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Ranking Search Activity

Appreciate how results are ranked

Age: 9-11 years

Type: Unplugged

Curriculum Links to: English

The Ranking Search Activity has been rated 5 stars

RESOURCE OVERVIEW:

This is an unplugged activity in which pupils learn about some of the main factors which influence how a search engine ranks a web page. Pupils create paper-based ‘web pages’ in groups on a current topic they are studying. They then discover how their web pages would rank when searching for keywords relating to their content.

PUPIL OBJECTIVES:

  • I can explain how search engines rank results

TEACHING ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

Informal teacher assessment of pupils during main task and plenary. Focus on key understanding of how a search engine’s rank results, e.g:

  • Search engine’s algorithms assess a variety of factors to determine how a page ranks.
  • Factors which affect ranking include the web page’s content and the number of inbound links to a page.

LESSON TIMING: 45 min

This lesson in your curriculum

England
Scotland
Northern Ireland
Wales

Computing

  • Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected

English
Year 3 and 4: Writing – composition

  • in non-narrative material, using simple organizational material [for example, headings and subheadings]

Year 5 and 6: Writing – composition

  • using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader [for example, headings, bullet points, underlining]