Teachers' notes
Finding information in the library
Aims: Improve children’s skills in searching for and retrieving information in the library.
Identify how different texts are organised , including reference texts, on paper and on screen.
Compare different types of narrative and information texts and identify how they are structured.
Age group 7–9
- England and Wales
Year 3/Year 4 - Scotland
Year P4/Year P5 - Northern Ireland
Year 4/Year 5
Literacy skills: Pose questions for research; know how to use the library catalogue and classification systems; make judgements about the texts that will be useful; use the features of information texts to locate information quickly and accurately.
Curriculum links: This activity supports research in all areas of the curriculum.
Content:
- Whiteboard: Help a character in a labyrinth of corridors to make the right decisions when they are searching for information in the library. Children are involved in making the decisions and can explore the ‘wrong’ answers so they can avoid the mistakes themselves. Is this a useful way to present information? Compare with a conventional instructional text.
- Activity sheet: Follow a set of prompts to find a particular piece of information in the school (or public) library.
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Extension: Finding information through a search engine is another invaluable research skill. Find specific information using a search engine which specialises in finding sites which are suitable for young people.
Suggestions for questions:
- Activate prior knowledge: What do you do when you are trying to find out about a new subject? Do you find it easy to find the information that you need in the library?
- Reflect on learning: Can you summarise the sequence that you need to follow when you are trying to find information in the library?
- Stimulate further research: What makes a good library? Do you have any recommendations to make for your school library?