Springboards to Inquiry: 50 Standards-Based Lessons for K-5

This collection of ideas for lessons provides school librarians with inspiration for meeting the tsunami of new standards dictating change for today's next generation learners.

Today's school librarian has less and less time to prepare for instruction. This book delivers lesson plans for the librarian to implement immediately, as is or with a little adaptation. Using the new AASL standards and an Information Literacy scope and sequence carefully crafted for K–6 students, the authors package lessons that are both engaging and challenging.

This book inspires librarians to go beyond their usual role in literacy promotion and instruction only and moves to preparing students to be inquiry learners by embracing inquiry-based learning. Lessons include the Essential Question (begin with the end in mind); pre- and post-assessment ideas; technology integration ideas, where applicable; reading and research ideas; and collaboration ideas when applicable. AASL Standards and others are noted via an "integrated standards checklist," while new educational research demonstrates that standards can be met via engaging, collaborative, and interesting lessons, modeled throughout the text.

Paige Jaeger is a librarian and educational consultant with twenty years of experience. She serves on the Advisory Board for School Library Connection magazine and was previously its Instructional Focus Editor for SLC.

Mary Boyd Ratzer is an author and consultant who fosters inquiry, brain-based learning, and real-world strategies for national standards in social studies, science, and the Common Core.