouble searching for a certain topic
and you became frustrated because the correct sight did not come up?
Vocabulary: analyze, index, keywords, specific
Immersion through informational videos (10 min): What do search engines do when you
search? Students will be given time to build their background knowledge on how search engines
work. They will watch the as they are watching will be asked to stop & jot, writing on a sticky
note two new pieces of information they previously did not know.
Turn and talk (2-3 min): Students will turn & talk to shoulder partner about the new knowledge
they gained about search engines.
Whole-Class Discussion (10 min): As a class, we will create an anchor chart about our new
background knowledge. The goals for students to come up with are the following (prompt for
questioning if needed).
a. Search the Index: when you click Google search, it races through billions of web
pages to find every page that contains the word or phrase or group of words youve
used.

b. Analyze the web pages for relevance: Google screens web pages in the index to see
which ones are most likely to have what you are looking for
c. Evaluate each sites reputation: Google looks at how often other websites link to
these pages to determine how popular or useful each one is.
d. Rank web pages: Having scrutinized the web pages in terms of their relevance to
your search words, Google presents your results with what we believe are the most
useful pages at the top.
Transition Activity (5) Upon completion of the background knowledge activity, students will be
asked the following question: Have you ever had trouble searching for a certain topic and you
became frustrated because the correct sight did not come up? After a quick share, teacher will
ask students any strategies they feel as if would benefit them when searching. Teacher will
prompt them to discuss using the importance of using key words when searching and share the
skills and strategies to use when searching. These can been seen in the anchor charts below:
1. Be specific-narrow focus
2. Be exact-Use the words or phrase you
hope to find
3. Be direct-search for one focus at a
time
4. Be succinct- eliminate unnecessary
words
5. Be concise-Select keywords mindfully

*Show brainPop on search engines & have students turn & talk to discuss noticings.
Teacher modeling (5 minutes): Teacher will select a topic and model for the students using
bubbl.us as a graphic organizer. Teacher will select George W. Bush because students will be
selecting a famous historical figure for a research project for later inquiry. Teacher will walk
through the steps and thinking through each web organizer.
George W. Bush: Early Life/Influences, Hobbies/Interests, Challenges,
Contributions to Society, Personality Traits, and Family.
Guided Practice (15 minutes): Students will be asked to choose a topic of interest. (could be
anything because they are working in partners) that both they and their partner agrees on. They
will then brainstorm using popplet to create a map of keywords/phrases they could use to search
on an iPad.
Share-out through gallery walk (5 minutes): Students will walk around the room to notice
others work from the activity. We will then share-out the things that we saw were the most

effective and how those key words will guide us on our own graphic organizer and web search in
the next lesson.
Exit Slip (5 minutes)Plickers will be used and the following questions will be on the board:
1. ____ are the most important words related to a subject. You type these into a search engine
to find the information you want.
a) Passwords
b) Keywords
c) crosswords
2. Mike is getting ready to search for information about gardening. Which set of keywords
will not help Mike find information about gardening?
a) Planting, season, water
b) Fire, forest, horse
c) Temperature, soil, seeds
Next Steps after this lesson:
Assessment:
Accommodations & modifications