When students get to middle school, school librarians focus on skills in a different way than in elementary school. Our middle school media program is split into three parts: Literacy, Information Literacy, and Technology. The literacy part of the program is the one most people are familiar with. We've been focused, recently, on the Information Literacy skills students will need throughout their lives.
Information Literacy includes research skills. There is so much out there on the Internet, and people today need to be able to find the information they need, make sense of it, and share it with others. Sixth grade science students are working on a project right now where they will learn not only the science content, but also some of these research skills.
The science content of the project is on biomes and ecosystems of the world. Students will learn about biomes like rain forests, grasslands, tundra, forests, rivers, and oceans. Where Mrs. Shelton and I come in is in teaching students to find good information they can trust.
If you type "rain forest," into Google, you get 51,600,000 results. Whew, that's a lot! By using subscription databases and an educational search engine, we know students will fine accurate, reliable information without having to evaluate sources and decide if they're getting good information or not. These digital resources do that for them.
Students will continue to use these great resources for projects later this school year, and in 7th and 8th grade. In high school and college they'll be experienced in using reference databases, when it will be required. You're welcome, students! :-)
Also, did you know there is a rain forest in North Carolina? Neither did I! Mrs. Shelton discoved that during this project. It's a temperate rain forest (not tropical) and you can read more about it here.
Information Literacy includes research skills. There is so much out there on the Internet, and people today need to be able to find the information they need, make sense of it, and share it with others. Sixth grade science students are working on a project right now where they will learn not only the science content, but also some of these research skills.
The science content of the project is on biomes and ecosystems of the world. Students will learn about biomes like rain forests, grasslands, tundra, forests, rivers, and oceans. Where Mrs. Shelton and I come in is in teaching students to find good information they can trust.
If you type "rain forest," into Google, you get 51,600,000 results. Whew, that's a lot! By using subscription databases and an educational search engine, we know students will fine accurate, reliable information without having to evaluate sources and decide if they're getting good information or not. These digital resources do that for them.
Students will continue to use these great resources for projects later this school year, and in 7th and 8th grade. In high school and college they'll be experienced in using reference databases, when it will be required. You're welcome, students! :-)
Also, did you know there is a rain forest in North Carolina? Neither did I! Mrs. Shelton discoved that during this project. It's a temperate rain forest (not tropical) and you can read more about it here.