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Google is a powerful tool for finding information, but it's not neutral. Being forthright about its strengths and weaknesses helps students know when to trust it and how far. Safiya Noble's research is a good introduction into aspects of Google's less helpful aspects and the unseen power that Google has in shaping users' searches.

After addressing issues of privacy and algorithmic bias, it's OK to examine Google's helpful aspects. Iterative searching — quickly building on information gained from previous searches — is one of Google's strengths. Encourage students to make multiple searches on a similar topic, changing their search parameters each time. At first it may feel like running into a dead end if nothing comes up, but this can also be an opportunity to learn new ways to formulate a question. In research, the first answer is rarely the best one. Making little refinements and chasing leads that turn up during searching can broaden students' knowledge and uncover new connections.

Using Google Advance Search gives students more control over the their search parameters.

Google Advanced Search

Carol M. Withers, Bruce Johnson, and Nathan Martin's chapter on web-searching in Basic Research Skills provides a solid introductions to using Google Advanced Search. Pay special attention to the sections on searching within domains (e.g. site:*.edu) and the use of quotation marks to delineate phrases within a search. Familiarity with Google Advanced Search and the strategies introduced in these sources also introduces students to aspects of more complicated database searching, which will appear later in this course and in their academic careers.

More Algorithmic Searching

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If you have access to the the MLA Guide to Digital Literacy (2nd Ed.) by Ellen C. Carillo, chapter 2 on understanding filters and algorithms, bots, and visual manipulation is also worth a look. Ellen C. Carillo introduces online search algorithms and explains:

We do not always know when and how algorithms are applied. Search engines silently apply algorithms to determine which results you get, and individual websites use them to surface news stories, photographs, and information likely to be of interest to you. Social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat as well as a range of other sites, including retail websites like Amazon and news aggregators like Reddit, use filters to keep visitors engaged with their content, including paid advertisements. Filters use your previous engagement with content—what you have read and what you have shared with others—to surface similar information and products. If, for example, you search for your favorite musician, you are likely to be bombarded with advertisements for that musician (like reviews of the musician’s latest album or links to buy tickets to the musician’s concert). Similarly, if you recently conducted a Google search for swimsuits, you may notice a proliferation of swimsuit advertisements on your screen afterward. These examples demonstrate an algorithmic filter at work.

If your students engage in online research or social media, it's worth polling them to determine if they know why they see certain search results or posts and not others. The creators of these search systems have vested interest in shaping engagement by filtering the results.

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To modify this exercise for middle school, provide opportunities for students to work in groups and share their findings with the class. Provide guided questions for groups to work to answer. As students become more adept at pre-search strategies, consider moving this exercise outside of class time and connecting the findings to current events. In every case, be sure to connect the examples to potential assignment topics, demonstrating the real-life (or at least school life) applications of the skills.

Regardless of what you find on Google, it's always a good idea to test it against other information sources before completely trusting it.