Search Like a Pro
Search engines vs browsers, keywords and operators, Images, Maps and News, reverse image search and choosing reliable sources.
⌨️ Start with your 10-minute typing warm-upBy the end, you will be able to:
- Explain the difference between a browser and a search engine, and search with sharp keywords and the operators "quotes", minus (-), site: and OR.
- Read a results page: tell adverts ("Sponsored") from results, use the Images, Maps and News tabs, and use a reverse image search to check whether a photo is old or fake.
- Judge a source with the 4-Way Fact-Check Shield (Who? When? Why? Agree?), prefer reliable Ghanaian sources (.gov.gh, .edu.gh, established news), and cite a source with its title, website and date.
What you need
No computer at home? Print the PDF and practise on paper.
Follow these steps in order
Tick each step when you finish it. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can stop and come back later.
Learn the ideas ⏱️ 35 min
Read pages 1–4 of the workbook and try every small task. Type your answers straight into the boxes: they save by themselves.
Explore the 3D lab ⏱️ 15 min
Play with the 3D model below. The 🎯 missions tell you exactly what to do next. When you finish every mission, this step ticks itself.
Do the Lab Mission ⏱️ 25 min
Page 5 is the hands-on task. Do it on a real computer, step by step. You need: a computer with internet and a web browser.
Check yourself ⏱️ 10 min
Answer the questions on page 6 without looking back, then check your answers below.
Finished? Check your answers
Your turn (Page 2): look for working searches, for example:
Akosombo Dam site:gov.gh"Volta Lake" fishing -hotel(or -hotels)waakye OR jollof recipe
Citation (Page 4): must include the title, the website and a date (or "no date"), for example "Kakum National Park" · Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) · last edited (date) · visited (date).
Search Race (Page 5): facts vary by topic. Check each one: it is true, written in the pupil's own words, has a citation with title, website and date, a second source agrees, at least two different operators were used, and at least one source is .gov.gh, .edu.gh or national news. Photo detective: the photo is older and/or from somewhere else, so the caption "today" is false.
1. Choose the Best Search (Page 6)
- B:
Akosombo Dam site:gov.gh. - A:
"Tetteh Quarshie"(quotes for an exact name). - C: reverse image search it (never share it "just in case").
- B: an advert someone paid for.
2. Written Review Questions
- Chrome is a browser: the program (the window) you use to visit websites. Google is a search engine: a website you open inside the browser to find pages. You can use Google in Edge, or Bing in Chrome.
- Pass it through the 4-Way Shield: who wrote it, when, why the site exists, and find at least one independent, reliable source (such as a .gov.gh, .edu.gh or national news site) that agrees. If no reliable source agrees, do not use it.
Rate yourself and save your work ⏱️ 5 min
Tick how confident you feel on the last page, then press 🖨 Print / Save as PDF in the workbook to keep a copy. On a shared computer, press Clear my answers when you have saved it.
🎉 Session 12 complete!
Brilliant work. Next up: Session 13: Email & Digital Communication.
Go to Session 13 →🔎 Search Detective
Narrow a mountain of results with smart keywords and operators, then pick the trustworthy sources from the fake ones. Follow the 🎯 missions on the right: they tell you what to do next.
Stuck? Try this
Most problems are one missed word. Look for the Panic Button or Help box in the workbook.
Refresh the page. On a very old computer it may not show 3D. The workbook still has everything you need.
Answers save on the computer you typed them on. Open the workbook on that same computer and browser.
Ask your mentor, a teacher or a friend. Show them the step number you are on.