12 Best Google Keywords for Finding Classroom Resources

Are you ever overwhelmed with searching for classroom resources?  Do you seem to suffer from brain fades as you stare in the Google search engine wondering where to begin?  No worries.  Today, I’m offering my personal keyword and key phrase arsenal to help you navigate Google in record time and still find the best resources for your students.

I would recommend printing off this list before you begin searching as a quick reference.  Goodness, even I have the list close to my computer as I get stumped on playing the Google word game from time to time. 

Good luck and may the keyword be with you.

1. Biography – This is a keyword for students and teachers alike.  Anytime you are discussing a historical or significant figure, using the keyword biography narrows down the search quickly.  Additionally, I would add site:edu or site:gov to give better results.
2. Discussion questions – This key phrase is a must for language arts and social studies teachers if you are looking for questions you can either put on a test or use in classroom discussions.
3. Practice Exercises – Math and grammar teachers need to grab a hold of this key phrase as you will quickly locate a wealth of premade resources for your students.  Some will be printable and others will be interactive.
4. Interactive – using this keyword will help you find websites that work great with interactive whiteboards.  Generally these are sites that allow the user to manipulate the website content in some way.  It’s a guaranteed winner.
5. Internet scavenger hunt – this is a moderately successful key phrase that allows you to find premade student internet activities.  I would recommend checking all the links in a hunt, but generally you will find some real treasures out there.
6. Lesson plans – This is also a solid key phrase that generally returns multiple results.  I often browse four or five on a topic to get my creative wheels spinning.  More often than not, I’ll take pieces from several sites to create my own lesson.
7. Quiz – Ah, yes, quizzes that are already made up.  You have to love that! 
8. Readers theater or readers theatre –This works better for elementary searches over older grades, but every now and then you’ll find a true treasure.  Most readers theatre scripts on the web are three to five pages in length and offer multiple voices.
9. Timeline – This is a definite keyword language arts and social studies teachers should use.  Any significant historical event will have multiple timelines on the web to share with students.
10. Video – Using this keyword will pull YouTube videos and others into your Google search results.  More often than not, I’m finding student made films for literature which make wonderful introductions to novels.
11. Webquest  - over the past several years, webquests have been made for nearly every curriculum unit one could imagine. By using the keyword webquest, you might find half a dozen of premade activities for your classroom.  There is a caveat, however.  The websites used within the webquest may not be active, so you might have to provide additional resources for your students.
12. Worksheet or handout – Another solid keyword that will help you find great premade activities or student handouts for your lessons.  Just print and go.