Google Custom Search Engine

As a 6th grader teacher, research projects are an important part of our curriculum. Helping my students find the right sources for the research can be a difficult task, but Google has a perfect solution. Anyone with a Google account can create their own custom search engine. This a perfect tool for teachers, so you know what sources your students are looking at. Also, it's a great tool to lead them to the right information. The best part is that it's very simple to do!

 My 6th graders create a research paper and presentation about biomes during our ecosystem unit. We have great discussions on reliable sources, and where they should be getting their information. This helps my students take a step in the right direction without directly giving them the sight.

Here is a great tutorial that gives a step-by-step guide of creating a Google custom search engine.

Here is an example of my own biome search engine. I used several student friendly sites, and narrowed down the searches to .edu sites. I'm excited to see my students use it for their research projects!