Unit 6: Academic Search Engines

When it comes to using search engines, everyone has their preference--usually Google, Bing or Yahoo, right? These metasearch giants are great for pulling together a huge number of hits very quickly about any topic you can possibly throw at it-- it seems like there is something on the internet about literally everything. This can be a great thing for me-- an adult who is capable of discerning between an appropriate outlet for information and less credible options. But what about when I want my 9th graders to search the internet for resources? I certainly think it's important for them to be able to decide which sources are appropriate or not, but I know realistically that their impulsive teenage minds will be drawn to the hit that is listed first not necessarily the hit that is the best.

Enter SweetSearch. This search engine is designed for users age 13+ and offers results from 35,000  websites that are prescreened for credibility and appropriateness, according to Common Sense Media's review of the site. The reason I really like SweetSearch is that, when I searched 'how to solve quadratic equations' on the site, it offered several video tutorials at the top of the list, followed by sites with recognizable domain names like PurpleMath.com. No Wikipedia results, only actual math sites, which is pretty cool. Internet research etiquette aside, another reason I like SweetSearch for my students is that there's no opportunity for students to...accidentally... stumble  upon images or materials that are not school appropriate. You can search "the most boring math concepts" on Google and still get a picture of something inappropriate, it seems. That being said,  CSM's review does disclose that some of the prescreened websites are scholarly articles about controversial topics like drugs and sex. For that reason, I would recommend this search engine for an older audience who should still continue to use good judgement in choosing their sources.

There are many other student-centered search engines available, but SweetSearch was my favorite because of it's ease of use, video results, and age appropriateness for my students.

If you are a teacher looking for a good alternative to Google for your students, Common Sense Media has many options that you can filter by age range here.