This document contains the Westlake City Schools’ Library Media Course of Study completed at the end of the 2003-2004 school year. The Library Media Course of Study has been reviewed and was approved by the Westlake City Schools’ Board of Education on May 20, 2004.

Committee Members...................................................................	Page	2
District Beliefs, Vision and Mission..............................................	Page	3
Introduction................................................................................	Page	5
Philosophy and Goals...................................................................	Page	6
Library Management Standard.....................................................	Page	7
Collection Development and Curriculum Standards........................	Page	11
Literacy and Reading Support Standard........................................	Page	15
Library-based Technology Standard.............................................	Page	20
Kindergarten...............................................................................	Page	23
Grade One..................................................................................	Page	28
Grade Two.................................................................................	Page	33
Grade Three...............................................................................	Page	38
Grade Four.................................................................................	Page	44
Grade Five..................................................................................	Page	50
Grade Six...................................................................................	Page	56
Grade Seven...............................................................................	Page	62
Grade Eight................................................................................	Page	68
Grade Nine.................................................................................	Page	74
Grade Ten..................................................................................	Page	79
Grade Eleven..............................................................................	Page	84
Grade Twelve.................................................................................................. Ecology Honors	Page	89
Assessment................................................................................	Page	93

DISTRICT BELIEFS, VISION AND MISSION

BELIEFS

Beliefs are the principles and concepts that govern the district’s decisions and actions. They influence the district’s picture of the future (vision) and the reason the district exists (mission). The beliefs, vision and mission of the Westlake City Schools District follow.

The Westlake City Schools believe that students come first, that dignity and worth of each individual is to be respected, and that learning is a lifelong process. We further believe that:

Successful students are ready to learn, display appropriate behavioral and social skills, assume responsibility, and work to reach their full potential. They are enthusiastic about learning, possess basic academic skills and strive for excellence.

Supportive families are proactive and involved in all aspects of their children’s education, assist their children with schoolwork, encourage their children to make positive choices and to be responsible for their actions, offer guidance and motivation so their children reach their full potential, and work in partnership with school.

Exemplary teachers care for their students, are knowledgeable regarding subject matter and effective instructional strategies, and engage students in meaningful learning experiences

Exemplary administrators are knowledgeable and provide meaningful instructional and managerial leadership. They create a safe, orderly, professional and supportive environment, empower all staff by providing opportunities for professional development and communicate effectively with all constituents.

Exemplary support personnel assist in the education of our children by providing a healthy, safe, nurturing and responsive learning climate.

Ideal learning environments are child-centered, stimulating and positive, free from distractions, appropriate in class size, and include ample and varied resources. Students and staff feel safe physically and emotionally, and devote themselves to academic and personal achievement.

Helpful community members, organizations and businesses celebrate their schools’ and students’ accomplishments, share resources and engage in dialogue.

VISION STATEMENT

The Westlake City School District will provide a dynamic, student-centered, positive learning environment. Our district will be characterized by actively engaged learners, mutual respect, shared knowledge, pursuit of new skills and capabilities, collaborative learning, willingness to take action, a team commitment to data-drive continuous improvement and tangible results.

MISSION STATEMENT

WE EDUCATE FOR EXCELLENCE…

Empowering all students to achieve their educational goals,

To direct their lives, and to contribute to society

Grades K-12

Library Management

Effective school library media programs support the mission and continuous improvement plan of the school district.

School library media program services support the evaluated needs of education stakeholders and are designed to impact student achievement. Library services are developed from research based best practices and evaluated program data. Library program leadership is provided by credentialed school library media specialists.

Benchmark A: Develop a library strategic plan that achieves a dynamic school library program and includes a mission and vision, measurable goals, operational management procedures, instructional strategies, and an evaluation component.

Strategic Planning:

Obtain and analyze building and district data which conceptualizes student needs, including:

a.	Mission statement;
b.	Continuous improvement plan;
c.	Proficiency results;
d.	Local report card.

Interpret and present national data (reports and studies) which inform the development of effective school library programs.

Identify and integrate research-based best practices which facilitate the design of effective instructional strategies.

Benchmark B: Engage education stakeholders in the process for identification of essential school library services.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Involve district administration in the identification of school library program services (e.g., library supervisor, curriculum director, technology director, superintendent, school board members, building principal).

Solicit and analyze library program needs and comments of education stakeholders (principals, teachers, students, parents, community members, librarians, etc.)

Benchmark C: Utilize a research-based process in collaboration with teachers to integrate the library program with academic content standards and the district curriculum.

Instructional Program Management:

Provide information literacy skills instruction which is integrated across the curriculum in the following areas:

Information literacy;

Media literacy;

Technology literacy.

Collaborate with teachers to integrate library services and resources throughout the curriculum:

Develop curriculum linkages between the Library Guidelines and the Academic Content Standards;

Facilitate the identification of resources used to implement the academic content standards, including primary and secondary sources;

Participate in building/district instructional initiatives.

Collaborate with teachers to assess student learning.

Assess the progress of and collect data on all library instructional activities.

Benchmark D: Provide a structured management process for school library program administration.

Program Management:

Develop and document policies that guide the delivery of school library program services:

a.	Library Program Management;
b.	Budgetary Procedures;
c.	Collection development plan;
d.	Selection and acquisition policy;
e.	Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP);
f.	Reconsideration policy;
g.	Library usage strategies;
h.	Copyright and fair use policy;
i.	Equipment operation and safety compliance.

Establish procedures to enable the efficient accomplishment of administrative tasks (e.g., material procurement, fines/fees, inventory control).

Collect and analyze data from school library services and use data to improve the library program (e.g., circulation statistics, facility usage statistics, expenditures, curricular area requests).

Benchmark E: Maintain a library program that is accessible by ALL students and staff, when needed, all day, every day.

Establish library hours of operation that ensure that all students have access to the school library media center.

Develop a virtual presence for the school library.

Benchmark F: Define the role of the district school library supervisor, the credentialed/licensed school library media specialist and the classified school library paraprofessional and/or library clerk.

Staff Roles:	1.	Create or contribute to the development of job descriptions for credentialed and classified district and school library staff.
	2.	Utilize appropriate evaluation tools for credentialed and classified school library staff.
	3.	Participate in district mentoring activities and develop activities to assist with the mentoring of new library staff members.
	4.	Develop individual professional development plans within district guidelines for all library staff members.
	5.	Identify and participate in library-oriented professional development activities.

Benchmark G: Utilize effective communication strategies to publicize the school library media program to students, faculty, administrators, parents and community members.

Stakeholder Focus:	1.	Publicize school library activities.
	2.	Announce new materials and services to the library stakeholders.
	3.	Present reports to building and district administration.
	4.	Communicate school library activities to parents and community members.
	5.	Utilize data-driven decision making to evaluate results of communication strategies.

Grades K-12

Collection Development and Curriculum

Effective school library media programs support and enhance the curriculum and are an integral part of teaching and learning.

The school library media program provides all students with up-to-date resource collections; consisting of print, non-print, and electronic materials that are aligned with the local curriculum, support Ohio’s academic content standards, and are selected with input from education stakeholders. The school library media specialist collaboratively plans curriculum-based school library activities, instruction, and assessment with the classroom teacher.

Benchmark A: Establish a collection development plan which identifies policies and procedures for the selection, evaluation, acquisition, and maintenance of materials to be included in a quality school library collection.

Collection Development:	1.	Include education stakeholders in the collection development planning process (e.g., administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members).
	2.	Analyze the school continuous improvement plan, mission statement, and instructional goals in order to assess curricular and personal information needs of students and teachers.
	3.	Conduct a need assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses of the existing library collection and create a collection development plan which identifies materials needed to support the local curriculum and academic content standards.
	4.	Provide a collection that meets the personal needs of students (e.g., consider curricular needs, student interest, formats for students with disabilities).
	5.	Identify criteria for the evaluation of materials (e.g., consider alignment with curriculum and academic content standards, literary quality, currency/ copyright date, accuracy, reading level, appropriateness of material presented, bias, appeal, value, quality and format of the material).
	6.	Develop an acquisition policy that describes how the library materials are acquired for the collection (e.g., describe the process for obtaining materials).
	7.	Describe guidelines for purchasing materials (e.g., budgeting, requisition, purchasing, receiving, paying).

Design a collection maintenance program to keep the collection current including procedures for:

a.	Inventory of materials;
b.	Replacement of worn or damaged material;
c.	Weeding inaccurate or outdated material;
d.	Relocating and/or appropriate storage of material;
e.	Repairing damaged material.

Establish procedures for both quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the collection (e.g., quantitative-collection value, collection age, curriculum alignment qualitative-does the collection meet the needs of students and teachers?).

10.

Provide materials in a variety of formats (e.g., print, multimedia, multi-sensory, tactile, auditory, electronic).

11.

Provide a collection reflecting the needs of students who learn at various rates and have different learning styles.

Benchmark B: Provide access to resources located within and outside the walls of the school building (local, state and regional networks).

Promote the use of state provided electronic resources and select additional resources to support the curriculum.

Develop a library Web page, in order to provide 24/7 access to school library materials, which includes links to:

Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC);

School, district, and state electronic resources;

Evaluated web sites that support the local curriculum.

Benchmark C: Provide procedures for reconsideration of materials.

Material Reconsideration:	1.	List specific steps to be taken when materials are challenged (e.g., include the use of a written reconsideration form, identify whether the entire work is being challenged or only portions, determine if the complete work was read/viewed or only excepts by the person submitting the challenge).
	2.	Establish guidelines for composition of reconsideration committee and consider seating a standing committee that reviews all challenged material and supplements the standing committee with appropriate curriculum designs based on the academic content area of the challenge (e.g., administrator, library media specialist, teacher, higher education faculty, student, parent, community member).
	3.	Develop guidelines for the reconsideration committee to use as they review the challenged material (e.g., the reconsideration committee should be required to read or view the entire work).
	4.	Determine how the reconsideration committee will submit findings and or recommendations to the administration and/or school board for final reconsideration decision.

Benchmark D: Provide leadership and assistance to faculty in the area of instructional design, collection evaluation, library-based technologies, and acquisition of and utilization of curriculum-based school library resources.

Collaboration:	1.	Demonstrate sound instructional design principles in the delivery of library instruction for both students and faculty.
	2.	Assist faculty with the integration of school library resources into the instructional process and include strategies for incorporating differentiated instruction practices into the design of lessons and activities.
	3.	Collaborate with teachers to design instruction that incorporates library resources and educational technology into teaching and learning.
	4.	Build awareness of statewide educational technology resources.
	5.	Meet with teachers to assist them in providing resources that will enhance their instruction.
	6.	Provide assistance in the teaching of various aspects of the lesson.

Collaborate with teachers to develop student assessments that include the evaluation of student activities performed in the school library.

Collaborate with teachers to develop assessment strategies that evaluate the usage of school library resources in teaching and learning.

Grades K-12

Literacy and Reading Support

Effective school library media programs support and encourage reading for academic achievement and life-long learning and leisure pursuits.

School library media programs offer reading enrichment programming through participation in national and state reading celebrations and initiatives. The school library media specialist collaboratively plans reading activities with building teachers. School library media staff read to students, promote literature, reinforce reading skills, and encourage independent reading for personal enjoyment.

Benchmark A: Provide students with age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction reading material and assist in the location and selection of reading materials based on student reading level, interests, and information needs.

Library Organization:	1.	Utilize a standard classification system to organize library materials (e.g., Dewey decimal System or Library of Congress Classification System).
	2.	Catalog all library materials.
Reading Instruction:	3.	Provide reading material in a variety of formats and reading levels (e.g., print, non-print, large print, audio, electronic, high interest/low-level).
	4.	Develop displays and exhibits to promote reading.
	5.	Provide instruction on material selection strategies.
	6.	Provide instruction on knowledge of book structures and how these structures affect the gathering and organization of information (e.g., title page, glossary, bibliography, appendix, table of contents, index, footnotes, headings).
	7.	Provide instruction in the identification of primary and secondary sources.

Benchmark B: Read to students.

Reading Instruction:

Select age-appropriate reading material for a variety of purposes (e.g., information, personal enjoyment, life-long learning).

Ask targeted questions while reading to determine if meaning is clear.

	3.	Discuss pictures, illustrations, charts, tables, and graphs that explain the story.
	4.	Identify and discuss main ideas and details in fiction, nonfiction and poetry while reading.
	5.	Identify and discuss possible themes, likely motives, traits of characters and the effect of setting on fiction, nonfiction and functional reading selections while reading.
	6.	Identify and discuss cause and effect relationships, compare and contrast, fact vs. opinion, and sequencing through exposure to multiple sources while reading.
	7.	Speculate about authors’ purposes, views and interests through evaluation of chronological order, order of importance and spatial order while reading.

Benchmark C: Tell stories and facilitate multidisciplinary reading experiences.

Reading Instruction:

Tell stories utilizing the full range of storytelling methodologies (e.g., oral, draw and tell, props, voices, song, acting, characters, audience participation, puppetry, readers theatre).

Extend and enrich reading experiences through technology and multimedia activities.

Integrate reading with speaking, listening, viewing and writing experiences.

Participate actively in discussions, respecting the contributions of others and using techniques to retain information.

a.	Participate in discussions, respecting the contributions of others and using techniques to retain information;
b.	Draw logical inferences and conclusions from oral and visual communications;
c.	Ask relevant questions concerning a speaker’s content, delivery and purpose;
d.	Respond to permissive messages with probing questions, challenges, or affirmations regarding the evidence that supports the listener’s claims and conclusions;
e.	Evaluate the credibility of a speaker (e.g., hidden agenda, slanted or biased material);
f.	Recognize discrepancies between speakers’ verbal and nonverbal messages;
g.	Work in group settings in which they employ group decision-making techniques including brainstorming and problem solving.

Benchmark D: Provide readers advisory services.

Reader’s Advisory:	1.	Promote the school library as a gateway to additional reading materials and information networks.
	2.	Instruct students in methods for obtaining material not available in their school library (e.g., interlibrary loan, public library, academic library).
	3.	Provide book talks.
	4.	Promote award-winning books.
	5.	Extend the reading experience by suggesting additional titles in a series, identifying additional works within a genre or works with similar themes.

Benchmark E: Participate in state and national reading activities such as Children’s Book Week, Teen Read Week, National Library Week, School Library Month, Right to Read Week.

Reading Promotions:

Facilitate multidisciplinary reading activities.

Extend and enrich reading experience through technology and multimedia activities.

Collaborate with coordinators of initiatives, obtain participatory materials, and communicate initiatives to stakeholders.

Benchmark F: Facilitate linkages to reading activities such as after school programs, public library reading clubs, summer reading program, and other literacy initiatives).

Collaboration:

Participate in school reading/literacy initiatives.

Identify reading/literacy initiatives available in the community.

Collaborate with public libraries and encourage students to participate in public library programs (e.g., after-school reading activities, summer reading club and others).

Benchmark G: Provide time for sustained silent reading.

Sustained Silent Reading:

Facilitate reading for a sustained period of time utilizing self-selected and assigned materials.

Encourage independent reading.

Benchmark H: Share multicultural children’s books in culturally conscious ways.

Multicultural Resources:	1.	Use works written by and about various ethnicities and cultural groups.
	2.	Discuss the application of dialects and culture through multiple reading experiences.
	3.	Explain stereotypes and mind sets, including gender, through literature.
	4.	Extend awareness of gender, culture, and historical perspectives through literature.

Benchmark I: Assist teachers in choosing quality literature to supplement and enrich their curricular studies.

Professional Materials:	1.	Collaborate with teachers in the selection of professional material.
	2.	Provide and publicize professional material.
	3.	Identify and promote books that reinforce concepts in Ohio’s academic content standards.
	4.	Provide bibliographies on curricular topics.
	5.	Distribute information on selection and acquisition of content-based material (e.g., resources for selecting teaching materials for specific content areas).
	6.	Promote insightful and thoughtful use of books by teachers.

Grades K-12

Library-based Technology

Effective school library media programs provide, integrate, and utilize a technology rich environment to support teaching and learning.

Expanded access to information is achieved by providing cutting-edge technologies that enable the school library media center to function as a virtual gateway to information. Technology is used to acquire, organize, produce, and disseminate information. Assistive technologies equalize access to information for all students. The school library media specialist provides leadership to students and staff in the use of electronic resources and the instructional integration of library-based technologies.

Benchmark A: Provide, integrate and utilize online public access catalogs (OPAC’s) to locate and circulate school library materials.

Library Organization:	1.	Utilize a standard classification system to organize library materials (e.g., Dewey Decimal System or Library of Congress Classification System).
	2.	Standardize library catalog records in MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) format.
	3.	Develop material lending policies based on input from stakeholders.
	4.	Provide remote access to the school library OPAC (e.g., classroom and home access).
Interlibrary Cooperation:	5.	Facilitate linkages to external library catalogs.
	6.	Develop strategies for acquiring information from external sources (e.g., interlibrary loan).

Benchmark B: Provide networked computers for staff and student use.

Technology Infrastructure:	1.	Provide computer networks which enable the acquisition and transfer of information.
	2.	Provide Internet accessibility.
	3.	Provide email accessibility.
Responsible Usage:	4.	Participate in the development of local school board adopted acceptable use policies (AUP’s)

Practice ethical and responsible usage of library networks and library-based technologies.

Benchmark C: Demonstrate effective usage of library-based technologies, including the Internet and other electronic resources, for teaching and learning.

Professional Development:	1.	Include technology professional development in the library media specialist’s individual professional development plan (IPDP).
	2.	Provide staff development on the usage of library-based technologies.
	3.	Lead the integration of library-based technologies into the curriculum (e.g., identify library-based technologies that align with instruction).
	4.	Demonstrate technology projects that utilize active learning.
	5.	Provide access to multimedia equipment (e.g., computers, cameras, sound devices, projectors, portable devices).
	6.	Facilitate connections with agencies that lend technology equipment and assistive devices.
	7.	Engage stakeholders in the selection and utilization of both free and fee-based electronic resources.
	8.	Assist teachers with the use and integration of the Internet and electronic resources into teaching and learning.
	9.	Facilitate linkages to and integration of state electronic resources (e.g., Area Media Centers, INFOhio, ODE Instructional Management System, Ohio Historical Society, Ohio Resource Center).

Benchmark D: Develop a virtual school library presence which students may access remotely.

Virtual School Library:

Develop a school library web site.

Provide information about school library services, hours of operation, staff, user guides, pathfinders, Internet access, and other available resources.

Connect the virtual school library to the school building and district web sites.

Benchmark E: Provide assistive technologies in order to make all library services accessible to staff and students with disabilities.

Assisstive Technology:

Collaborate with stakeholders to identify effective assistive technologies that enable all students to access school library services.

Facilitate linkages to district, community, and state assistive technology services for information and device lending (e.g., educational service centers, special education regional resource centers - SERRC centers, Ohio Resource Center for Low-Incidence and Severe Handicaps - ORCLISH).

Benchmark F: Practice and communicate ethical and responsible usage of library-based technologies.

Responsible Usage:

Provide information on copyright, intellectual freedom, ownership rights, and fair usage of materials.

Demonstrate responsible and ethical usage of library-based technologies.

Kindergarten

Information Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills instruction.

Information literacy is the ability to locate, process, evaluate, and utilize information. School library media programs provide information resources in a variety of formats and readability levels. The school library media specialist teaches students how to access, use, and evaluate information resources efficiently and ethically based on academic or personal need. This instruction should be correlated to specific academic content standards and taught as an integrated process.

Benchmark A: Students locate the school library media center, recognize library staff members, and participate in library activities.

Library Awareness:	1.	Students locate the school library media center and recognize library staff members.
	2.	Identify items found in the library media center (e.g. books, magazines, computers, etc.).
	3.	Understand that many activities take place in the library media center (e.g. reading, movies, puppet plays, storytelling, studying, exploring).
Lifelong Learning:	4.	Know that there is a library in the community - public library - that students may visit with their parents.

Benchmark B: Recognize that the school library media center has a variety of books and materials which may used and borrowed and understand the importance of proper care of these materials.

Library Awareness:	1.	Explore areas of the library media center with assistance from library media staff and classroom teachers (e.g. easy books, story area, listening centers, computer lab).
	2.	Select books with guidance from the library media staff and classroom teacher.
Circulation:	3.	Checkout books with help from the library media staff and classroom teacher.
	4.	Know that books may be taken home but must be returned.
Responsible Use:	5.	Discuss proper care of library books.

Benchmark C: Understand that school library books and materials are housed in specific areas of the library media center.

Library

Organization:

Know that storybooks are in the easy book section.

Know that the library catalog gives access to information about all of the books and materials in the school library media center.

Benchmark D: Read and listen to stories for schoolwork and personal enjoyment.

	1.	Listen to stories read by library media center staff.
	2.	Look at books and read for pleasure.
	3.	Use picture clues to aid in understanding reading material.
	4.	Know that there are many types of books (e.g., story books, rhyming books, counting books).

Benchmark E: Understand what information is and use a process to find information.

Understanding Information:	1.	Identify what information is and recognize that it can be represented in a variety of ways (e.g., numbers, words, pictures, sounds).
Decide:	2.	Decide what information is needed.
Find:	3.	Find the information with the assistance of the teacher or librarian (e.g., using books or observations).
Use:	4.	Use the information by sharing ideas and experiences.

Technology Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide technological literacy skills instruction in the usage of library-based technologies.

Technological literacy skills include appropriate and ethical use of technology for information access, retrieval, production, dissemination via electronic resource networks and the Internet.

Benchmark A: Understand that school library materials may be provided in electronic formats that are organized in a system and access to the system may be provided electronically.

Know that the school library has technology-based resources (e.g. computer, TV, sound devices).

View/listen to multimedia library resources (e.g. listening station, video, DVD).

Understand directions for using library technology.

Benchmark B: Apply basic Internet browser and navigation skills to search for information on the Internet.

Internet Concepts:

Talk about the Internet as an information source.

Use Web page functions:

Scroll up and down page;

Click on links;

Use back button.

Media Literacy

Effective school library media programs support the learning of media literacy skills in collaboration with classroom teachers, technology integrationists and coordinators.

Media literacy encompasses the use of communication competencies and critical thinking skills, including the ability to access, interpret, evaluate and communicate information delivered in a variety of medium formats. Media-based resources include print and non-print materials, that use image, text, language, sound and motion to convey informational communications and messages.

Benchmark A: Comprehend that media communications deliver information and messages for personal and various other purposes.

Media Messages:

Recognize familiar information and messages communicated and received in everyday life (e.g., birthday greeting, holiday greeting, toy advertisement, road sign, warning label).

Ask and answer questions about why people communicate and share information through media communications.

Benchmark B: Distinguish between a variety of elements used to create and construct media communications for personal and various other purposes.

Media Elements:	1.	Recognize printed text and graphic symbols.
	2.	Recognize primary colors.
	3.	Recognize geometric shapes.
	4.	Identify a variety of sounds, voice tones and facial expressions used to convey emotion.
	5.	Identify characteristics of motion and movement (e.g., fast, slow, smooth, jerky).
	6.	Recognize various print and non-print formats used in the delivery of media messages (e.g., books, television, film, radio, CD-ROM, DVD, e-mail, web pages, photographs, charts and graphs).

Benchmark C: Explore the intended effect of media communications and messages when delivered and received for personal and various other purposes.

Communicating

With Media:

List personal reasons for creating media communications and messages (e.g., tell a story, to ask for something, to make someone happy).

Discuss how it feels to deliver and receive information.

Grade 1

Information Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills instruction.

Benchmark A: Locate the school library media center, recognize library staff members, and participate in library activities.

Library Awareness:	1.	Locate the school library media center and recognize library staff members by name.
	2.	Discuss the roles of the library media center staff members and compare them to classroom teachers (e.g., the librarian helps me find books and information).
	3.	Understand that the library media center is a storehouse of materials that everyone may use.
	4.	Participate in library media center activities (e.g. story time, readers theatre).
Lifelong Learning:	5.	Know that the public library has books and materials that students may use and borrow.

Benchmark B: Recognize that the school library media center has a variety of books and materials which may be used and borrowed and understand the importance of proper care of these materials.

Library Awareness	1.	Browse areas of the library media center with assistance from library media staff and classroom teachers (e.g., easy books, story area, listening centers, computer lab).
	2.	Look at easy books and select books to checkout.
Circulation:	3.	Know how to check out books.
	4.	Know when to return books and where to put them.
Responsible Use:	5.	Discuss proper care of library books and materials.

Benchmark C: Understand that library books and materials are housed in specific areas of the library media center.

Library

Organization:

Know that books are placed in order on the bookshelves.

Know that some books are true and others are make-believe (e.g. nonfiction and fiction).

Use the library catalog to find books, with teacher or librarian assistance.

Benchmark D: Read and listen to stories for schoolwork and personal enjoyment.

	1.	Listen to stories, look at books and read for pleasure.
	2.	Ask questions to help understand information found in reading material.
	3.	Participate in literary enrichment activities (e.g., story time, puppet theatre, draw and tell stories).
	4.	Know that authors write books and illustrators draw pictures in books.

Benchmark E: Understand what information is and use a process to find information.

Understanding Information:	1.	Talk about the difference between factual information and fiction (e.g., what is real and what is pretend or make-believe).
Decide:	2.	Decide what information is needed (e.g., brainstorm needs by deciding what you already know, what you need to know, and what you want to learn).
Find:	3.	Find information about the topic by using library materials.
Use:	4.	Use the information and communicate findings orally, visually or in writing.
Check:	5.	Check work by discussing the process used to find the information.

Technology Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide technological literacy skills instruction in the usage of library-based technologies.

Technological literacy skills include appropriate and ethical use of technology for information access, retrieval, production, dissemination via electronic resource networks, and the Internet.

Benchmark A: Understand that school library materials may be provided in electronic formats that are organized in a system and access to the system may be provided electronically.

Use library computers, software, and multimedia materials with assistance.

Know that information about library resources is stored in the online public access catalog.

Benchmark B: Apply basic Internet browser and navigation skills to search for information on the Internet.

Internet Concepts:

List types of information available on the Internet (e.g., school web site, local information, animals, maps).

Use teacher- or librarian-selected web sites to find information or learn new things.

Use browser tools and buttons:

Forward and back button;

Home button;

Choose a link from the bookmarks or favorites list.

Media Literacy

Effective school library media programs support the learning of media literacy skills in collaboration with classroom teachers, technology integrationists and coordinators.

Benchmark A: Comprehend that media communications deliver information and messages for personal and various other purposes.

Media Messages:

Ask and answer questions on how people communicate and share information for various purposes with media communications.

Recognize context clues and graphic symbols that help to understand the purpose, function and important idea in media communications.

Benchmark B: Distinguish between a variety of elements used to create and construct media communications for personal and various other purposes.

Media Elements	1	Differentiate between text characters and graphic symbols.
	2.	Differentiate between primary and secondary colors.
	3.	Differentiate between geometric shapes.
	4.	Sort and label a variety of sounds, voice tones and face expressions used to illustrate emotion (e.g., loud, soft, silent, happy, whiny, sad, angry).
	5.	Categorize the characteristics of motion and movement.
	6.	Identify various media communications and messages in print and non-print formats.

Benchmark C: Explore the intended effect of media communications and messages when delivered and received for personal and various other purposes.

Communicating

With Media

Express verbally or in written form the intended purpose of a media communication or message and the intended audience.

Explain how certain information makes one feel, think or behave.

Recognize that clothing and costume are used to convey information.

Grade 2

Information Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills instruction.

Benchmark A: Locate the school library media center, recognize library staff members, and participate in library activities.

Library Awareness:	1.	Visit the library media center when needed for classroom projects or personal reading.
	2.	Understand the roles of various library media center staff members (e.g. what does the librarian do?).
	3.	Participate in library media center activities and reading celebrations (e.g. story time, Children’s Book Week, Read Across America Day).
Lifelong Learning:	4.	Know that the public library has many activities for students (e.g. book clubs, guest speakers, summer reading programs).

Benchmark B: Recognize that the school library media center has a variety of books and materials which may be used and borrowed and understand the importance of proper care of these materials.

Library Awareness:	1.	Know that library media center materials are provided in several formats (e.g. print, non-print, audio, video, multimedia).
	2.	Locate sections of the library media center based on need or activity (e.g. story area, listening centers, computer lab).
	3.	Select books and other library media materials to borrow.
Circulation:	4.	Use correct procedure to check out books and materials.
	5.	Return books and materials on time.
Responsible Use:	6.	Demonstrate proper care of books and other library media center materials.

Benchmark C: Understand that library books and materials are housed in specific areas of the library media center.

Library Organization:	1.	Understand that easy books are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.
	2.	Understand that nonfiction books are arranged on the shelf by numbers.
	3.	Know the difference between easy books, chapter or fiction books, and nonfiction books.
	4.	Explore library media center materials utilizing the library catalog with assistance.

Benchmark D: Read and listen to stories for schoolwork and personal enjoyment.

	1.	Listen to books read aloud, explore library materials and read for pleasure.
	2.	Discuss characters and retell events and facts presented in the reading material.
	3.	Participate in literary enrichment activities (e.g., choral speaking, creative dramatics and other library enrichment activities).
	4.	Identify simple literary styles (e.g., standard, rhyming, alliteration).
	5.	Read Caldecott Award books and understand that the book award is given for the best book illustrations.

Benchmark E: Understand what information is and use a process to find information.

Understanding Information	1.	Tell about the purposes for information use (e.g., information is helpful to solve problems).
	2.	Distinguish between fact and fiction (e.g., discuss and compare fact-based documents about a topic with stories about the same topic).
Decide	3.	Ask questions to investigate problems or topics (e.g., use brainstorming or graphic organizers to decide what information is needed about the topic).
Find	4.	Find the information about the questions using library resources.

Use

Use information to communicate findings orally, visually or in writing and draw conclusions about findings.

Check

Check your work and explain the process used to find information.

Technology Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide technological literacy skills instruction in the usage of library-based technologies.

Technological literacy skills include appropriate and ethical use of technology for information access, retrieval, production, dissemination via electronic resource networks, and the Internet.

Benchmark A: Understand that school library materials may be provided in electronic formats that are organized in a system and access to the system may be provided electronically..

Log on to library network/computer system with assistance (e.g., know username and password).

Explore the online public access catalog with assistance (e.g., locate OPAC icon, open OPAC, browse entries).

Benchmark B: Apply basic Internet browser and navigation skills to search for information on the Internet.

Internet Concepts	1.	Demonstrate the use of browser elements including the toolbar, buttons, favorites or bookmarks, and tell their function.
	2.	Access the school web page and the school library web site.
	3.	Search for information in an online encyclopedia using a topical search (e.g., choose from a list of topics, moving from broad – animals, to more specific – panda).
	4.	Read information from a web site assigned by teacher and identify the name and topic of the web site.

Media Literacy

Effective school library media programs support the learning of media literacy skills in collaboration with classroom teachers, technology integrationists and coordinators.

Benchmark A: Comprehend that media communication deliver information and messages for personal and various other purposes.

Media Messages:

Ask and answer questions concerning the purpose and function of print and non-print media communications created by a variety of people (e.g., why, who, where, when and how).

Locate specific examples of text, illustration and graphic symbol that help explain the purpose, function and important idea in a media communication.

Benchmark B: Distinguish between a variety of elements used to create and construct media communications for personal and various other purposes.

Media Elements:

Identify the function of a variety of components used to communicate and deliver information through media communications (text, graphic symbol, color and shape, medium format).

Categorize descriptors used to represent sound, express emotion, and tell about movements.

Identify essential components that help to categorize various print and non-print medium formats for the communication and delivery of information.

Benchmark C: Explore the intended effect of media communications and messages when delivered and received for personal and various other purposes.

Communicating

With Media:

Identify the intended audience and purpose for a variety of print and non-print communications and messages.

Discuss how various elements of print and non-print medium formats are used to gain the attention of various audiences, and affect their feelings and thoughts (e.g., size, color shape, sound and voice, motion).

Explain how clothing and costume are used to convey factual and fictional information.

Grade 3

Information Literacy

Effective school library media programs provide information literacy skills instruction.

Benchmark A: Access the library media center facility, staff, and resources whenever an academic or personal information need arises, and demonstrate appropriate use of library materials.

Library Awareness:	1.	Visit the library media center for academic or personal information needs.
	2.	Ask the library media specialist or library staff member for assistance as needed.
	3.	Explore all areas of the library media center (e.g. biography section, reference section, multimedia production center).
Lifelong Learning:	4.	Describe various formats of library media center materials (e.g. print, non-print, audio, video).
	5.	Use correct procedure to check library books and materials out and in.
	6.	Return books and materials on time.
	7.	Use proper care of books and other library media center materials.
	8.	Understand that when students visit the public library the public librarian will assist them with information needs.

Benchmark B: Understand that school library books and materials are organized in a system AND use the system to locate items.

Library

Organization:

Understand that easy books and fiction books are organized on a shelf alphabetically by the author’s last name.

Understand that information books are arranged on the shelf according to their subject using the Dewey Decimal System.

Know the difference between easy books, chapter books, fiction books, and nonfiction books.

1.	Support the mission and continuous improvement plan of the Westlake City School District.
2.	Participate as active partners in the teaching/learning process to support and enhance the curriculum.
3.	Promote and encourage reading for academic achievement and life-long learning.
4.	Provide, integrate, and utilize a technology rich environment to support teaching and learning.
5.	Provide information literacy skills instruction.
6.	Provide literacy skills instruction in the usage of library-based technologies.
7.	Provide media literacy skills instruction.

Page

DISTRICT BELIEFS, VISION AND MISSION

BELIEFS

VISION STATEMENT

MISSION STATEMENT

WE EDUCATE FOR EXCELLENCE…

Library Management

Collection Development and Curriculum

Literacy and Reading Support

Library-based Technology

Kindergarten

Information Literacy

Technology Literacy

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3