Target: Library Skills Lessons

[Shirley Towne <stow424@TOGETHER.NET>]

I need your help!  I am the library media specialist in a 7-12 school with
800 students. Last year I was told I would be teaching a 7th grade library
class one period each day. As our library is small, this meant I would be
teaching in a classroom while my aide had charge of the library.  Teachers
complained as I was not available to help when their classes needed
instruction in use of library resources.  But I did it (it was a Living Arts
class where students rotated every 4 weeks).  I knew I would be teaching it
again this year so fine tuned lessons that didn't work so well last year.
We covered a research project using the Big Six approach which introduced
7th graders to the library collection including books, magazines,
newspapers, electronic databases, and the Internet.  Presentation skills
were also covered as students had to present what they had learned to
classmates.

Now with just one week left before school starts, I was told by a guidance
counselor that my classes would be made up of 7th AND 8th graders!  So half
of each of my classes will have already had this class last year and
definitely won't want to repeat it.  I was opposed to teaching this class in
the first place as I know that teaching library skills in isolation is the
worst way to accomplish real learning but have gotten nowhere convincing the
administration to change and am stuck with it for this year. I am going to
ask 8th grade teachers for topics they will be covering which should help
but need any help I can get from you given the short amount of time I have
to prepare.  Do any of you kind people have any ideas I can use for getting
these 8th graders interested in this class?  We will be meeting 2 times a
week for 8 weeks at which time new classes will come in.

I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Shirley Towne
Milton High School
Milton VT  05468

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