Leveraging Your Library: Collaborating with Your Library Staff to Teach Science Research Andy Spinks, Lead Librarian Center for Advanced Studies at Wheeler High School Cobb County, GA Andy Spinks, Lead Librarian Center for Advanced Studies at Wheeler High School Cobb County, GA

Overview Why librarians and science teachers make such natural collaborative partners Examples of science-library collaborations at Wheeler High School’s Magnet Program Tips for collaborating with your library staff

Common Instructional Goals Science teachers  Science literacy Librarians  Information literacy –Accessing, Evaluating, and Using Information Many overlapping elements, including: –Using analytical/critical/higher-level thinking –Using evidence to solve problems –Identifying and avoiding bias –Communicating using data

Common Instructional Methods Inquiry Learning is the ideal method for both –Student-centered, student-driven –Active & experiential –Constructivist –Process-oriented

Science as an Information Search Process 1.Task Initiation (Recognizing the Need for Info) 2.Topic Selection 3.Topic Exploration (Review of the Literature) AKA: Library Research! 4.Focus Formulation (Hypothesis) 5.Information Collection (Experiment) 6.Presentation of Findings

Why Not Just Use Google? Students and teachers routinely overestimate the students’ level of information literacy. Technology literacy ≠ Information literacy Students must learn to use the web effectively, but they must also learn to use more authoritative sources Using a search engine is not “authentic” learning because it is not what scientists and academics use for a “review of the literature.”

Examples of Collaboration AP Environmental Science (biome brochure) AP Biology (peer-reviewed articles) Biochemistry (Clinical Pharmacology database) 12 th Grade Magnet Research/Internship Course –Peer-Reviewed Articles –Advanced Reference Articles (online & print) –APA Documentation –Using Other Libraries (Georgia Tech, etc.)

Examples of Collaboration 9 th Grade “Semester-Long” Research Project –Choose topic –Conduct background research* –Write a hypothesis –Design and conduct the experiment –Present findings in a written report and an oral presentation –Enter in science fair competition

Background Research for Project Independent & Dependent Variables –What makes each one tick? –How is each one measured? What research has been done before? How does your research relate?

How to Get Started Discuss the materials available for your course Brainstorm ideas for a research project Plan the details of the project Plan the details of the library visit –Including who will teach what & when Extra Credit: Plan for joint assessment

Thanks for Coming! “Handouts” Available Online: – –References & additional resources on following slides Contact Information: Questions or Comments?

Resources Filson, R. (2005). In Search Of….Real Science. Access Excellence. Retrieved July 16, 2005, from the National Health Museum Web site: Kuhlthau, C. C. (2004). Seeking meaning: A process approach to library and information services (2nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Kuhlthau, C. C. (n.d.). Information Search Process: A Search for Meaning Rather Than Answers. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from the Rutgers University, Department of Library and Information Science Web site: Spinks, A. (2005). The Scientific Method: A Research Process. Retrieved March 17, 2006, from Woods, M. (2005). Science. In The New Book of Knowledge: Scholastic Library Publishing. Retrieved July 13, 2005 from the Grolier Online database.