Curriculum Frameworks

The information-literate student in Grade K has developed the following skills:

• Connects ideas to own interests

• Understands the basic organizational structure of books

• Distinguishes between fiction and nonfiction resources

• Demonstrates simple organizational skills such as sorting and categorizing

• Presents facts and simple answers to questions

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 1 has developed the following skills:

• Shares what is known about the general topic to elicit and make connections to prior knowledge

• Recognizes that fiction and picture books are organized by the author’s last name in A-B-C order

• Distinguishes between fact and opinion

• Finds facts and briefly summarizes them via writing, drawing, or verbalization to answer research questions

• Draws a conclusion about the main idea with guidance

• Asks, “What do I wonder about now?”

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 2 has developed the following skills:

• Recognizes that questions can be answered by finding information

• Asks “I wonder” questions about the research topic

• Follows a modeled inquiry process during each visit to the library to do research

• Writes, draws, or verbalizes the main idea and supporting details

• Compares new ideas with what was known at the beginning of the inquiry

• Presents information in a variety of ways (e.g., art, music, poetry, movement, verbally, and/or written language)

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 3 has developed the following skills:

• Identifies the ten major Dewey areas and what main topics are included in each

• Searches the online catalog (author, title, and subject) with assistance to locate materials

• Uses bookmarked Websites to find appropriate information

• States the main idea

• Chooses the format for the product based on personal preference or uses format chosen by the teacher or librarian

• Presents information clearly so that main points are evident

• Assesses and revises own work with guidance

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 4 has developed the following skills:

• Generates a list of key words for a research-based project with guidance

• Asks questions to clarify topics or details

• Predicts answers to inquiry questions based on background knowledge and beginning observation or experience

• Uses selected search engines to find appropriate information

• Paraphrases, summarizes information that answers research questions

• Identifies facts and details that support main ideas

• Uses common organizational patterns (chronological order, main idea with supporting details) to organize information

• Identifies and evaluates the important features for a good product

• Assesses and revises own work with guidance

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 5 has developed the following skills:

• Uses sources to acquire background information and brainstorms ideas for further inquiry

• Assesses questions to determine which can be answered by simple facts, which cannot be answered, and which would lead to an interesting inquiry

• Selects and uses multiple appropriate print, nonprint, electronic, and human sources to answer questions

• Uses navigation tools of a Website to find information

• Evaluates print and electronic information for usefulness, relevance, and accuracy

• Uses various notetaking strategies (e.g., outlining, underlining, bulleted lists, highlighting, graphic organizers)

• Forms opinion and uses evidence from text to back it up

• Cites all sources used according to model provided by teacher

• Modifies and revises own work based on feedback from teacher and others

• Assesses and revises own work with guidance

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 6 has developed the following skills:

• Uses online catalog independently to locate specific books, get classification numbers, and browse the shelves

• Uses both primary and secondary sources

• Combines information and weighs evidence to draw conclusions and create meaning

• Presents conclusions and supporting facts in a variety of ways

The information-literate student in Grade 7 has developed the following skills:

• States and verifies what is known about the problem or question and makes connections to prior knowledge

• Analyzes and evaluates what is known, observed or experienced to form tentative thesis or hypothesis

• Evaluates quality of electronic and print information for usefulness, currency, authority and accuracy

• Uses both facts and opinions responsibly by identifying and verifying them

• Uses common organizational patterns (chronological order, cause and effect, compare/contrast) to organize information in order to draw conclusions

• Interprets information and ideas by defining, classifying, and inferring

• Cites all sources used according to local style formats

• Uses established criteria or collaborates with classmates and teacher to develop criteria for assessment

The information-literate student in Grade 8 has developed the following skills:

• Revises the question or problem as needed to arrive at a manageable topic for inquiry

• Refines questions to guide the search for different types of information (e.g., overview, big idea, specific detail, cause and effect, comparison)

• Uses different formats (e.g., books, Websites, subscription databases, multimedia, graphs, charts, maps and diagrams) as sources of information

• Recognizes the effect of different perspectives and points of view on information

• Recognizes that own point of view influences the interpretation of information

• Draws conclusions based on explicit and implied information

• Creates products for authentic reasons and audiences

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 9 has developed the following skills:

• Identifies key words, concepts, and synonyms, both stated and implied, for topic and uses them to further research

• Develops a schema or mind map to express the big idea and the relationships among supporting ideas and topics of interest

• Takes notes using one or more of a variety of notetaking strategies, including reflecting on the information (e.g., graphic organizers, two-column notes)

• Organizes information independently, deciding the structure based on the relationships among ideas and general patterns discovered

• Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement

The information-literate student in Grade 10 has developed the following skills:

• Develops and refines the topic, problem, or question independently to arrive at a worthy and manageable topic for inquiry

• Refines questions to provide a framework for the inquiry and to fulfill the purpose of the research

• Conducts advanced Web searches using Boolean logic and other sophisticated search functions

• Draws clear and appropriate conclusions supported by evidence and examples

• Cites all sources used according to standard style formats

• Records individual experience of the inquiry process – the hardest part, best part, skills learned, insights experienced, etc. – with suggestions for future improvements

The information-literate student in Grade 11 has developed the following skills:

• Plans inquiry to systematically test hypothesis or to gather evidence to validate thesis

• Pursues a balanced perspective by evaluating information based on authority, accuracy, point of view, and reliability

• Uses the organizational features of a book as well as abstracts, tables, charts and first and last chapters to locate main ideas, specific supporting evidence, and a balanced perspective

• Presents different perspectives with evidence for each

• Chooses the most appropriate format, tone and language to communicate ideas clearly in real world formats to different audiences

The information-literate student in Grade 12 has developed the following skills:

• Explores problems or questions for which there are multiple answers or no “best” answer

• Challenges ideas in text and makes notes of questions to pursue in additional sources

• Builds a conceptual framework by synthesizing ideas gathered from multiple sources

• Develops own point of view and supports with evidence

• Evaluates own product and process throughout the work and uses self-assessment, teacher feedback, and peer feedback to make revisions when necessary