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...

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...

Create meaningful illustrations to accompany stories in a web-based art and literacy lesson focused on "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling. The class takes a virtual art safari with the Museum of Modern Art and then discusses how...

Turn the pictures on your phone into a great looking movies that will blow the hair back of whoever watches it. It is easy to make people laugh, cry, or just inform them about something interesting by using the creative tools available....

US history from 1776 through 1877 is the focus of a comprehensive curriculum guide designed for seventh graders. Each of the seven units in the 102-page packet includes a list of guiding questions, grade-level expectations, links to...

Second graders demonstrate how to use reference materials. In this library media lesson plan, 2nd graders are introduced to the encyclopedia and are shown how to use the encyclopedia as a reference. Students use encyclopedias to complete...

Second graders identify Caldecott Medal winners. In this library media lesson, 2nd graders view an overhead transparency of Caldecott Medal winners from 1987-2004 and answer questions based on the data that is displayed.

Learners are introduced to the classification system of animals. In groups, they set up an aquarium in which they must maintain throughout the year. They also observe earthworms and how they react to various stimuli and research the...

Second graders explore the purpose of a dictionary. In this library media instructional activity, 2nd graders explore My First Dictionary and identify guidewords, entry words, and captions. Students list ways they can use the dictionary.

Your budding scholars spent the day in the library looking for a topic for their research essay, and now they are all in tears because there is too much information available on their topics. Wipe those tears away with the ideas and...

Students compare two television news broadcasts. They discuss how to organize information when comparing two objects and read and discuss two books to create a Venn diagram to compare both books. After creating the diagram, they view...

Students study the criteria for evaluating web sites and use information found in authoritative web sites to create questions for a game of Jeopardy. They evaluate three different web sites, some with minor errors and some with major...

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...

Third graders complete a worksheet, first with known information, and then with researched information. They create a PowerPoint, video, or radio broadcast to convey the results of their research. They learn to use a graphic organizer to...

In the age of the Internet, are libraries still important? A collection of sources, part of a set of sample free-response questions from the AP® English Language and Composition exam, discuss that question. A variety of sources,...

Salary, education, census statistics ... how do people choose their careers? Scholars complete worksheets and rely on census data to determine their career aspirations. Then, pupils conduct Internet research about places they would...

Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in the American south during the depression era as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a...

Fourth graders utilize various reference materials to find specific types of information. In this library research activity, 4th graders choose the best source of information from the library's reference collection to answer questions.

Students explore indexing by participating in a library book search. In this sorting lesson, students complete a "flood game" on the Internet and discuss the techniques of locating books in a library. Students locate specific titles in...

Students sort class books into categories to help classify and organize them so they are easier to find. In this sorting lesson plan, students go to the library and see how they organize their books and do the same in the classroom.

Students examine the useful information to be found on the "invisible web." They find the best sources of relevant information.

Students examine immigration. In this oral and social histories lesson plan, students analyze primary sources to research immigration history in their community. In this year-long research project, students participate in visual and...

This library media PowerPoint introduces the system of nonfiction call numbers. Each slide includes information on what numbers go with each subject, along with colorful illustrations.

The attempts of journalists to verify the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown take center stage as individuals analyze three of the initial newspaper accounts of the story. The whole class discussion then focuses...