Developing an Information Literacy Curriculum, K-12 [With CDROM]

VOYA - Lynne Hawkins

Written before the publication of the new Information Power (American Library Association, 1998), this is the curriculum guide for the authoring school district's library media program. Each lesson included in the book is based on an assignment in the district curriculum that requires the library media skills being taught. This could be the how-to-do-it manual to accompany Information Power. The introduction is about collaboration, and the theme of every section is teaching information skills as they are needed through the curriculum, coordinating constantly with the classroom teachers in all subjects, at all grade levels. Although there is little reference to information access through the Internet, the strategies for searching the electronic library catalog can be used to demonstrate Internet search strategies. Venn diagrams illustrating Boolean operators (and, or, not) are clear and uncomplicated. The Iowa City manual describes a Newsbank lesson; another district may adapt this lesson to the resources compiled by EBSCO, InfoTrac, or another periodical index. Why is the curriculum model of another district so useful when most lessons must be adapted for one's own district? Because this model is infinitely adaptable. Included with the manual is a CD-ROM containing the various worksheets, diagrams, and evaluation checklists in Microsoft Word format; 6.0.1 for Macintosh and 7.0 for Windows. It is here that a useful manual becomes a fantastic tool. If your class is doing travel brochures about Latin American countries, open a document in Folder 16 in Word, change Iowa to Chile, and modify other areas as necessary. You use The Big Six, but Iowa City uses a five-step model for research? Expand the tables, modify the bookmarks, change the appropriate rubric and assessment list, and it is yours. Although the manual has the standard warning about not reproducing anything in the book, the CD-ROM software's modification and use is encouraged. Organization, search strategies, and evaluation of resources, as well as of one's own work, are all modeled and practiced through lessons here. It is an excellent starting point for districts developing an information literacy curriculum, and a great resource for library media specialists demonstrating their essential role teaching the information literate population of the twenty-first century. Index. Illus. Charts. Source Notes.

School Library Journal

A thorough, logical approach to what was once considered "library skills," now more appropriately termed "information literacy." The first part outlines the shared goals of a school-based information literacy program, clearly delineating each role in the collaborative process, including the library media specialist, the classroom teacher, the school district, and the specific school. A five-stage information literacy model follows: "Define the Information Need," "Locate Information," "Process the Information," "Create and Communicate Results," and "Assess Process and Product." Appropriate tools to evaluate student learning are included. Parts II and III offer model lessons and samples for incorporating information-literacy skills into specific elementary and secondary school curricular areas. The final section gives adaptable templates for various resources such as bibliographic formats. A CD-ROM provides activity sheets that can be customized. Useful for administrators and media specialists at all levels.-Maria B. Salvadore, District of Columbia Public Library Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

A text for library media specialists designed to help them implement successful information literacy curricula in their schools and districts. The authors cover key information literacy concepts and skills and provide model lessons and units for primary and secondary classes. They offer examples of how to integrate information skills into science and social studies curriculums as well as a five-stage information literacy model. The CD-ROM contains all of the transparencies, activity sheets, forms, assessment tools, and sample documents that are described and used in the text. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.