Search engines: how results are chosen and ranked: what children learn
A search engine is a program that finds webpages for you. It cannot read the whole web every time you search, so it builds an index in advance, using programs that crawl from page to page. When you type keywords or a question, it searches its index, picks matching pages and ranks them, putting the ones it thinks are most useful at the top.
The National Curriculum asks pupils to use search technologies effectively, understand how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning about what they find. This game covers all three: choosing good keywords, how indexes and ranking work, adverts in results, and simple ways to check whether information can be trusted.
This topic covers a Key Stage 2 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Subject content): pupils should be taught to “use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content”. The programme of study sets this for the whole of Key Stage 2, so schools choose when to teach it; we have placed this game in Year 6 (ages 10–11).
There is no direct equivalent in the US Common Core State Standards.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Pick good keywords. Use specific words: “frog life cycle” works better than “frogs”. Add words to narrow the search.
- Understand the index. The search engine looks in its index, like a librarian looking in a catalogue, not through the whole web.
- Know what ranking means. Top results are what the search engine thinks is most useful. That is not the same as true.
- Spot adverts. Look for “Sponsored” or “Ad” labels. Someone paid for those to appear.
- Check before you trust. Who made it and why? Do other reliable sites agree? Is it recent?
Worked examples
Example 1: What does “ranking” search results mean?
Working: The search engine has many matching pages and must decide which to show first.
Answer: Putting them in order with the most useful at the top.
Example 2: Is the first search result always true?
Working: Ranking measures usefulness and popularity, not truth.
Answer: No, you still need to check it.
Example 3: Which is a good way to check a fact you found online?
Working: If several reliable sources agree, the fact is more likely to be right.
Answer: Find it on two or more reliable websites.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Typing a whole long sentence with lots of small words. Pick the key words. Questions can work too, but keep them focused.
- Trusting a site because it looks professional. Anyone can make a smart-looking site. Ask who made it and check elsewhere.
- Thinking everyone sees the same results. Results can depend on location, language and past searches.
Activities to try at home
- Search for the same thing with different keywords and compare the results.
- Look for “Sponsored” labels together on a search page.
- Pick a surprising claim and check it on two reliable sites.
- Print the game sheet and play it together.
Ideas for the classroom
- Search race: groups find an answer using as few keywords as possible.
- Give pupils a real and a hoax website and ask them to spot the differences.
- Act out a search engine: pupils build an index of class books and rank them for a query.
- Use the quiz before a research project.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a colour-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
Which search engine should children use?
Many schools use child-friendly search tools with filters. At home, turn on safe search settings.
How do search engines decide the ranking?
They use many signals, such as how well a page matches the keywords, how many other sites link to it and how recent it is. The exact rules are secret and change often.
Does this cover AI chatbots?
Not directly, but the same rule applies: check important information against reliable sources.