TITLE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Library Scavenger Hunt by Bonnie Young

1. LEARNING CONTEXT
Describe the pupose, objective, or focus of the learning experience, including:

• the learning standard(s) and the specific performance indicators being assessed;
• a description of where this experience fits into the school or course curriculum; and
• what students need to know and/or be able to do to succeed with this learning experience.

CDOS Standard 2: Integrated Learning. Students will demonstrate how academic how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.

ELA Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding. Students will collect data, facts, and ideas: discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.

AASL: American Library Association and Association for Educational communications and Technology: information Literacy Standards for Student Learning: Category III: #9 Participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

MST: 2 Information systems: students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Students need to be able to successfully navigate the school library in pursuit of curriculum assignments. This activity is for 7^th graders new to the physical library plant as a hands-on follow up to a general orientation session.

The object is to build on skills already acquired. Students are expected to work together in teams of 2 through English 7 class to utilize the special features of resources ie. indexes, tables of contents, call numbers, encyclopedia arrangement, use of special databases, ie. OPAC, computers and CD ROM stations, vertical files, visuals ie. posters, displays and signs to answer question posed. Other ramifications include exposure to resources not previously seen or used as well as a forced not a voluntary student team, and random distribution of question cards*.

*Discretion may be made as to whom gets what question based on librarian/teacher foreknowledge of reading skills of the team.

2. PROCEDURE
Describe, in narrative form, the actions of students and teachers and the interactions among and between students and teachers, including how the learning experience:

• supports student progress toward attainment of the learning standards;
• reflects current scholarship in your field and "best" classroom practic; and
• incorporates technology (when used) into instruction to enhance learning and to assess student performance.

The librarian asks students to count off 1,2. All #1 students are given a question on a 3x5 card. #2 students are the recorders of the answer. Both students find the answer (perhaps together or splitting up to tackle the questions individually). The questions may be answered using room posters, computers, CD ROM stations, questioning the library staff, physically examining books, magazines, vertical files and other special collections; by asking other students for assistance. Students have a limited number of minutes to address the question and to locate the answer. Students 1&2 agree on the answer. Answers are shared orally. When called upon, either student reads the question and the corresponding answer.

Students 1 and may answer more than one question as time allows. Librarian, teacher may serve as resources to guide students to the correct answer.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS
Describe the procedures used to accommodate the range of abilities in the classroom, including students with disabilities, limited english proficiency, or bilingual students, such as:

• instructional modifications made; and
• physical modifications of the classroom setting.

Instructional modification: address the student teams and ask for confirmation of understanding of the assignment; have several different levels of questions to compensate for reading and comprehension differences.

Use of team effort spreads the duties and among all members. For the purpose of grouping, the numbers 1 & 2 are used. Should there be an odd number of students, the team may become 3 in number. Students within the team of three may divide the responsibilities: recorder, reader, team leader.

This activity is a not a necessity, but is a useful tool verses a lecture or a librarian show-n-tell presentation. Students have ownership of research and strategies used.

Questions prepared in advance have a range of difficulty. Student team may request a different card. Classroom teacher would help select appropriate level of question for any team having difficulty.

Questions involving use of the OPAC (on line public access catalog-card catalog), online databases, CD ROM station would be guided by the librarian, library aide or the classroom teacher.

4. TIME REQUIRED
For each aspect of the learning experience, state the amount of time for:

• planning;
• implementation (note the length of your class period, where appropriate, and the number of days to implement the experience); and
• assessment

Activity time: 1-2 class periods. One for research, the other for sharing. Planning time: wording of the question cards to include sufficient 'clues' for readers to determine what is being asked. Topics to be included are: rules, library terminology, specific reference tools, databases, OPAC for location questions and general information. Librarian/teacher may wish to do a dry run to determine the anticipated success/failure rate. Poor questions need to be rewritten or scrapped. Sharing the questions and answers will consume the most time.

5. RESOURCES
Please note any extraordinary or unique resources (human or material) needed to successfully complete this experience:

• for the student; and
• for the teacher

Limited supplies are needed: students need pencils to record answers. Numbered question cards are supplied by the librarian/teacher.

Librarian/teacher needs a wide variety of question cards to meet the reading and comprehension levels of the particular team makeup. At least30-50 differently worded question cards are needed for a class of 22 students. Prepare one set of cards for each class. Repeat or slightly vary those questions which every team should know. Distribute question/team registration/sign up sheet which will ensure that each team has an opportunity to share both the questions and the answer during the class period.

Newsprint pad on easel with magic marker could be used by the librarian/teacher or assigned student to record the tools, research strategies alluded to as the students give the answer to their particular question ie. Dewey Decimal, spine, oversize reference, index, circulation, almanac, non-fiction, alphabetical order, numerical order, OPAC, to name a few.

6. ASSESSMENT PLAN
Describe the:

• manner in which students are involved in developing assessment criteria, maintaining an awareness of their progress, and reflection on their work;
• techniques used to collect evidence of student progress toward meeting the learning standards' performance indicators (eg. , observation, group discussions, journal writing, use of alternative testing techniques); and
• tools used to document student progress (eg., scoring guides, rating scales, check-lists). Please submit these tools.

Students are not graded for this activity, although that might be considered as an option. Observation, listening to the answers will be evidence enough of student progress.

ACTIVITY RUBRICS: Students will be challenged to:

1. use the library experience gained from exposure grades K-6 ie. library vocabulary, library arrangement such as fiction/nonfiction/circulating vs. reference
2. listen undistractedly to classmates' presentations.
3. Work in tandem/team effort discussing, agreeing and disagreeing.
4. Ask for and receive assistance from librarian, library aide or teacher.
5. Record answer and be ready to share results in appropriate time frame.

Ask teams to show you the results of their hunt for information. Where answers are obviously in error, send students out armed with some suggestions. Listen to the teams as they report. Verbally add comment of reinforcement as needed. Individual skill is not clearly evident at the end of this assignment.

Emphasis is on team success. Oral responses may include description of special skills or necessary extra steps taken to acquire the answer. Allow groups not finished he opportunity to describe the steps they followed up to that point. Collect question cards bearing questions/answers.

Turn the cards with correct answers into flash cards for use with students during their free time moments.

No "prize" is given at the end of this activity, but each participant should be rewarded for efforts with a pre-purchased library theme bookmark or 'design their own to be laminated'. (Another project in the making.)

7. STUDENT WORK
Send three or four samples of student work:

• that reflect different levels of student performance; and
• include comments reflecting the basis for teacher's assessment.

Question/answer card completed as a team. No individualized student work.

8. REFLECTION
Please offer personal comments on the learning experience:

• why this lesson was developed for the specific learning standard(s) and performance indicator(s);
• what you learned from implementing this lesson; and
• how the lesson was reviewed by peers prior to submission and what you learned from the review.

This activity encourages immediate feedback and peer support/cooperative activity; provide a pattern for research strategy and exposes students to resources which they might not otherwise have known existed.

Students who finish early could be encouraged to make up their own question using the reference source for their assigned questions. They should be encouraged to give clues, short sentences, specific task, record the desired answer following the question.

This activity could be made curricular subject area specific ie. social studies, science, literature.