Unit 1 Lesson 1: Introduction to Research and Search Tools

Do-Now Question

Answer the following questions in 2–3 sentences each:

What is research, and why is it important?

What search tools do you use to find out information about a topic? How helpful and trustworthy do you think these tools are?

Lesson Objectives

Students will define scientific research and explain its importance in the science classroom. 

Students will recognize different types of online research tools and AI- powered search tools. 

Students will be able to use Boolean operators and advanced search techniques. 

Introduction to Research and Search Tools

Research is what scientists and scholars use when they want to learn more about what is already known about a topic, and when they want to communicate their own findings with others. Research involves four distinct parts: finding sources, evaluating sources, synthesizing findings from multiple sources, and communicating those findings. In this section, we will begin to look at the first of these parts: finding sources. Before we take a closer look at the search tools that can be used to find sources, take a few moments to watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=mV0bUQpz468) that tells you more about scientific research. While you watch the video, think again about what research is and why it is important.

After watching the video, take a moment to revise your answer to the first Do-Now question above.

Now that you have a better understanding of what research is, let’s take a closer look at how to get started. Most of us are familiar with using Google as a search tool, but there are a number of other databases and search tools that can be used to find more specific information about the research topics that interest us.

Google Scholar is a search engine specifically designed to find scholarly literature like journal articles, theses, books, and other academic resources. Google Scholar is an excellent tool to use to find original research on topics, also known as primary sources. JSTOR is another similar database that can be used to find scholarly literature.

AI Tools can also be used to search for academic resources. Tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity AI can be used similarly to Google by just typing in and searching whatever you are looking to learn more about.

Your own school might also have its own School Library Database which can be used to search for online or physical copies of books, journal articles, and other academic resources. This is another helpful tool to support you while seeking out sources.

Lastly, before we take a deeper dive into looking at these search tools and how they work, it’s important to know how to get the search results you’re looking for. Boolean Operators can be used to narrow or broaden your search results, so that you are better able to find exactly what you’re looking for. Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL3JmEgmcSE), and begin to think about how you might use Boolean operators in your own research.

Now that we’ve been introduced to some search tools, it’s time to explore them. We’ll start by looking at an example science question and practicing with these tools. Then, we’ll talk about how to bring this into our own research.

Search Tool Activity

Instructions:

Pick a science question to answer. Choose one of the following questions or create your own:

How does climate change affect coral reefs?

What causes antibiotic resistance?

What are the benefits and risks of gene editing?

Use at least three different tools to search.

Google (https://www.google.com/)

Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/)

AI Tool (ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/), Gemini (https://gemini.google.com/app?is_sa=1&is_sa=1&android-min-version=301356232&ios- min-version=322.0&campaign_id=bkws&utm_source=sem&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid-media&utm_medium=cpc&utm_cam paign=bkws&utm_campaign=2024enUS_gemfeb&pt=9008&mt=8&ct=p-growth-sem-bkws&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqv2_BhC0ARI sAFb5Ac-q5YcW2JDpQKQ0HHyZWUMSI4Crt2y5Mi0Eyydye3jaoCOMHqctotoaAj9yEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds), Perplexity AI (https://ww w.perplexity.ai/))

School Library Database 

For each tool, answer the questions in this chart (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J-7bopMSZcy2eOWSlngRFRKAbX9jMhN4G FxaiqJLJDM/copy). (Make your own copy of the document.)

Answer the reflection question: Which search tool gave you the most helpful or trustworthy result, and why?

Submit your copy of the activity on Google Classroom.

Go to Unit 1 Lesson 2: Viewing Scientific Articles