Essential+Curriculum



Library Media Grades 7 - 8 **

The middle school library media program builds on the knowledge and skills students acquire in the K-6 program. At the middle school level, the library media program promotes lifelong learning by emphasizing reading for pleasure, enrichment, and recreation. Students have access to diverse, multicultural collections. In addition, the program ensures that students have opportunities to acquire the necessary skills to access, interpret, analyze, and utilize a variety of print, non-print and electronic information. These skills are best acquired by teaching at point of need, through collaboration with classroom teachers and working to integrate information literacy skills across all content areas.

Assessment of student performance against state and local standards will be accomplished through collaboration with content area teachers.

Upon completion of grades 7-8, the student will be able to:
 * Choose and read non-fiction materials for research, including newspapers, magazines, references (almanacs, encyclopedias)
 * Read for pleasure and distinguish between a variety of literary genre, such as short story, poetry, science fiction, and fantasy
 * Use information for critical thinking and problem solving
 * Use research models, such as the ‘Big6’, for problem solving and research strategies: including selecting appropriate topics, asking questions, locating sources, extracting information from sources, evaluating information for accuracy and relevance, recording and organizing notes, organizing information into an acceptable product format, citing sources accurately and consistently, and evaluating research process and final product
 * Access the Internet and online subscription databases
 * Use developmentally appropriate software, such as word processing, graphic organizers, multi-media programs and Information Communication Technologies (ICT's) to promote effective reading, writing, and communication skills
 * Use effective Internet search strategies using keywords, Boolean operators and related topic cross references
 * Evaluate Internet web sites for relevance, accuracy, and bias
 * Begin to identify primary sources and secondary sources