Curriculum Development for Teaching Literacy and Research Skills in Collaboration with Science Teachers Grades 1-8 Samuel Jackendoff: Curriculum Supervisor for Library & Info. Sciences, Pittsburgh Public Schools Dr. Mary Kay Biagini: Director, School Library Certification Program, SIS, University of Pittsburgh Dr. David Hanauer: Professor, English Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Julie Bittner: Graduate Student, School Library Certification Program, University of Pittsburgh Valerie Cummings: Graduate Student, School Library Certification Program, University of Pittsburgh
Transcript
Curriculum Development for Teaching Literacy and Research Skills in
Collaboration with Science Teachers Grades 1-8
Samuel Jackendoff: Curriculum Supervisor for Library & Info. Sciences, Pittsburgh Public Schools
Dr. Mary Kay Biagini: Director, School Library Certification Program, SIS, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. David Hanauer: Professor, English Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Julie Bittner: Graduate Student, School Library Certification Program, University of Pittsburgh
Valerie Cummings: Graduate Student, School Library Certification Program, University of Pittsburgh
Patrick Hickey: Graduate Student, School Library Certification Program, University of Pittsburgh
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant
“This program helps local education authorities improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists.”1
1http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant
Federal grant from the US Department of Education
PPS awarded the grant in July 2008, grant began September 1, 2008 and closes August 31, 2009.
An idea is born…
Need for collaboration among district teacher-librarians and science teachers
Partnership with Dr. Biagini and the University of Pittsburgh
Books vs. technology, database subscriptions not sustainable
Bringing in the pedagogical base (Dr. Hanauer, IUP)
Why science?
Teaching information literacy skills, science is the context
Many science books in PPS library collections were outdated (~25 years old)
Encourage collaboration between teacher-librarians and science teachers
Curriculum revision, more opportunity for innovation. Curriculum supervisor for science was also willing to collaborate
Addition of science to PSSA testing
Funding
Grant total amount = $477,080
Personnel = $118,000
Books = $340,000
Travel = $1200 to attend mandated session in Washington, DC
Etc = $0
Process
Selection of resources by graduate students in SLCP
Pool of resources established; of these, sample copies were purchased and librarians were invited to view and select the best resources
Process
Votes tallied to establish a core science collection for grades 1-8. Each school would receive this core collection of books
50 schools – 20 K-5, 20 K-8, 10 6-8
Books ordered and processed centrally by PPS
“Creative educators” write lesson plans
Selection process
Topics were selected by the science department, based on the FOSS curricular units. They were then clarified by the team based on availability of resources.
Two topics per grade for 1-5, one topic per grade for 6-8
Collection development team searched selection sources from the previous year
Sources used: Science Books and Films, School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews
Subjects
Grade 1: Animal adaptations and Dinosaurs; Pebbles, sand and silt
Grade 2: Air and weather; Insects
Grade 3: Food webs; Earth materials
Grade 4: Plants; Animals
Grade 5: Environment; Water
Grade 6: Space
Grade 7: Biomes
Grade 8: Energy transformations
Lists of Recommended Titles
Lists of Recommended Titles
Collaboration
Inviting science teachers and librarians to vote on books
“Creative educators” recruited to help develop lessons
Information literacy units changed as the project progressed [eg., “physics of sound,” & inventors were dropped as the science curriculum changed and/or there weren’t sufficient new & good materials available]
Library Lessons
Each subject was developed into a unit of four lessons
Lessons designed to stand alone so that librarians could adapt and use what they needed
Creative educators (teacher-librarians) developed lessons
Library Lessons
Library Lessons
Project Promotion
Principals and teacher-librarians get the word out with promotional mugs
Project presented in conjunction with the PPS Summer Reading List launch
Keeping organized
Creative educators met bi-weekly to discuss writing lesson plans
Lessons were circulated via email for comment
Graduate student assistants created collaborative bibliographies using GoogleDocs
Excel spreadsheets were created for managing the grant budget
Where are we now?
Books are currently being ordered
Approximately 17,500 total books purchased
425 individual titles
Project helped galvanize the Library Services department, promote communication between librarians
Questions?
All of the lessons from this project will be available at teachlibrary.wikispaces.com
