LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES:? The student will:

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-choose a topic to research related to the broad theme of 'Systems in the Sky.'

-generate questions to focus their research.

-collect information to answer their questions.

-create game cards with a question on one side of the card and the answer on the other.

-share their knowledge by creating and playing games in which players become 'lost in space.'

-use a variety of texts, both print and electronic

-skim, scan, and read for a variety of purposes.

-take notes which answer their own questions.

-actively participate in a dramatic readig of Chris Van Allsburg's 'Jumanji.'

-create a game that incorporates the research of a team of students.

-draw up a set of rules to be used by those who play the game.

-explain to other students how the game is to be played.

-participate as players in the game s created by other groups.

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MOTIVATIONAL OBJECTIVES: The student will:

-become interested in the research process.

-understand the importance of information skills.

-experience increased confidence in research ability

-understand the value of information skills.

-achieve satisfaction in research accomplishments.

INSTRUCTIONAL ROLES

-The library media specialist will work with the classroom teacher to plan the activities, teach information and literature skills, and assess student performance. Instruction will take place in several stages.

*The initial phase of the unit, which focuses on the earth and its immediate neighbors in space, will take place in the classroom under the guidance of the teacher.

*The research activities will be conducted in the library media center with the library media specialist taking the lead.

*The library media specialist will involve students in a dramatic reading of Chris Van Allburg's 'Jumanju.' This activity will culminate in the creation of a game modeled after the story.

*The teacher will oversee the production phase of the project as students work to create their own games.

*Finally, the activity returns to the library media center where the games are played with children from other classes.

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ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION -After the classroom phase of the unit has been completed, students visit the library media center for a read-in. Books and magazines on a wide variety of topics will be placed at each table, along with index cards and pencils. Children select something to read. They read for five minutes, and then write down one important fact. They share something interesting they have learned from their reading. At a given signal, students move to a different table where the process is repeated with different resources. Finally, students make a list of subtopics related to the topic 'Systems inthe Sky.' This list is written on the board for all to see. Each student or team of students signs up to research a topic from the list.

-The next step is for students to chart what they know and what they want to find out abot their selected topics. the questions generated through this process provide a focus for the research and ensure that students are pursuing new knowledge rather than reporting facts that they already know. Each question is written on a separate notetaking form, and students are instructed to write their notes in key words and phrases whenever possible.

-Students explore all of the library media center databases, looking for information that will answer their questions. The classroom teacher, the library media specialist, and parent volunteers act as guides and coaches by helping students to access databases and to skim, scan, read, and take notes. The teacher uses the language arts class to model for students how to convert notes into sentences and sentences into paragraphs.

-As the research portion of the project is reaching closure, the library media specialist will engage students in an interactive reading of 'Jumanji.' Guided reading techniques are used to encourage students to predict what will happen and to enter into the adventure.

-After the reading, students barinstorm the criteria for a good board game. Students are asked to consider what kind of an adventure could take place in outer space. How would a space adventure be like a jungle adventure? How would it be different?

-The class is then divided into teams composed of students who researched different topics. Each team creates an adventure involving the topics represented in the group. The class lists the tasks that must be performed in order to create a game, including: *designing the game board *making the game pieces *typing up a list of rules *Making chance cards with a research question on one side and the answer on the other.

-After the games are completed, the teams return to the library media center, where they share thier games and their knowledge with children from other classes.

FOLLOW-UP

-The library media specialist can follow up the literature component of this unit by having students look for science fiction stories in the library media center's online or card catalog. Students are taught to do a subject search for 'science fiction' and to read the content notes to find a book they are interested in reading. As an alternative to writing book reports, students can list the fiction and nonfiction elements that co-exist in any science fiction story.