Project-Based Unit
Title of Unit : Orientation to Web-Based Library
Resources
|
Subject
Area |
Grade
Level |
Time
to Complete |
|
This activity will have connections across the
curriculum. |
Middle School |
2
class periods |
|
Author’s
Name |
School
Address |
Phone,
E-mail |
|
Susan
A. Bydlon |
Kennett
Junior/Senior High School |
447-6364 |
Where can incoming middle school students begin to locate high quality Web resources for school research projects.?
The Internet has grown by leaps
and bounds in a very short time period. The sheer volume of places to go and
things to do online can be overwhelming to our students and us. It also can make it difficult to find the
exact information that you want. Often, cyberspace is compared to a library
with all the books dumped on the floor!
Librarians are experts at
selecting, organizing, and categorizing information so it is easy to find and
use. We apply those same skills to cyberspace so that everyone can take best
advantage of the vast resources the Internet offers.
This lesson is one of several in a library media center orientation series that starts off the school year for middle school students. In-coming 7th grade students are introduced to the Kennett Card Catalog in an earlier lesson and then the Kennett Junior Senior High School Online Information Center (Web page) in this lesson. Students will view sites that are categorized, easy to navigate, have a clearly identified source, and make effective use of the Web. Following the completion of the guided tour, students will complete a “Student Created Internet Scavenger Hunt”. They will navigate to sites of their choice on various Web pages linked from the home page/site.
Alignment with American Library
Association Information Power Literacy Standards and Indicators.
|
Standard |
How
it is addressed in your project |
|
Standard I: Indicators 1,2,3,4,5 |
The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively. |
|
|
|
Real time research or project-based research of this type requires students to work on problem solving or decision-making questions using a combination of new technologies (the Internet) with older ones (encyclopedias, almanacs, etc.)
Timeline
The students are given a broad overview of the Kennett Junior Senior High School Library Web page. Each of the specific areas listed below will be pointed out with emphasis on the on-line encyclopedias, subscription databases and the Junior High project page, as students will be required to access these sites for various research projects.
|
Project
Step or Supporting Activity |
Description |
|
Introduction to On-line Encyclopedias |
Students are introduced to Grolier’s Online, which provides access to Grolier’s Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Americana and New Book of Knowledge. Simple searches are demonstrated and the value of encyclopedias for background information discussed. |
|
Introduction to Reference Resources |
Students are introduced to on-line almanacs, biography resources, government information, and other general reference sites. |
|
Introduction to Subscription Databases |
A discussion is held about the difference between subscription databases and active web sites. Students are introduced to periodical searching for research purposes. Students are provided user names and passwords to access these invaluable resources from their homes as well as school. |
|
Introduction to Curriculum Links |
Web sites to access, specific to various curricular areas, are shown to students. |
|
Introduction to Search Engines |
Students are introduced to search engines, directories, specialized search engines, and search engines specific to middle school students. |
|
Introduction to Internet Tools |
Students are introduced to tools that are helpful in learning to properly search the Internet. |
|
Introduction to Career Sites |
Students are shown useful sites to help them access career information. |
|
Introduction to the Junior High Project Page Conway Public Library |
Junior High research project sites are posted on this page. Students are directed to this page throughout the school year for various research projects. Students are shown where to find and how to access the Conway Public Library and it’s card catalog from this site. |
Materials
and Equipment:
Computer
Workstations with Internet access (computer lab)
LCD
projector
Kennett
Junior Senior High School On-line Information Center Website
Student
Created Internet Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
Books
and Resources:
Allen,
Christine and Mary Alice Anderson. “Skills for Life: Information Literacy for
Grades 7-10”. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing, Inc. (1999)
Hixon,
Susan and Kathleen Schrock. “Developing Web Pages for School and Classroom”.
Westminster, CA.: Teacher Created Materials. (1998)
Assessment will be done by observations completed throughout the school year as students work on various research projects assigned by their teachers. The assessments are designed by the instructor.
The
project-based unit will be implemented during library orientation, which
generally takes place the first month of the new school year.
Week
2 of new school year: Meeting with
Language Arts Teachers or Reading Teachers to set up orientation schedule.
Week
3 through Week 4: Meeting with each 7th grade class for 1-2 class
periods to implement the unit.