LIBRARY MEDIA SKILLS OBJECTIVES The student will: -use an automated or print encyclopedia to locate facts about planets. -decide which facts about a given topic (planet) are significant given a specific question or task -record important facts about a given topic (planet)

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 -This activity may be completed by either the library media specialist or teacher. It will involve use of general reference sources and assistance in modeling how to read for meaning within passages located in reference text. Special attention should be given to helping students understand the difference between interesting details and an important fact or generalization based on fact. Examples may be provided by the teacher and reinforced by the library media specialists. Other curriculum ideas my be found the Curriculum section of the attached resource list.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES FOR COMPLETION -Open the session with a videotape program such as 'The Magic Schoolbus Gets Lost in Space' or 'The Solar System: An Epic Adventure' that shows aspects of the solar systems and the planets that we know. Information from recent Mars probes might also be shown. Provide current information from periodicals or newspapers that show what we are learning from the Hubble telescope, the Mars probe, and other astronomical data gathering efforts. As you discuss and examine materials, ask students to think about how we develop definitions and descriptions of the world around us. How do we develop understanding? Read a dictionary definition of what a planet is and then ask students to think about what they know as they listen to the definition again.

-Explain that students will have an opportunity to read and find out more about the planets. In the process they will consider interesting details as well as more important facts that help develop generalizations that become definitions. For this exercise, use current encyclopedias, science dictionaries, and periodical articles. Review the need to look at authority and copyright date for this activity. Review how students will read and gather information for the development and/or refinement of their own definition of what a planet is. Introduce the notetaking sheet.

Explain that students have two options. They may locate an article on the solar system that includes paragraphs about each of the planets or they may locate short individual articles about each of the planets. The students will read the article first. After reading they will write an interesting detail about each planet in the space provided to the right of each planets' name. The students will reread the article and look for what they consider the most important fact or statement about each planet. That information will be recorded on the notetaking sheet on the lines to the left of each planet's name. (Note: Small groups may work on the sheet together and divide the responsibility for reading and recording).

-Students may locate the reference materials in the library media center and complete the reading and notetaking. When the notes have been taken, discuss any differences between what the students might have found interesting or important. Sometimes details are more interesting than general findings.

-After the discussion, students may review the dictionary definition and make any word changes or modifications that may seem to be appropriate. The changes should be discussed. The students may use the information on the note sheet to illustrate an original painted or colored poster chart that shows the planets in our solar system and the definition of what a planet is.

FOLLOW-UP -The students may explore other artistic formats to show the planets in our solar system and the facts that they have found to be important.