How to Find Stuff on the Web

I frequently get asked "How do you find things on the Internet?" Here is a message from a friend who recently expressed her frustration in trying to help her kid with homework

"When it comes to the internet and searching I feel fairly inept.  I can be sitting down with Becca trying to help her find some piece of information for a homework assignment and it will take 45 minutes when it seems like it should take 5, at most.  Is there a site you can point me to that will help me better know how to locate information on the web in a fashion that doesn't leave me severely frustrrated?"

Here is my response: more...