Lead story: End of school 2006
It's a WRAP

After a long year and summer close enough to touch, you probably do not want to think about what you are going to do when school resumes. So, after reading this article, put it where you will see and remember it when vacation draws to an end and you begin looking at going back to your media center.

As you search for new ways to collaborate with teachers, consider a basic inquiry-based model that can be the underlying structure no matter the subject area or grade. The mnemonic makes it easy to remember and, when the pattern is repeated throughout the year, students will become comfortable with it and move more smoothly into research.

Unfolding the WRAP

WRAP is an acronym for the following four-phase approach:

Wonder: What would you want to know more about? What questions do you have?

Reflect: What do you already know about the subject? Plan how you will proceed.

Act: Do the research. Evaluate the resources for validity and relevance.

Present: How will you present your findings? What are the key ideas to be highlighted? What multi-media resources will best show this?

Teachers will have the most difficulty with the first part as they usually want to control what students are to research. The first time you work with this, generate a long list of possible ideas. Suggest to the teacher that students be allowed to add others that are within the confines of the assignment.

Once students, working in groups or individually depending on the project, have had their topic approved, let them generate a short list of questions relating to it. "What if... ?" "How does...?" "Why are... ?" are all good ways to wonder about something. Have them write a short summary of what they know about the subject, and their anticipated strategy for finding out more.

Moving into the media center

With the W and R occurring in class, have the teacher give you a copy of students' preliminary work. This will give you a heads up on the topics they have chosen. Knowing what they think is the way to get started will let you target your teaching and help them refine their strategies as they move into the A phase. After a few such projects, you should be able to spend less time on whole class instruction and more on helping individuals and small groups figure out solutions to specific research challenges.

Although you will review general rules for evaluating websites for currency, accuracy, and authoritativeness with the whole class, students understand the concept better as you work with them one-on-one to ensure they have found credible information. The individual approach also works best in dealing with relevance. Students searching the Internet tend to choose the first few results and make them fit their project. Their practice is no better when they use books. They get discouraged quickly if the ones they look at don't have what they want. Show them how to search print and online resources more effectively for their topic. Let them know whatever they include must add something of value, or it is not relevant.

Show time

The P phase will happen back in class, but you need to be a resource for students as they plan what they will do. Knowing how to present information is a standard in a number of subject areas, and using technological tools to do so is incorporated into the National Education Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Creating a PowerPoint with a multitude of sound effects and titles swirling in from all sides does not work. Neither does having too much text on each slide.

Have students prepare a presentation plan. After identifying the key information, let them identify what graphics and other multi-media will make the text easier to comprehend. Do they need a video clip or photographs? Will primary source material help? Where will they find what they need? By thinking about how to best get their message across before putting their project together, students develop the skills necessary for effective presentations.

If at all possible, meet with the class after they have WRAPped up their first project. Find out what worked, what didn't, and what they liked best. Use their answers as you collaborate with teachers on future research assignments.



Previous issues
Spring: A new twist: San Francisco rocks

EDITORS' NOTE: This is adapted from a "Reference Question of the Month" that appeared in the April 1981 issue under the title "Find the Missing Headline."

With global and national disasters grabbing headlines over the past year, the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake will capture the interest of students from grades four through twelve. At the lower grades the activity can be done as a social studies project to extend their understanding of how the city became developed as result of the gold rush that brought a large population growth. With upper grades, work with earth science teachers. (See relevant standards at the end.)

A research game

Approach the project as a treasure hunt. Hand out the activity sheet which is designed to resemble a newspaper. Since you don't want teams to hide books on the topic from their classmates, allow them to work the way they prefer -- going onto the Internet. One result will be that they will need to select the best entry terms from the nineteen clues.

When teams quietly (so they don't give anything away) start their searches, remind them to keep track of what sites prove helpful. Suggest they copy and paste the URLs into a Word document that can be printed later. The requirement that they not just announce what they think is the event but write a clever headline means that they will need to do a further analysis of the information therefore using critical thinking skills.

After all teams have learned that the event in question is the San Francisco earthquake, bring the class together. Post all the suggested headlines and added clues. Have a student from each team explain why theirs is the best, and then vote for the winner.

Metacognition

Give students time to reflect on what they have learned. Review with the class which clues and sites were most useful. Help them identify why a particular method was successful (or not). Discuss which websites were the most authoritative and what they must do to validate information from the Internet.

Ask students which aspects of the earthquake most interested them. Encourage them to go beyond the specifics of San Francisco to other areas of the topic such as differences among faults or how tsunamis are generated. If you are working with a history teacher, the class might want to investigate dealing with the aftermath and the role government should play.

Exploring further

Introduce print resources (see the accompanying suggestions for younger grades) and remind students that this is an excellent way to verify what they discovered on the Internet. Have them select the topic they will research. If at all possible, this should be done as a group activity.

Once students are into their work, go around and meet with them. Find out how they are using what they have already learned -- both about the topic and about searching. Ask them to consider how they will present their research, challenging them to design the best way to show the class what they have discovered.

By having students begin this activity without an introductory lesson, you encourage them to find their best working style and learn how to modify it to make it effective. Since the more extensive research springs from their own interest, the results are personally meaningful and will stay with them long after the project is completed. In the process you have planted the seeds of lifelong learning and given them the tools to achieve it.

Supplementary materials

Bibliography

Branley, Franklyn M. Earthquakes. Ill. by Megan Lloyd. HarperCollins, 2005, 1990, 33 p. 0-06-028008-5
This Read-and-Find-Out Science entry covers the cause of earthquakes, the 1985 Mexico one, their relationship to volcanoes, their effect on buildings and infrastructure, and what to do if you are in one. (Gr.1-4)

Harrison, David L. Earthquakes: Earth's Mightiest Moments. Ill. by Cheryl Nathan. Boyds Mills, 2004, unp. 1-59078-243-7
Beginning with the New Madrid quake, this explains how earthquakes (and volcanoes) occur and occasionally cause tsunamis. (Gr. 1-4)

Tanaka, Shelley. A Day That Changed America: Earthquake! Ill. by David Craig. Hyperion/Madison Press, 2004, 47 p. 0-7868-1882-4
Memories of four adults who were children when the earthquake occurred add meaning to an account that includes photos as well as full color paintings. Informative sidebars, index and glossary (Gr. 4-8)




Winter 2006: Dickens: Yesterday and today

In his own day, Charles Dickens was incredibly popular and made a fortune from his writings in a very short time. Today, as part of the literary canon, he gives students little pleasure when they are forced to read his books. One method used to get them to appreciate the work they are about to study-- whether it is Great Expectations, David Copperfield, or, in the case of AP classes, A Tale of Two Cities, is to have them make a personal connection to the life and times of this celebrated writer.

Suggest to the teacher as you plan the introductory part of the unit together that playing selections from the musical Oliver will help students realize that Dickens' plots and characters hold interest today. Many of them have seen versions of A Christmas Carol on television. Having two titles in their background will help as you set the tone for beginning the research project.

Building early knowledge

Rather than plunging in with ideas on how to organize the project, guide students in learning to think through the process as they will need to do when they reach college. Ask them what they know about Dickens, letting them draw on what they have gleaned from television and the musical. Then direct them to take ten minutes to find out more about him and Victorian England. Suggest they use online and print encyclopedias as well as any biographical reference tools you have.

When time is up, reconvene the class. Have them tell you what else they now know, giving the information as possible topics for research, such as "he loved the theater" becoming "Dickens and the Victorian theater." Record their ideas on an easel pad.

Beginning the research project

After the listing is complete, hand out Part 1 of the Information Sheet at the end of this article. Have them look at the topics students have named and decide which one(s) interest them and why. If the learning is to be meaningful, they need to feel connected to it in some way. Let them know they may choose something that has not been mentioned. While all ideas need to be approved by the teacher, wide latitude should be allowed as long as a tie to Dickens can be made.

Students can use the information gained in doing the preliminary overview as the basis for starting their research. Recording possible ideas is a way of calming the normal fear and uncertainty typical of this first phase. Review key reference resources and encourage them to browse what you have pulled as well as locate additional print items. Do the same for your electronic databases. Caution that a search on Dickens will bring numerous e-text editions among other non-relevant information. To get better results, they need to add more terms such as "Charles Dickens theater." References to Victorian England also work.

Managing the middle phase

Once students have become involved in their research, you and the teacher need to be present only as resources, helping them learn how to validate information or suggesting alternate approaches. Use the time to go over the topics, and between the two of you identify which ones are related.

When the class comes back the next day, distribute Part 2 of the Information Sheet. Review the questions and allow some time for students to discuss their findings and where they are going. Once they resume researching, link those whom you have identified as having related topics and recommend they exchange information that would be helpful to one another.

A meaningful finale

Although the teacher may want a paper, allow students to determine how to bring findings to the class (getting it approved in advance) with the greatest impact. For both their presentations, they must respond to questions No. 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, and 12 onthe Information Sheet. Their creativity in selecting the best method for sharing their research should be incorporated into their final grade on the project.

The teacher can use a class discussion on question No. 11 for a final assessment. In order to identify five persons (the number can be reduced if necessary), students must have a deep understanding of Dickens' life and work as well as that of Victorian England. Those named can be posted and a vote taken to select the most influential people in the author's world. The inquiry approach to the project and the culminating analyses will ensure that students feel a lasting connection to Dickens and his world.

Supplemental material

Information sheet PART 1
Topic question:
  • Why does it interest me?
  • What do I know about it?
  • What do I want to find out about it?
  • What print sources can I use?
  • Which electronic databases will be helpful?
  • What keywords will I use to search the Internet?
PART 2
  • Have I found related information which I want to incorporate (or do I need to alter my topic)?
  • What other ideas do I want to include in my presentation?
  • Have I validated all the sources I have found on the open Internet?
  • To what extent do my findings provide a fuller understanding of Dickens the man and/or the writer?
  • Whom do I see as the 5 most significant people in Dickens' world and why?
  • How has what I have found affected the way I see Dickens and/or contemporary life? (What will I take away from this project?)
  • What is the best way to present my findings?
Websites NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts
  • Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
  • Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience
  • Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
  • Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
  • Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
  • Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
  • Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).



Early winter 2005: Good medicine

Whether the unit is part of the health or science curriculum, middle and high school students are expected to learn about infectious and genetic diseases. The drama of pandemics and the personal impact of hereditary disorders in their families make the assignment compelling. Their interest, coupled with the wealth (good and bad) of medical websites, gives you an excellent opportunity to teach them about validating information on the Internet as well as meeting subject and technology standards (at the end of this section).

In preparation for their first visit, discuss whether you or the teacher will cover the introduction, differentiating between the two types of diseases. Develop a list of topics based on your collection but suggest that students be allowed to make their own selection, even going beyond the recommendations, rather than being assigned what to research. Collaborate on the Information Sheet (at the end of this section) so that content and information literacy skills are represented.

How to start

Focus students on the project by having them make a list of what they know about their topic. Let them put an asterisk next to every item they are sure of and a question mark next to those requiring further checking. Hand out the Information Sheets and ask them if they can think of any other areas relating to their disease that they wish to research. Be sure they know the meaning of primary and secondary sources, and briefly talk about the value and purpose of each.

Remind students that having a plan will speed their work and discuss possible approaches. Ask them to identify what type of information they need first. They should realize that an overview will be most helpful and review where they can find one online and/or in print. If they are working in small groups, have them determine individual responsibility.

Reviewing the resources

As most of them don't think beyond the Internet, start with how to approach an online medical search. Let them know that quackery abounds on the Web and all sources they use, even sites listed on the Scirus scientific search engine must be validated. Have them include an evaluation tool such as C-A-R (Currency, Accuracy/Authoritativeness, and Relevance to the topic) for each website.

Identify any of your electronic databases that will be helpful and don't require an evaluation. See "The LOC Connection" (in the print edition of this issue of School Librarian's Workshop) for primary sources available through the Library of Congress. List the Dewey Decimal numbers such as 610 for medicine but let students know that history books will also be a resource. An example of what they might find with a little digging is Sheila Cole's To Be Young in America: Growing Up with the Country, 1776-1940 (Little Brown, 2005, 146 p. 0-316-15196-3) with a chapter entitled "In Sickness and in Health" discussing epidemics using both primary and secondary sources.

From search to presentation

Suggest that some group members check print resources that you have placed on a cart while others go online. Listen and observe as students begin their research. Look at the websites they are using, and ask them to tell you how they know the information is accurate. Offer tips to those working with books as some have become so accustomed to the Web, they forget basics such as indexes and tables of content.

For the culminating project, whether it's the usual PowerPoint, posters, or some other group presentation, have students show their personal reactions and discoveries. Do they feel that more needs to be done in the way of prevention and what should that be? Are we properly prepared for a possible outbreak and what can be done? The object is for them to demonstrate that they have not simply assembled a mass of facts, but that they can put their research to use as information-literate students.

Supplemental material

National Health Standards

NPH-H 5-8.1 Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.
  • Explain the relationship between positive health behaviors and the prevention of injury, illness, disease, and premature death.
  • Describe how lifestyle, pathogens, family history, and other risk factors are related to the cause or prevention of disease and other health problems.

NPH-H 9-12.1 Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention.

  • Analyze how public health policies and government regulations influence health promotion and disease prevention.
  • Analyze how the prevention and control of health problems are influenced by research and medical advances.

NPH-H 9-12.2 Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid health information and health-promoting products and services.

  • Evaluate the validity of health information, products, and services.
  • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate resources from home, school, and community that provide valid health information. National Science Standards

NS-5-8.1 Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop:

  • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
  • Understandings about scientific inquiry
  • NS-9-12.6 Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

  • Personal and community health
  • Natural and human-induced hazards
  • Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

NETS (National Education Technology Standards) for students
Performance indicators
Prior to completions of Grade 8 students will:

  • Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom.
  • Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.
  • Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and solve problems.
  • Research and evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, and bias of electronic information sources concerning real-world problems.

Prior to completion of Grade 12 students will:

  • Routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publications, communications, and productivity
  • Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making in content learning.
  • Collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content-related knowledge base by using technology to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information, models, and other creative works.

Information sheet

INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Disease:
History (discoverer, occurrences, etc.):
Method of transmission:
Symptoms and prognosis:
Treatment (current and historical if appropriate):
Prevention:
Likelihood of outbreak:
Primary source information:
Best secondary source information:
Validation of websites


GENETIC DISEASES
Disease:
History (when identified and by whom if known? any famous people who had the disease?):
Connection to specific population groups:
Symptoms and prognosis:
Treatment:
Status of genetic testing for this disease:
Level of incidence in the population:
Primary source information:
Best secondary source information:
Validation of websites:






Fall 2005: From colony to country

How can you bring United States history to life for elementary students? They have almost no sense of time and little background to understand the people and events from nearly three centuries ago. To move them beyond dull, rote facts, you need to make the information relevant and connect it to them in some personal way.

While this unit works independently, students get more out of it if the topic is being covered in the classroom. Speak with teachers and decide when best to schedule it. The resources and the results will help you show classroom teachers what the school library media program can offer the subject curriculum.

Preparing the unit

By using fiction and nonfiction titles, some reference books, and a timeline, the past can become real for young students. Pull all your titles on the colonial and revolutionary periods. Identify what time period and location they cover. Check your reference collection and any electronic databases you might have for more information.

Locate a large map of colonial America and put it on display. Cut out outlines of the different colonies and lightly tape them to the book covers along with appropriate dates for that title. Make a timeline that stretches from 1600 to 1800. (If you have space, continue it into the 21st century.) See if a volunteer can help or do all of these steps.

Picturing the past

To focus students on the time period, ask them what they know about the first Thanksgiving. Show a book on the subject and talk about what the pictures tell them. Then let them work in pairs to look through what you have selected. Have them identify things that are different, listing these along with titles, time periods, and locations. Use the map so that they understand where these places are.

Once the list is complete, challenge students to come up with what is the same. They should realize that children played games and went to school, while adults had jobs and traveled (although in different ways from today). Then let them know they are going to find out more about how the United States became a country when the people in these books were alive.

Simple research

> Hand out the Information Sheet, review what students are to do and let them work in pairs. Have them line up in chronological order depending on the subject of their book. Each title is then added to the timeline. Beneath it, attach their sheets showing what occurred at the time.

Next, talk about the sequence of events. List questions still not answered by the books. Be sure to cover topics such as why the colonists came, what they found, how they were governed, and why they sought independence. Divide out the questions to groups, directing them to the various additional resources you chose.

History emerges

As groups locate relevant information, have them add the facts to the timeline. When their research is completed, start with 1600 and let them tell the history from colony to country with each group explaining its contribution. Ask students if they would have liked to live in those times as a further way of solidifying their knowledge.

If you made the extended timeline, place everyone's birthday on it so all can see how long ago the events they researched occurred. Leave it in place throughout the year and add people and events to give students a better sense of time. The visual will also reinforce their learning. Encourage them to follow up with biographies and books used by other groups. See if teachers are willing to organize a colonial Thanksgiving or at least make a dish from that celebration such as furmenty and while eating talk about the fascinating discoveries they made.

Supplemental material

Information sheet for students

  • Author
  • Title
  • Is the book fact or fiction?
  • Facts found
  • Information from pictures
  • Where is this book set?
  • What is happening in the book?
  • What year is it happening?

National social studies standards

UNITED STATES HISTORY K-4: Living and working together in families and communities, now and long ago
  • Understands family life now and in the past, and family life in various places long ago
  • Understands the history of the local community and how communities in North America varied long ago
UNITED STATES HISTORY K-4: The history of the United States: Democratic principles and values and the people from many cultures who contributed to its cultural, economic and political heritage
  • Understands how democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols
  • Understands the causes and nature of movements of large groups of people into and within the United States, now and long ago
  • Understands the folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they helped to form a national heritage






School begins 2005: What did they learn?

A library media specialist wants to know how to assess what students have learned. Whether you are at the elementary level or at high school, lesson plans require an evaluation. But short of giving a test, what can you do to find out what students know as a result of your teaching?

Asking questions

One of the simplest assessment techniques is simply to ask what has been learned. Before sending a class off to begin or continue with research, hand out 3x5cards and have students in grades 4 and up (individually or in pairs) write one concept they were aware of before your presentation as well as something significant that they didn't know before. After two minutes, have a few of them answer orally and then collect the cards.

The task serves multiple purposes. As a metacognition activity, it has students mull over what they have been hearing and seeing which anchors their thinking. You also not only find out what they learned but whether you spent too much time covering what they already know. As a further check, see if they identified the big ideas you were trying to get across.

More queries

Shortly after a lesson, as students begin work on their own you normally move among them to see how they are doing. In addition to helping them, ask pointed questions designed to see how they are applying what you discussed.

Did they totally ignore everything and proceed as though you had said nothing? Are they trying to implement your suggestions but somehow misunderstood some aspects? Take a few minutes after the class leaves and note what you discovered.

For literature-based assignments, most typically done at the elementary level, query the class or individuals on content and then move on to higher order thinking. Have students compare one author with another. Depending on the situation, the second can be one of their choosing or someone you discussed in an earlier lesson.

Quality issues

Another technique is to assess the quality of the questions that students ask you. "Where can I find information on ??" is quite different from "Which database is most likely to have articles on my topic?" By becoming attuned to these subtleties, you will gain a better understanding of what they know and where you still need to guide them.

Although it is extra work, you can also have teachers let you evaluate bibliographies students submit as part of their report. Have them submit a copy of the Title and Works Cited pages which you can review and comment on. The benefit that if your input affects their grade, students will pay more attention to what you say.

A basic technique

While you will use a combination of these assessments, always observe what students do and don't do. Are they using the strategy you recommended? Are they showing what they learned to someone else? How are they working? Is it purposeful or random?

Too often, you work hard on a unit but avoid facing evaluation. It has a way of sounding like a test of your ability. Look on it instead as a way of fine tuning so that you are continually getting better. Your administrators require it; your students deserve it.