Curated OER
Media Center Scavenger Hunt
Students participate in a scavenger hunt to locate various sections and items in the library media center. Using a "Media Center Hunt" worksheet, they locate letters that correspond with items and sections in the library and match them...
Facing History and Ourselves
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...
Curated OER
Orientation to the Library
High schoolers participate in an orientation to the high school library and locate various resources. In this orientation to the library instructional activity, students are introduced to the library by the media specialist. They learn...
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Evaluating Media Materials
Students demonstrate the ability to select and evaluate media materials. They demonstrate comprehension when listening and reading for literary experience, to be informed, and to perform a task. Students evaluate a fiction book based on...
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Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching
A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...
Curated OER
Library Skills Review
Middle schoolers review library skills by rotating through teacher-created learning stations covering various topics. They discuss plagiarism, work on Almanac practice as a team, complete practice using indexes, and an abstracts handout...
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School Counseling and Home Economics
Eighth graders demonstrate the ability to select and evaluate media. Apply appropriate skills to collect, organize and interpret data. They research a variety of ways to make correct career choices.
Facing History and Ourselves
How Journalists Minimize Bias
Class members are challenged to write a neutral news story about the events they observe in a short video. After sharing their stories in groups and discussing the different perceptions, the class concludes with a video of journalists...
Curated OER
The News Behind the Story
What a fun way to analyze plot, setting, and character. Learners review story elements, read a short fictional story, then turn the events of that story into a headlining news paper article. Not only does this lesson plan engage critical...
Curated OER
Library Media Center Research Learning Unit for 6th, 7th, & 8th Grades
Students focus on the process of and skills necessary for researching a topic. They study the topic of immigration while practicing note taking skills, organizing information and writing conventions.
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Media Literacy Skills
Third graders watch a news story from three different networks in order to determine how the same story can be presented in three different ways. Next, working in small groups they create a newscast of a current event to share with the...
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Familiarization Fun: Using the Media Center
Learners participate in a scavenger hunt to locate the different sections of the media center and determine the purpose for each section. They build a jigsaw puzzle as they find each major section of the library such as the reference or...
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Using Informational Books: Index, Table of Contents & Alphabetical Order
Students recall and use previous knowledge of the library's reference and nonfiction sections. Also they utilize various forms of reference (encyclopedias & dictionaries) and nonfiction books.
Nemours KidsHealth
Screen Time: Grades 3-5
Encourage pupils to spend less time in front of a screen with two lessons that challenge them to examine their habits and try to make new ones. In lesson one, the class brainstorms activities to partake in instead of spending time in...
Curated OER
Media Center Treasure Hunt
Sixth graders participate in a treaure hunt in the Library Media Center. They use media signs and media books to answer questions which correspond to important locations in the library. Students then group back together to review the...
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Doing Dewey Decimal
Students examine the Dewey Decimal System and locate books in the nonfiction section. They examine a shelf of books and try to determine how the books are arranged, then watch a short video "Media Mania." Students then match construction...
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The Other Drug War
Students examine the concepts of media literacy and how they apply to prescription drug advertising. They watch and discuss the Frontline video, "The Other Drug War," complete a worksheet, and answer questions regarding magazine drug...
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Dewey Decimal Game
Engage all the upper elementary classes in your school in a game to learn Dewey Decimal Classification. On 5 or 6 consecutive visits to the library, teams from each class learn how the system works, locate books in each category, and...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Audacity of a Vote: Susan B. Anthony’s Arrest
Susan B. Anthony's speech "Is It a Crime for Women to Vote?" takes center stage in a lesson that asks class members to consider how they might respond to what they consider an unjust law. Groups work through the speech paragraph by...
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Navigating Nonfiction
Third graders explore the arrangement of nonfiction. In this library skills lesson, 3rd graders examine Dewey Decimal classification as they collaborate to locate nonfiction materials in the library/media center.
Curated OER
Scavenger Hunt
Fourth graders demonstrate the ability to locate, retrieve and handle media and equipment. They compose a written discourse to inform. They participate in a library media center scavenger hunt.
Facing History and Ourselves
The Legacies of Reconstruction
The final instructional activity in the seven-resource Reconstruction Era collection examines the legacies of Reconstruction. Class members investigate why the period has been called an "unfinished revolution," "a splendid failure," and...
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Forest Stewardship Library Media Center Resources
Students develop their technology skills by accessing web sites and evaluating information. In this research instructional activity students research forestry topics and write a paragraph on the accessed websites.
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Harvesting of Trees: Library Media Center Resources
Students research harvesting of trees in the United States and write a summary. In this informative lesson students state whether they agree or disagree with an article and write a summary on why.