Web Research - Helps and Hints

Becoming WebWise
Here you will find an Internet course created by the BBCi group. Those who want to learn the basics of the Internet, email, browsers, search engines, and more will find what they need here. Parents who need to catch up with their sons and daughters will find this a helpful resource.

Research Helper
This site is an example of how a teacher uses the Internet to teach her students how to use the Internet for a research project. She walks her students through four Research Steps to Success: Preparing, Accessing, Processing, and Transferring. Look at her Research Journal page where you will find an excellent example of how her students may interact with her. You may want to direct your students to this site or to involve your students in a lesson using the Internet, you may want to design your own web site and provide them with a way to contact you when they need further assistance.

Researchville
Ever try searching for "Jesus" using over 700 databases and search engines? Here is a search tool that provides you with access to an e-library which directs you to articles in Newsweek, Commonwealth, and more. You will quickly learn that the number of pages about Jesus are too numerous to digest. You will need to specify what you are looking for about Jesus or any other topic you are researching. An interesting research tool once you have tamed it!

Robert Niles.com
The excellence of this personal site is attributed to Robert Niles, a senior producer at latimes.com and an occasional contributor to the Los Angeles Times. A very helpful section is Finding Data on the Internet. This section covers how to find reliable data and directs the user to checking facts and downloading reputable data on everything from public safety to campaign contributions. Following is an example of how you may use reliable information in a religion class. In the Basic Stuff section you will find a reference to Fed Stats. If you are teaching a lesson on religious tolerance, you may want to go to Topic links - A to Z to see what you may find under "hate." (Choose C, then Crime, then hate.) You will be directed to the national reports that summarize Hate Crime Statistics. In this report you will find more than enough current information that could be integrated into a religion class about religious tolerance. Take time to explore this site. If you have ideas on how information in this section could be used in a religion class, share them with your colleagues.