Created by Jamie Preston, Mayor's Commission on Literacy, Philadelphia, PA

Using the World Wide Web to Find Information on Asthma

Grade level: ABE 5-8

Objectives:

1. Teach students how to conduct a search using a Web directory. (Assume that most students already have been taught how to get into the Web. Any new student would need to work with the teacher or a peer who could help the student go on line.)

2. Stimulate critical thinking about information students find on the Internet.

3. Reinforce skills in note-taking, listening to directions, and understanding how categories and subcategories are related.

Materials:

1. Access to the World Wide Web. (If there are not enough online work stations, students may work in pairs or small groups.)

2. Printed asthma materials from commercial and non-commercial sources.

3. Students are expected to have notebooks and pens or pencils.

Procedures:

1. Ask students to go on line and call up Yahoo (www.yahoo.com). Remind them to take notes, so they will remember how to navigate Yahoo by themselves.

2. Explain what Web directories are and why they are useful.

3. Ask students where in the directory they would be likely to find Web sites on asthma, a topic that usually generates high interest in ABE classes. Guide them to the Health category and the Diseases subcategory.

4. Ask them to scroll down the directory until they find the Asthma category. (If students are familiar with Bookmarks, have them make one for this page.)

5. Underneath the Search window there are links to Companies and to Organizations. Ask students to click on Companies and find two interesting links. Give students a few minutes to quickly get a sense of the kind of information each site is presenting. (The teacher should print two examples to be used later in class discussion.)

6. Hit the Back key to get back to the page with Asthma listings or use the bookmark that was made in Step 4. Click on the Organizations link and find two interesting links in that listing. (The teacher should print two more examples for class discussion.)

7. Distribute the print materials and ask the class to discuss differences in tone and purpose between commercial and non-commercial information. Ask them to look at the Web sites the teacher printed and make the same comparisons. Explain that sites with "com" extensions usually are developed by companies, while sites with "org" extensions usually are produced by non-profit organizations. Either source might put out valuable information, but the reasons for communicating that information generally are different for profit-oriented organizations than for non-profits.

Evaluation

1. Ask each student to get into a word-processing program (or use pen and paper if there are not enough computers available) and answer the following questions:

a. What does a "com" extension mean, what does an "org" extension mean, and how is the information they present likely to differ?

b. Outline the steps needed to get into Yahoo and find a particular topic.

c.Write your name on the top right corner and save this file to your diskette as ASTHMA.YOURINITIALS

2. Get into the Web and, following the steps you outlined, find the Asthma category in Yahoo. You may go back to Question B and revise what you wrote if needed.