Critical Thinking Skills with Google Trends

Website Wednesday

GOOGLE TRENDS

Google Trends is a search tool that allows teachers and students to see how often specific keywords, subjects, and phrases are being searched on Google around the world for a specific period time. The data is shown using visual graphics, charts and tables. Users are then able to see and compare trends(what's being searched). Trends can also be broken down in to categories. 

Google Trend is the perfect tool to spark discussion in the classroom and have student use their critical thinking skills. For example, simply ask students "iPads or Chromebooks? Which do you think is used more as a learning tool?" Go to Google Trends, type the keywords in the search boxes, use the category feature to keep breaking down the comparison, click enter, and a great visual will populate. Discuss. Infer. Predict.  Here's an example:

*This shows worldwide

*This shows for the US. 

*This shows for Texas. 

And underneath these graphs are even more visual charts and graphs leading to more discussion, questions, and research. I didn't include them here due to space. 

If you don't want to create your own, you can always use, explore, and interact with the google trend graphs and charts already created on the site. 

Use Google Trend in the classroom to...

• Interpret Results
• Analyze Data
• Find Patterns
• Make Hyphotheses
• Predict Future Trends
• Encourage further Questioning and Research

I'm curious to see how you and your students will use this tool. I look forward to seeing your comments and reading about your experiences. 

On the Road Again: Google Lit. Trips

 WEBSITE WEDNESDAY

Bud, Not Buddy  is a story of an orphaned 10 -year old boy who during the Great Depression goes on an adventure of a lifetime in hopes of finding his long, lost father.  The only clues he has are the flyers about a band left by his mother in an old suitcase. Along the way he meets interesting characters who lend a helping hand in the search for his father.

Now imagine while reading this story with your class, you can follow in Bud's steps and experience his travels? You can with Google Lit. Trip. 

Google Lit. Trips are downloadable files that mark the journey(s) of character(s) from famous works of literature on the surface of Google Earth.

To begin your first  Lit. Trip

1. Go to Google Lit. Trip
2. Fill out the GLT Globel ED Member Registration so that you can      access all the incredible trips and resources.
3. Install Google Earth on your laptop or desktop.
4. Browse the Lit. Trip Library *The library holds titles for all ages from  The Armadillo from Amarillo to My Brother Sam is Dead to The Grapes  of Wrath. 
5. Request a Lit. Trip

But wait...Google  Lit. Trip is more than just following a story's map on Google Earth. Along the way there are links to audio files, websites with more information on a topic, videos, and much more. 

What adventure will you and your class take this year? 

A book is a device to ignite the imagination.

–Alan Bennett

Research Tool in Google Docs

Google Docs provides one of the best tools for students when it comes to conducting research and developing research papers and reports. The research tool in Google Docs allows students to conduct research from inside their document. It also allows them to cite their sources in APA, MLA or Chicago formats. Citing also includes pictures.

Take a look at this short YouTube video to see how easy it is to use the research tool in Google Docs (you may have to turn up the volume on your computer, her voice is very soft).