Encouraging and Supporting Student Inquiry: Researching Controversial Issues

Assignments that engage students in inquiry topics of their own choosing contribute to motivation and thus to learning. Very often the topics chosen (particularly by high school students) are considered controversial by school administration, parents, community organizations, and others. This practical book discusses the processes, actions, and policies needed to support and encourage high school students in that type of inquiry. Building trusting relationships over time with administration and the school community will be stressed as a way to build a community of true inquiry in your school and library. Classroom teachers and high school librarians will value the advice and scaffolding techniques presented that will enable their school and high school library to become a safe place for student inquiry into issues of their own choosing— controversial or not. The author draws on her 30-plus years as a high school librarian, deeply concerned with the intellectual freedom of the researchers in her library media center and with offering help and reassurance to those trying to implement school library programs that allow all voices to be heard. Grades 9-12.

Assignments that engage students in inquiry topics of their own choosing contribute to motivation and thus to learning. Very often the topics chosen (particularly by high school students) are considered controversial by school administration, parents, community organizations, and others. This practical book discusses the processes, actions, and policies needed to support and encourage high school students in that type of inquiry. Building trusting relationships over time with administration and the school community will be stressed as a way to build a community of true inquiry in your school and library. Classroom teachers and high school librarians will value the advice and scaffolding techniques presented that will enable their school and high school library to become a safe place for student inquiry into issues of their own choosing— controversial or not. The author draws on her 30-plus years as a high school librarian, deeply concerned with the intellectual freedom of the researchers in her library media center and with offering help and reassurance to those trying to implement school library programs that allow all voices to be heard. Grades 9-12.

Assignments that engage students in inquiry topics of their own choosing (often controversial) contribute to motivation and thus to learning. This practical book will discuss the processes, actions and policies needed to support and encourage high school students in that type of inquiry.

School Library Journal

Selverstone gives sound advice for advocating inquiry-based research, especially for hot topics that are most interesting to students. She advises library media specialists on what constitutes controversial topics, how to collaborate with teachers to foster critical thinking, and how to gain administrative support for this kind of program research. Most of the suggestions stem from Information Power and how to incorporate it into library programs. The author includes models of inquiry-based research techniques that allow students to enrich their curriculum study as well as develop their understanding and respect for different viewpoints. The rest of the book is divided into nine broad categories, and, within them, more specific topics that suggest journal articles, Web sites, and books to direct students to unbiased information that presents both sides of the topic. For example, "Biology/Health" has sections on abortion, birth control, cloning, evolution, and medical marijuana. Selverstone includes an introduction to the topic for library media specialists and collaborating teachers. She stresses the importance of having access to all types of information like unfiltered accounts for accessing the Internet as well as books and databases; while unfiltered accounts may be out of reach for some libraries, the philosophies and ideas presented make this book an ideal purchase to promote and foster collaboration with the school communities in which many of us work.-Lori E. Donovan, Thomas Dale High School, Chester, VA

HARRIET S. SELVERSTONE is a retired high school library media specialist and Department Chair of the Library Media Department at Norwalk High School, Norwalk, CT. She is a former President of the American Association of School Librarians and two-term President of the Connecticut Educational Media Association. She served two terms on the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee, and was Chair for several years of the Connecticut Educational Media Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee. She has authored chapters on censorship issues in two texts, Children and Books, HarperCollins, 1996 and Collection Management for School Library Media Centers, Haworth Press, Inc., 1985-86. She is Series Adviser to Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides in School Librarianship Series. She received a Masters degree in Library Science, an Advanced Certificate in Information Management and an honorary doctorate degree from Pratt Institute.