Students are introduced to basic library skills which include care of books and responsibility, and good stewardship is emphasized. Students are also introduced to the differences between fiction and nonfiction and learn the basic parts of a book, such as spine, dedication, and title page. The role of the author and illustrator are explored and particular authors are studied and compared. Students use online streaming books, such as TumbleBooks, and age-appropriate online research databases. In first grade, the skills build to the use of the online catalog, locating books, and finding and identifying “just right books” to read. In Grade 2, students learn basic research skill using print and online reference resources and are introduced to biographies. There is an emphasis on reading nonfiction, and students learn to identify and use the parts of a nonfiction book such as the glossary, index, and table of contents.

The skills continue to build and expand in Grade 3. Research skills develop to include identifying important facts, note-taking, and crediting sources. The Dewey Decimal System is introduced and the concept of classification is explored. Research is conducted using library online subscription databases such as Britannica, Scholastic Go, PebbleGo Next, TrueFlix, and World Book Online to access, analyze, and evaluate facts and information to support the Grade 3 social studies curriculum. E-Books are provided for individual student access and for class books and instruction on curricular topics.

Throughout the year, students learn to effectively use the online databases to research topics related to classroom learning and the Grade 4 curriculum. In the library, they learn to refine their search strategies through the use of advanced research tools, targeted keywords, and the selection of appropriate online databases. While researching topics for social studies projects, students learn to use Pathfinders and to cite sources. The concept of genre is introduced, and books are available to select by different categories. E-Books continue to be available for check out and students are encouraged to read Newbery Award books. Students use the “SuperBooks” wiki to recommend books to their classmates.

Students learn to think critically about the information and facts they retrieve from websites during their research through a unit presented on “Website Evaluation.” Students learn strategies to evaluate their sources of information and to determine if the information is valid, reliable, and current. They are introduced to tools to help identify bias in the content. The overall concept of citing sources in a bibliography is introduced. Students learn the distinguishing elements of various genres, and they are encouraged to expand their genre choices throughout the year and to include Newbery Award Winners in their selections. Students write formal book reviews evaluating and recommending their independent reading selections using the library SuperBooks wiki. During the second part of the year, students conduct a research project on Ancient Chinese inventions using print and online resources to create a group presentation using Google Presentations and Google Translation. The unit culminates with a co-curricular STEAM project using Makerspace materials and follows with a project on kite making and a kite flying challenge activity.