Course Description:
What is Information Literacy?
Information literacy skills are skills you will need throughout your life. School research is good practice. We all need to find information. You may want to buy a new TV or plan a vacation trip, or you may need to find information for a class assignment? The twenty-first century requires that we be life-long learners. We need to be able to speak intelligently, write effectively, and we need to be an information literate person.
An information literate person is one who is able to recognize when information is needed and has the ability to effectively locate, evaluate, and employ the needed information.
Huston, M., “Introduction Toward Information Literacy.” Library Trends, 1991.
Information literate people are those who have learned how to learn. They know how to learn because they know how knowledge is organized, how to find information, and how to use information in such a way that others can learn from them.
Brevivik, P. ,Chair, the Final Report of the American Library Association Presidentional Committee on Information Literacy.
What is a Pathfinder?
A Pathfinder is a guide to resources that will support learning.
A Pathfinder is created for a specific topic, and will help other students in the future to find valuable information on that topic.
A Pathfinder guides the user to a variety of quality resources on a topic - available in the Overlook library, and beyond.
A Pathfinder template will be available outlining what should be included in the Pathfinder
What is included in a Pathfinder?
Keywords - A list of suggested keywords and phrases to help students navigate the library catalog, and the Internet.
Dewey Decimal Classification Numbers - Numbers to browse that are related to a topic.
Print Resources - A listing of the "best: books, magazines, newspapers, and pamphlets in the library that will help students find information on a topic.
Non-Print Resources - A listing of CDs, videotapes, laserdiscs, globes, maps, etc on a topic.
Internet Sites - A "Best on the Web" list of quality and reliable web sites on a topic.
Community Resources - People and organizations that may provide information on a topic.
Sources of Information to USE to create a Pathfinder:
Print Resources : Books
Use the Online Catalog to locate books on your topic
Use Reference Materials : Encyclopedials, almanacs, dictionaries, atlases etc. for info on your topic
Print Resources : Periodicals, Newspapers and Vertical File Pamphlets
Use InfoTrac as your index to magazine articles and newspapers on your topic
Use Issues and Controversies OnFile for articles on topics dealing with science, technology, and contemporary issues.
Non-Print Resources : A-V
Use Video tapes, and/or CD-ROM programs that are available on your topic.
Internet Sites:
Use the Donna C. Philbin Library Media Center web page - check Overlook Class Assignments, and other research links.
Use Search Engines.
Presentation Requirements: The Pathfinder may be in the form of a poster, brochure, booklet, word processing document etc.
Assignment 1 - Author Study Quest
One of the things Mrs. Barnacoat wants to do, when she is not teaching this 8th grade Information Literacy class, is to expose Overlook students to great authors. She wants to create a file of Pathfinders on Newbery Award authors, and she needs some bookmarks, and book covers, to advertise the authors and their books. She needs your help to create the Pathfinders, and the bookmarks and covers.
Your Mission
1. You must choose a Newbery Award author to research
2. You must find appropriate information about your author and create a Pathfinder guide for other students and teachers to use.
3. You must design a book cover or bookmark on your author.
Task
1. You will use a variety of print and online library resources to find the information about your author.
2. You will need to find the information listed on your worksheet and include this information on the book jacket cover, or on the bookmark that your create.
A worksheet to record this information will be provided.
Tip: Explore the links below to gather information
Author Study Links for Assignment 1 : Author Study Quest
Authors and Books from Scholastic
Index to
Children's Book Authors & Illustrators
Children's
Authors & Illustrators on the Web
KidsClick! Authors - search the alphabetical list
Internet Public Library Youth
Division: Author
Author Webliography
Carol Hurst's
Children's Literature Site
Dr. Seuss WWW Links
Dav Pilkey's Web Site O'Fun
William Steig's Offical WEb
Site
J.K.Rowling and
Harry Potter (Scholastic)
J.K.Rowling and Harry Potter
(Kidsread.com)
Book Awards and Prizes
The Newbery Medal Homepage -
info on the award and lists of the books.
The Reading Corner - reviews
for YA fiction, Newbery award books etc.
Random
House Guides to children literature - reviews, book awards, etc.
Children's Book Awards and
Other Literary Prizes
Assignment 2
The 7th grade Social Studies students are now studying world geography. Mrs. Barnacoat would like to help these students, and their teachers, by creating Pathfinders on different countries that are members of the United Nations. She wants to create a file of Pathfinders and she needs travel brochures and posters to advertise these nations.
Your Mission
1. You must choose a country that is a member of the United Nations
2. You must find appropriate information about your country and create a Pathfinder guide for other students and teachers to use.
3. You must complete a fact sheet on your country and design a travel brochure and/or a poster to advertise your country.
4. Write a short (one page) paper on one aspect of your country that you found interesting -e.g. an attraction, a major city, historic event, food, etc.
5. You must act as a travel agent and present your information to the class.
Task
1. You will use a variety of print and online library resources to find information about your country.