3rd - 5th
3-5 Information Literacy
The author indicates that this lesson has the potential to address the following standards as well:
- Develop research questions, with support.
- Determine the type of information needed.
- Identify the difference between open and closed questions.
- Recognize gaps within an information source.
- Identify gaps in personal background knowledge.
- Identify when to use a database or an internet search.
- Select the appropriate print or digital source for an information need, with support.
- Develop keywords to locate information with support.
- Use search strategies to locate information, with support.
- Use text features to locate information with support.
- Determine the credibility of a source with support.
- Use various print and digital sources for an information need.
- Identify the bibliographic information of a source.
-Credit the source of information, when appropriate using a basic format for citation.
- Understand the consequences of plagiarism.
- Combine background knowledge and found information.
- Organize information found in guided research.
- Present Information.
- Identify the message and context of the media I consume.
- Compare the messages and context of the media I consume.
INQUIRE - Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems, and developing strategies for solving problems.
Learners display curiosity and initiative by: 1. Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic. 2. Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.
Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes: 1. Using evidence to investigate questions. 2. Devising and implementing a plan to fill knowledge gaps. 3. Generating products that illustrate learning.
10 - 15 days (My students work on this project for about 30 minutes once a week)
This lesson was created by Carly Bogaards from Liberty Oaks in Liberty Public School District.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Students will research about plastic pollution and how the plastic they use can end up in the ocean and also in their food. Students will then use their research to write a picture book that our local zoo will use in their summer programming.
What a Waste by 
Lonely Planet Kids the Plastic Problem by 
The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by
I can develop research questions, with support.
I can determine the type of information needed.
I can identify when to use a database or an internet search.
I can select the appropriate print or digital source for an information need, with support.
I can develop keywords to locate information, with support.
I can use search strategies to locate information, with support.
I can determine the credibility of a source, with support.
I can use various print and digital sources for an information need.
I can identify the bibliographic information of a source.
I can credit the source of information, when appropriate, using a basic format for citation.
I can understand the consequences of plagiarism.
I can combine background knowledge and found information.
I can organize information found in guided research.
I can present information.
Introduction:
Students look at pictures of plastic pollution. National Geographic has a lot of great pictures you can use. Students write questions they have about plastic pollution. Students post their questions. Then we put their questions into categories: (Use of Plastic, Environment, Solutions, Animals, Ocean, etc.)
Lesson 1: Reliable Sources - Students discuss where we can find answers to our questions. Then we spend some time talking about the difference between a database and a website. We also talk about keywords when searching, reliable sources and things to look for when you are looking up answers online.
Lesson 2: Students begin looking for sources they can use to answer their questions. We talk about why we must cite our sources: give the author credit, allow someone to learn more information, etc. Then students switch their source worksheets to see if their partner can find their sources. If they can’t then students have to go back and add more information to their citation.
Lesson 3: We talk about paraphrasing and using our own words when taking notes. Students then use their sources to write answers to their questions.
Lesson 4: Students do an audit in their school where they track plastic outside, in the lunchroom, and in their classroom. Students identify the plastic, quantity, and if it is single use or durable. It is also fun to calculate an estimate of how much plastic we use a day, a week, a year. Students are amazed by how much plastic we use.
Lesson 5: Students begin to create an Action Plan. Students write down their audience (students at the zoo), plastic they will target (water bottles, plastic bags), and then describe the problem and solution.
Lesson 6: Our local aquarium loves to visit our school. When they visit, we learn about different animals that live in the ocean. We also get to learn more about the animals that live in the aquarium. The kids love learning their names and hearing about their different personalities.
Lesson 7: Students begin to create a storyboard of their stories.
Lesson 8: These stories will be created on Canva and then published by our local library. Students must include 2-3 facts about plastic pollution, have a beginning, middle, and end, and must include an animal that call our local aquarium home. Once these books are published the Kansas City Zoo will be using them for their summer program.
Writing Rubric of your choice - an example of a creative story rubric created by students is attached.
Students could be partnered up to do the work.
The teacher could choose one set of lessons to complete and not do the project as a whole.
