Science Literacy Instructional Programming Proposal

PLO 1: Apply the field's foundational theories, principles, values, ethics and skills to everyday practice.

YALSA's Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff: Learning Environments; Learning Experiences; Community and Family Engagement; Teen Growth and Development; Outcomes and Assessment

Course: LIS 60618 Information Literacy

This Proposal was created for LIS 60618 Information Literacy. Information and science literacy have always been important, but never more so than today given the veritable wealth of endless information available. My goal for this proposal was to create an instructional program for local middle and high school teachers that would help them increase science literacy among their students. In a time when many schools are going without certified school librarians, this program provided the opportunity to help teachers identify how the public library could support their needs while at the same time establishing a partnership between the schools and the library. I utilized an open access resource that was easily adaptable to a variety of teaching styles and classes and didn’t require an exorbitant amount of work for the teachers. Using Data Nuggets, a resource developed by Michigan State University scientists that offer students the opportunity to engage with real data, read and understand graphs, tables, and results, and recognize all of the ways there are to be a scientist. Students may not always see themselves represented within the scientific research community and one of the goals of Data Nuggets is to provide that representation through pictures and stories of the scientists completing the research outlined within the activity.