My mission as a media specialist is to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information. But, in order for students to use information effectively, they must locate it first. Just as miners need the proper equipment to unearth their treasures, students seeking to discover new information must also have the right tools to get the job done.
Well designed research activities provide opportunities for students to both learn new content and develop their information literacy skills. However, with so many print and online materials available to students, research can seem a daunting task. These instructional activities introduce students to specific search tools that will help them locate the information they need and evaluate the sources they used. Students can then add these search tools to their “research tool belt.”
The MCPS 3 rd grade reading/language arts curriculum includes a unit on biographies. As my students worked on “The Encyclopedia Battle: Print vs. Online” activity to access information about a famous athlete, I was able to identify who needed additional support with using either online or print sources. Armed with this information, I then worked with individuals to target the necessary skills. Students learned about Mia Hamm and gained familiarity with two different resources.
“Which Search Tool is the Best Fit” is an instructional activity designed to support the MCPS 5 th grade social studies curriculum unit on westward expansion. Incorporating two more sophisticated search tools, an online almanac and the Yahoo Directory, students will identify the connection between the name of a professional football team, the San Francisco 49ers, and an important event in U.S. history. In addition to showing students how the past influences the present (and giving them a fun “aha moment”), this activity introduces students to two more search tools they can add to their repertoire.
To do a job well, we must have the right tools. As a media specialist, I look forward to helping students use these tools to discover new information.
