ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Needs Assessment/Rational

Western Plains School a Division of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, where I am the librarian has a unique and transient, at risk, special needs student population. Some students are enrolled for a few weeks, some for several years. The students ages vary from 11 to 17 years old. Most read at about a 5th grade level. I teach a library class once a week for one half- hour period. When the students first arrive at the school I determine their library skills by verbally questioning them as to how they would go about locating a book in any library. From this line of questioning I am able to identify the gaps in their learning pertaining to library skills. For the most part the students are not familiar with a computerized library catalog and so do not realize that this is a logical starting place for any resource search. Using a computerized or online library catalog is an important skill for students to know, no matter what school they attend or what employment they pursue in adulthood. Being able to find a resource in the library whether for enjoyment or need is important skill. My goal is to teach the students to locate resource materials using three different computerized library catalogs. This illustrates that even though computerized library catalogs may differ somewhat in design, all are basically the same and a search is conducted in the same manner in all catalogs. Having this skill will enable them to use any computerized library catalog online or in any library.

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding:
Students will understand that libraries have computerized catalogs that help them find books or other resources. They will understand that even though the design of computerized catalogs may differ, all are based on the basic premise of a search by author, title or subject and sometimes key word. The students will understand that once they learn these basics, they can use any computerized catalog online or in any library.Goal(s):
Students will use a computerized library catalog to help them find materials they want or need in any library. Students understand that although computerized library catalogs may differ in design, they will be able to find books or materials by using the same search methods for all catalogs online or in any library.

Questions Answered

Essential questions:
1. When searching for material in a library where is the most logical place to begin your search?
2. Why does it help to narrow or refine a subject in a search?
3. What are the three main categories by which we can search for a book or material in a computerized catalog?
4. How are some computerized catalogs different from others? How are they alike?
5. Why use computerized catalogs to help search for library materials?
Objectives:
Given an example of a general topic for a computerized search, and a topic that is narrowed and refined, students will compare the search results and learn to narrow a subject or topic so they can begin a computerized catalog search. Students will access in- library and online library catalogs on the library computers. Students will conduct a search by author, title and subject on the in-library computerized catalog and on two online computerized catalogs. Students will record the results of their computerized catalog search so they will have a tool to help them locate the material in the library. Once students have conducted a search on the computerized catalogs and found appropriate materials, they will locate the materials in the library or request these materials from the library.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding?
  The librarian will observe students searching the computerized catalog for resource material to see that they are searching correctly. Students will record the search results.

What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding?
  Probing questions will be asked before each student begins his computerized search, to aid students in refining their searches and guide them to the appropriate catalog resources.

What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding?
  Each student will search the school’s computerized catalog for a non-fiction and a fiction book of their choice, the ODIN catalog for a non-fiction and a fiction book, and the Info*lynx catalog for the for a non-fiction and fiction book of their choice. After finding a book in the school library catalog, students will be required to locate the book in the library. After finding the books in the Info*lynx catalog, students will be required to print a list of the books they found and request one of the books from the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Library.

What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect?
  The librarian will observe students using the computerized catalogs. Students will compile a list of the books they found in each respective catalog in a booklet they can keep for future reference. Students will record the author, title and call number information given for each book for which they searched in each of the three catalogs.

Instructional Strategies

Students will use a combination of inquiry based and problem based learning strategies. Students will determine a subject about which they want to find a book or resource. They will then make sure that the topic is narrowed and specific and not too broad for a computerized catalog search. They will then utilize this information to launch a computerized catalog search starting with the most logical and available catalog resource. Once they have found the resources for which they are looking, they will record what they found, and then proceed to locate the materials or place a request for the materials. Student involvement in actually accessing and using the computerized catalogs is the inquiry based strategy that leads to the students’ understanding of how the computerized catalog works. Students demonstrate the problem solving strategy by formulating an idea and describing a resource needed or wanted and then proceeding to locate that resource through computer technology.