Level: Grades 7 to 9
Duration: 1 1/2 hours

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) is available in an easy-print, pdf kit version. To open the lesson kit for printing, click here.

Overview

Students will consider the use of the Internet as a research tool and learn how to use search engines more effectively. They then apply these newfound skills to investigating popular myths about sexuality and contraception. Finally, they consider three Web sites they have used in the course of their research and evaluate them as sources of information.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the Internet as a research tool
• learn and practice Internet search and evaluation skills
• become familiar with reliable online sources on sexual health
• research information on sexual health
• evaluate online sources of information on sexual health

Preparation and Materials

Read the backgrounder Online Sex Education Resources: Challenges and Opportunities.

Photocopy the following handouts:

• Handout #1: Internet Search Skills
• Handout #2: Reliable Sources
• Handout #3: True or False? Myths and Facts about Teens and Sex
• Handout #4: Web Site Evaluation Form

If you do not have access to Internet-connected computers in the classroom, arrange access to a computer lab (this is only essential for the activity "How Much Does the Internet Know?").

Procedure

Research on the 'Net

Begin by asking students where they go when they need information or questions answered:

• How many ask a teacher, a parent or another adult?
• How many ask a peer (a friend, sibling, etc.)? 
• How many look things up in books or at the library?
• How many look things up on the Internet?

Most likely, the Internet will be the most popular choice. Ask students why they like to use the Internet for research and answers, and record their responses on the board. Responses are likely to include that it's easy to access information on the 'Net, it can be done quickly, and that they're comfortable with the technology.

Now ask students what might be some drawbacks of getting information from the 'Net. It may be harder to elicit responses in this case, so if necessary guide students to or simply add the following:

• Information on the 'Net isn't always accurate
• You're not always sure who the source or author is
• There's so much information you can't always sort it out
• You often get results that weren't what you were looking for

Tell students that one thing many young people want to know more about is sexuality and sexual health (see the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education for a definition of sexual health). Ask the class what they think the advantages and disadvantages of the 'Net would be as a source of information about sexual health.

Advantages are likely to include:

• It's anonymous and an alternative to asking a person face-to-face
• Instant access to information (you don’t have to make an appointment for someone to talk to you)
• Low cost and accessible (don’t need to travel to a clinic, the Internet is in the majority of households)
• Extensive amount of information (not reliant on library holdings, or the knowledge of others)

Disadvantages, in addition to the ones already discussed, are likely to include:

• It can be hard to find information about sexuality online without being exposed to explicit sexual material
• Filtering software often blocks material relating to sex, including sexual health information

Search Skills

Explain to students that finding any kind of information online is a skill. There are methods and tricks they can use that will help them to find what they want, get more relevant results and fewer unwanted results.

Distribute Handout # 1: Internet Search Skills and review it with the class.

Myth Busting

Explain to students that you're now going to apply their newfound search skills towards questions around sexual health. You will give them a topic and they will work together to develop search strings that will find the information.

Tell the class that you want them to research the following topic:

Are youth affected by being exposed to sex and sexuality in media
such as TV, movies, music and videos, etc.?

First ask them what they think the answer might be, and after a brief discussion, have them suggest search strings. The first few suggestions will probably be fairly rudimentary, so remind them to go through the step-by-step process of building a search string they learned in the handout.

More terms: What are all of the relevant terms that should be included?

• Probably "youth" or "teens"; certainly "media" and "TV" and "sexuality"; perhaps "movies" or "music"; probably "effects."
• Which of these are essential and should be prefaced with "+"?
• Where could "OR" or "~" be usefully employed? (How many similar terms are there for "youth" or "teens"? Could there be synonyms of "effects"?)
• Are there terms that could be usefully searched as phrases? (Including "music videos" is likely to get more relevant results than using "videos" as a search term.)

Filtering bad results: If you have access to a data projector, start your Internet browser and navigate to the Google Search Settings page (http://www.google.ca/preferences?hl=en). Scroll down to "SafeSearch Filtering" and select "Use strict filtering" (remind students that they should always start at the most restrictive level first, and only go to the next level if they don't get any relevant hits). Ask students if there are any terms they might want to exclude using "-" to avoid getting irrelevant hits, and remind them that they can always refine a search after doing it, so they can use "-" if they find any irrelevant hits appearing.

Boil down the discussion into two or three search strings such as:

+effects ~teens +"sex in media"

~effects +youth +sex TV OR movies OR "music videos"

"sex in media" youth or teens

 

If possible, perform searches using each string and compare the top ten results. (Remind students to read the summary below each hit before clicking on it.)  Ask students to decide which search string produced the most relevant results and to speculate on why.

Were students able to answer the question? Ask if they were surprised by what they learned and, if so, what surprised them and why.


Reliable Sources

Explain to students that they have another option in addition to search engines when looking for information about sexual health online. They can use reputable sources of information that specialize in sexual health and that are known to be reliable. These sites combine many of the positive aspects of the Internet as a source of information and also reduce some of the negative aspects.

Point out that the most important thing is to establish the reliability of any online sources. Distribute Handout # 2: Reliable Sources and talk students through it. Then, as a class, individually or in groups, have students navigate to the three Web sites listed below and evaluate each one using the handout:

• http://www.sexualityandu.ca
• http://www.spiderbytes.ca
• http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu
  
  
• What clues were present about the reliability of each site?
• How useful did each site seem as a source of information, and why?

(Each of these is considered a reliable site, so it's important to stress how students know they're reliable.)

Remind students that they can combine the two approaches by doing a Web search only within a specific site, by following their search string with "site:" and then the URL (i.e., "site:www.sexualityandu.ca"). Do not put a space between “site:” and the URL.

Myths about Sex

Start this discussion topic by asking students if they've ever heard any information about sexuality or sexual health that they weren't sure was true. (They don't have to give examples.) Ask whether or not they think young people are generally fairly well-informed about sex. Remind them of what they learned earlier about the portrayal of sexuality in the media – could this have an influence on what young people think they know about sex?

• Distribute Handout # 3: True or False? Myths and Facts about Teens and Sex and go through it with the class. Ask students to check "True" or "False" for each question but not to share their opinions with anyone yet.
  
  
• Now divide the class into 4-6 groups and distribute to each group:
  
• 5 blank index cards
• 3 index cards with a plus sign marked on them
• 2 index cards with a minus sign marked on them
• 4 index cards with quotation marks marked on them
• 1 index card with a tilde marked on it
• 1 index card with "Site:" marked on it
  
  
• Ask each group to build a search string, using the cards you have provided, to find out the truth behind the first myth "Young people have sex at younger ages today than in previous generations."
  
  
1. The blank index cards are for their search terms, any two of the quotation mark cards can be used to enclose a phrase.
2. The card marked "Site:" is to be used if they want to confine their search to a particular Web site. Groups may use all of the cards provided but are not required to use them all.
   
   
• Have each group present their search string to the class (the cards can be taped onto the blackboard, or each group member can hold up one or more cards) and explain the reasoning behind their choices.
  
  
• After each group has presented their search string, perform their search and evaluate the results. Once all the groups have presented, discuss with the class which search(es) were most effective and why.
  
  
• Now have the groups research the remaining myths online and find out whether or not each one is true, using either search engines or the "reliable sources" listed above or both. Tell each group to make sure to keep track of what Web sites they used to get their answer.
  
  
• Once the groups have finished the research, have the class share their findings (and correct them if necessary, using the Answer Key). Each time a student or group volunteers their answer, ask them for the name and URL of the Web site they used as a resource.
  
  
  

How Much Does the Internet Know?

Now return to the question of the strengths and weaknesses of the Internet as a source of information on sexual health, and ask students if they have identified any new strengths or weaknesses. Point out that as with any medium, the Internet is only as strong as the sources of information you use – which makes it vital that you ensure that your sources are reliable.

Distribute Handout # 4: Web Site Evaluation Form and have students return to their groups. Each group should choose three of the sources they used in researching their myths and evaluate them using the handout (if they consulted fewer than three sites, have them evaluate one or more of the "reliable sources" provided above).

Have students share their findings with the class and have each group name one site they felt was the best resource on sexual health information for youth.