Sixth+Grade


 * GRADE 6: ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS/LIBRARY GUIDELINES**


 * INFORMATION LITERACY**


 * Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills instruction.** Information literacy is the ability to locate, process, evaluate and utilize information. School library media programs provide information resources in a variety of formats and readability levels. The school library media specialist teaches students how to access, use and evaluate information resources efficiently and ethically based on academic or personal need. This instruction should be correlated to specific academic content standards and taught as an integrated process.


 * Benchmark A**: **Understand the function of the school library media center, recognize other types of libraries, and use a variety of libraries to meet informational and personal needs.**

__Library Awareness__ _ 1. Describe information needs to the library media specialist of library staff member and develop strategies to fulfill the need. _ 2. Recommend books and library materials to include in the school library media center.

__Lifelong Learning__ _ 3. Understand that public library items may be places on hold, reserved of ordered to meet information needs.


 * Benchmark B**: **Identify information need, select school library media books and materials in a variety of formats, and demonstrate responsible use and ethical behavior when using library media materials.**

__Library Awareness__ _ 1. Select library media center materials based on information need. _ 2. Use a variety of library material formats as part of the research-process (e.g., print, nonprint, electronic, video, audio). __Circulation__ _ 3. Follow appropriate procedures when borrowing library material (e.g., follow check-out and check-in procedures and return materials on time). __Library Organization__ _ 4. Locate fiction books alphabetically by author and information books by Dewey Decimal number. _ 5. Understand the function of the library reference collection. _ 6. Locate resources using a title, subject or author and keyword search in the library catalog. __Responsible Use__ _ 7. Understand that parents must sign the district Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and that is sets the expectation for appropriate usage of school materials (e.g., books, textbooks, computers, the Internet. _ 8. Understand the concept of intellectual property (e.g., author’s ownership of work). _ 9. Demonstrate awareness of cultural diversities, differing opinions and points of view.


 * Benchmark C: Select literature by genre based on need and personal enjoyment.**

__Reading Encouragement__ _ 1. Listen to booktalks and other informational items read by library media center staff. _ 2. Read for pleasure and information. _ 3. Compare the actions of and consequences that events had on characters in reading material. _ 4. Participate in coral speaking, creative dramatics and other literary enrichment activities. _ 5. Select books from favorite genre and series _ 6. Read award-winning books and understand that the award is given for the writing of the book (e.g., Newbery, King, Wilder).


 * Benchmark D**: **Evaluate the accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, coverage and relevance of information and data sources.**

__Evaluating Resources__ _ 1. Identify main ideas and supporting facts to select relevant information to answer questions. _ 2. Determine that information located can be used legally and choose appropriately (e.g., locate copyright information for print and graphic information and check for copyright restrictions). _ 3. Check copyright and publication dates to determine currency of information. _ 4. Investigate the authority of an online information source to determine the author’s qualification to be an expert about a topic (e.g., famous scientist versus a sixth-grader’s Web site, well-known organization versus personal Web site).


 * Benchmark E**: **Conduct research and follow a research process model that includes the following: develop essential question; identify resources; select, use and analyze information; synthesize and generate a product; and evaluate both process and product**.

__Decide__ _ 1. Generate questions to be answered of a position to be supported when given a topic (e.g., thesis statement). _ 2. Brainstorm potential resources and identify possible keywords to use as search terms. __Find__ _ 3. Narrow or broaden search topic/question according to how many resources are located. _ 4. Seek information from a variety of viewpoints. _ 5. Understand how to access electronic resources at school and from home. _ 6. Explore a variety of resources such as school, public or community resources. __Use__ _ 7. Use peer-evaluation techniques and authentic assessments to analyze information. _ 8. Take notes, organize information into logical sequence and create a draft product (e.g., report research paper, presentation). __Check__ _ 9. List information sources used in a district-adopted or teacher-prescribed format (e.g., Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association). _ 10. Communicate findings orally, visually or in writing and draw conclusions about findings. _ 11. Evaluate the information seeking process and discuss the quality of the product created for the project.


 * TECHNOLOGY LITERACY**


 * Effective school library media programs provide technology literacy skills instruction in the use of library-based technologies.** Technology literacy skills include the appropriate and ethical use of technology for information access, retrieval, production and dissemination via electronic resource networks and the Internet.

__Online Public Access Catalog__ _ 1. Use the author, title, subject and keyword search features of the OPAV to locate school library materials. _ 2. Understand the difference between the subject and keyword search in the OPAC. _ 3. Use the OPAC to determine call letters/numbers for library materials (e.g., use to locate library material, identify call letters/numbers and retrieve the materials from library). _ 4. Access the OPAC remotely via username and password (e.g., login to the OPAC from the classroom or from home).
 * Benchmark A**: **Use the online public access catalog to locate school library materials for classroom assignments and personal interests.**

__Internet Concepts__ _ 1. Explain the function of a Web browser (e.g., what is the difference between the browser software and a page on the Internet?). __Search Engines__ _ 2. Incorporate place searching when searching form information using assigned directories and search engines. _ 3. Use phrase searching in appropriate search engines to improve results. __Evaluating Sources__ _ 4. Evaluate Web information for: a. Author’s expertise; b. Accuracy of information presented; c. Parameters of coverage; d. Currency of information. _ 5. Explain the difference between a subscription (fee-based database) and the free Internet. _ 6. Compare the range of information available from multiple information databases (e.g., examine the purpose and scope of each database and how it would be used for a particular assignment).
 * Benchmark B**: **Develop search strategies, retrieve information in a variety of formats and evaluate the quality and appropriate use of Internet resources**.

__Electronic Resources__ _ 1. Demonstrate search techniques for subscription (fee-based) databases (e.g., author, title, subject). _ 2. Use online library catalog to choose and locate a variety of resources on a topic.
 * Benchmark C**: **Select, access and use appropriate electronic resources for a defined information need**.


 * MEDIA LITERACY**


 * Effective school library media programs support the learning of media literacy skills in collaboration with classroom teachers, technology integration specialists and technology coordinators.** Media literacy encompasses the use of communication competencies and critical thinking skills, including the ability to access, interpret, evaluate and communicate information delivered in a variety of medium formation. Media-based resources include print and nonprint materials that use image, text, language, sound and motion to convey information communications and messages.


 * Benchmark A**: **Comprehend that media communications deliver information and messages to a specific audience for a specific purpose, and analyze the intended impact of media communication and messages when delivered and received by a specific audience.**

__Communicating With Media__ _ 1. Discuss why print and nonprint media communications are directed toward specific listeners and viewers. __Media Messages__ _ 2. List various multimedia practices used in communications an messages to influence and persuade thought, feeling, behavior and key viewpoints of specific listeners and viewers (e.g., exaggerated claims, subliminal text, close-ups, time lapse, repetition). _ 3. Recognize examples of opinion, bias and stereotyping found in print and nonprint media communications created by students and by others.


 * Benchmark B**: **Analyze various combinations of media components and production techniques used to create and construct media communications for specific audiences and purposes.**

__Media Elements__ _ 1. Explore why various physical combinations of media components, production techniques and medium formats are chosen and utilized in construction of media communications for specific audiences (e.g., visual design, text structures, language choice, sound and motion, and production special effects).