Information Literacy & Inquiry-Based Instruction

The LMS promotes information literacy through systematic instruction of dictionaries, thesauruses, and encyclopedias (in person and online).

Dictionary skills are taught as part of the alphabet process to locate books by author's/subject's last name.

Encyclopedia usage increased with the purchase of an online subscription to ABDO Encyclopedias which update each year. New titles, are regularly added as they are published.

While exploring bugs, shells, rocks, and sea life through the microscopes, students began asking what things were. The LMS took the opportunity to introduce them to Google Lens, where they could snap a photo of the specimen and submit it for identification results.

We discussed how the students should look through the results and see if they are consistent. IF consistent, the students could do further research on the results. If the results were inconsistent, they should try to recapture the image for better results.

As first graders begin checking out books, the process is scaffolded to allow them to ease into the circulation process.

The process starts with a "story" and "information" bucket. Students have learned that some books contain stories to entertain us and others have information to teach us.

Students self-select one book from the bucket of their choice.

During the second quarter, as students become more familiar with their preferences, the LMS introduces them to the picture book and nonfiction sections of the library.

Students learn how to properly look for books they are interested in and how to correctly put back the ones they do not want. If students cannot locate where the book belongs, they have learned to put the book on the go-back cart. 

Students are independent with the check-in and check-out process. 

They have learned how to scan the barcode on the book and place it in the drop box at the entrance of the library.

They are also independent with searching for their account, scanning the barcode to check the book out, and resetting the screen to clear their account and keep other books from being checked out under their name.

Students have been instructed on how to use Destiny Discover.

They now know how to search for books by title, subject, author, or keyword to locate resources in the school or public library online public access catalog.

They also know how to place holds and use this feature regularly.

The LMS has taught students how to place holds on books at other schools in the district.

The LMS emails the school or schools where the book is/are located, giving the barcode number of the book, the student number for checkout, and any other pertinent information. 

The title is then sent through school mail for the student. The student and the student's teacher are emailed to inform them when the title comes in.