UDLib/SEARCH
A state-funded collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware Library providing online magazines, journals, encyclopedias and training for all Delaware K-12 public schools
A state-funded collaboration between the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware Library providing online magazines, journals, encyclopedias and training for all Delaware K-12 public schools
When you perform a search in a search engine, such as Google, why do certain results pop up to the top? What does the order of the results really mean? These are good questions to ask! When performing online searching, it is important to remember that just because a result comes first (like the AI Google summary you sometimes see), it does NOT always mean that result is the best. Finding results is as easy as plugging in a couple terms into a search box, but finding good results takes practice. Understanding search engine optimization (or SEO) will help you use search engines in the best way possible.
Some of the most popular search engines include Google, Bing (Microsoft), and DuckDuckGo. These search engines take your search terms and pull together results into a list they think will be most useful to you. While Google and Bing often use information from your past searches to retrieve what they think are the best results, DuckDuckGo is known for not tracking your searches. These search engines all use different methods, or algorithms, for retrieving results, so the same search in each search engine will likely produce different results. This is why you shouldn't always depend on that first result!
When businesses or people create websites, they typically care a lot about SEO and making their website as visible as possible when users perform a search. They make sure their images and content are well-defined, and they may even pay advertisement fees in order to make sure their website pops up to the top in a search results list. When searching, it is good practice to consider these critical thinking questions:
| Critical Thinking Questions |
|---|
| 1. How would an expert describe what I'm searching for? |
| 2. Are there synonyms for my search terms? |
| 3. Are there acronyms or related terms that could help me find better results? |
If you aren't sure how to answer the above questions, be sure to talk to your teacher or librarian for some suggestions!
Kiddle is a kid-friendly search engine that is powered by Google with results that filter out content that is considered inappropriate for kids. It allows you to search for images, news, and facts while providing a user-friendly interface and larger fonts. Kiddle is intended for kids just starting their learning with search engines.
"KidRex is provided free of charge, as is and with no warranty of any kind by Alarms.org. Alarms.org goal is to provide friendly and easy to use to resources for both online and offline safety. Our team of experts posts new information all the time with a goal of helping you live a safer, more secure life." -- From the KidRex website
"WackySafe is a fun and safe search engine for kids of all ages, with the aim of ensuring your child remains safe when browsing the web. The search results emphasize kid-related websites and webpages from across the entire web and are powered by Google Custom Search™ and use Google SafeSearch technology." -- From the WackySafe About Page
Safe Search Kids is a search engine for K-5th grade kids that takes advantage of Google's SafeSearch feature. It filters out results that may have content that would not be appropriate for young kids.
KidzSearch uses Google to filter the results in a search to return kid-friendly results. This search engine is available on a computer or mobile device from any location. It provides access to images, games, videos, encyclopedia entries, music, and more. Additionally, KidzSearch encourages kids to take a "KidzSearch Safety Pledge" at the bottom of their home page that gives them tips for staying safe online.
Access to these articles is provided by UDLib/SEARCH. You will be automatically connected from your Delaware school, or you can login using the home access username and password to login from home.
Elementary School Content:
Middle School Content:
High School Content: