Activities:
- "Human Boolean Operators"
Give the students a brief survey and ask them to fill it out for
use in the class. Explain to them that they are creating a record that
will be used to make a database of their group. Then use the records to
formulate Boolean commands, such as: "All those wearing white shoes and a
red shirt or blouse, please stand."
This illustrates the term and (show card with Venn diagram).
"All those wearing white shoes or a red shirt or blouse, please
stand," (diagram). Then search the library catalog or other databases
using these principles.
- "Using Tattooing to Teach Boolean Searching"
Write down on a piece of paper the types of people to get
tattoos. Break into small groups of 2-3 people. Discuss responses and
pick one of the examples to share with the whole group. Write each
group's example on the board. Then introduce the idea that a search
needs narrowingby using the Boolean term and Search in the catalog or database
such as WilsonSelect for tattoos and bikers separately and then with and
& or.
- "Boolean Burritos: How the Faculty Ate Up Keyword Searching"
Props: Ingredient cards - egg, cheese, potato, beans, salsa,
vege-sausage, wham, onion. Operator cards - and, or, not (two sets).
Pass out ingredient cards and sets of operator cards.
Then ask participants to make an order.
Ingredient cards stand up and operator cards must go between them.
How would you order a combo with everything except onion or dairy?
How would you order egg with vege-sausage or wham? The natural
culmination of this exercise is to serve breakfast burritos.
- "Using an Ordinary Cookie Recipe to Illustrate Boolean Searching"
Props: Transparencies or hand-outs with a basic cookie recipe.
From ingredients list, have each student write five statements using at
least two ingredients and one Boolean operator. You may add other
ingredients (note which are essential, which are optional).
Discuss how the combinations will affect the resultant mixture in
taste, texture, and volume, etc.
Recipe:
½ c. butter, softened 1 ½ c. flour
½ t. allspice 1 c. sugar
½ t. baking soda 1/4 c. milk
2 eggs ½ t. baking powder
1 c. raisins ½ t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract 1 c. chopped nuts
1 t. cinnamon 1 ½ c. rolled nuts
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