Year 4 Internet Research (Teacher notes)
Pupil Activity Code: RWQ4 – What is it?
Progression of skills in this pack
Appreciate how search results are selected and ranked and show awareness of different strategies for finding specific information (Teacher input)
Understand the features of an Internet Browser (Teacher Input and unplugged task)
Use search technologies (different websites) to find specific pieces of information (Activity 1 and 2)
Reference the correct source of information (Activity 3)
Be discerning in evaluating digital content. (Activity 4)
Check the internet for fake news by cross-referencing facts (Activity 5)
National Curriculum Content
Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.
3-4 hours
Introduction
In the age of ‘Googling’ everything we want to find out, pupils have information on tap. The skill is for pupils to firstly in the younger years learn how to digest and share what they have found out, moving up to specifying, analysing and questioning online information. The skill of filtering results on a website is also covered in the Year 4 Inside a Computer Activity Pack.
🛠 What will teachers and pupils need?
Access to Internet.
Search engines, including Google but also safer search engines designed for children including Swiggle, Kiddle, Kidrex and DK Find Out
Access to the pupil activity pack (see code above).
A downloaded or printed copy of the documents for activities 1-3 plus ‘Parts of Internet Browser
👨🏫 Teacher input
Discuss the following questions with the class: How can the Internet help us find information?
Is everything we read on the internet true or accurate?
How do search engines such as Google find information? This article helps explain the last question.
Artificial Intelligence in search engines such as Google (AI Mode), uses AI to search the internet for answers to the questions we have. This can make research quicker but it is still searching many websites that are wrong, so can we completely trust it? How can we check?
Watch the video below (also included in the pupil activity pack) and discuss the 5 tips for internet research: keywords, trusting websites, cross-referencing websites, copying and pasting.
Look at each of the different search engines mentioned above and discuss their features. Try searching the same question in each one to see differences.
Watch the video below with pupils which covers the different features of an Internet Browser. Pupils can then have a go at the the unplugged assessment task below, which also includes the answers.
The video and task are also included in the pupil activity pack, minus teacher answers.
✅ Assessment
Tasks 1-4 below could be completed on the computer by sharing the documents with the pupils or pupils could download the files themselves and then complete the tasks. Alternatively, the documents could be printed for pupils to complete with pen/pencil.
Activity 1 – Minibeasts
Use the Creepy-crawlies website to find facts about different insects. Write or type your answers on the document below.
Activity 2 – Birthday Facts
Use the Internet Search engines above and the document template below to find 5 important events or facts about the date (any year) of your birthday?
Challenge: Could you find 3 famous people who share the same birthday as you (not year) and write 3 interesting facts about each of them.
Activity 3 – Where did you find it?
Use the document below and the Internet to complete the table by finding the answer to the questions and adding the sources of your information.
Activity 4 – Compare websites
Use the document below to fill in the table comparing information from 4 different websites.
Activity 5 – Fake News
Anyone can add to the Internet so it can be difficult to know what is fact and what is fiction. The term ‘fake news’ means a news report that has been made up or changed to cause harm to someone or get publicity. When a news report appears on the internet, people can often share it with lots of people without checking whether the story is true. This means a fake story can become more believable because so many people have shared it.
Always check the news story with reliable news outlets such as the BBC or make sure the news report’s URL ends in co.uk .com or .org rather than .offer or .infonet. If the story is only on one website, then check it appears on another reliable website. There may be AI results in Google for your searches, but still find different websites to prove it is true.
Use the document below that has true and fake news. Check the stories with other websites (sources) before you decide whether it is true or fake then add the sources of your news if you have found it is true.
