Roseann Magrane

Lesson Plan
September 22

Grade Level: 3rd

Subject: Library Instruction, Language Arts
Materials: Atlas, Thesaurus, Dictionary, Almanac, Encyclopedia
Smartboard
Mr. Wiggle Looks for Answers, by Carol Thompson

Duration: One 40 minute period

21st Century Learning Standards/AASL

• Standard 1 – Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge
• Standard 2 – Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to
new situations, and create new knowledge

ELA Standards
• Standard 1 - Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and
understanding.
• Standard 2 - Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and
evaluation.

Anticipatory Set
Let’s pretend we a having a party here in the library and we need to get all of our supplies
and food. Let’s make a list of all we need. After we make our list, I will ask the class the
best place to buy the different supplies. Do we buy paper plates and balloons at the post
office? Well, the same goes for information and the library.

Objective
• After completing the lesson, the student will be able to identify the most useful
reference source for specific tasks.

Teaching: Input
We use reference materials to find out information. Show the class the reference section
in the library and where to find each of the sources we will be learning about. Using the
Smartboard, I will first show the class the definitions for the reference sources we will be
covering (Atlas, Almanac, Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus). I will then read the
book Mr. Wiggle Looks for Answers and have the students listen for the appropriate
situations to use each.
Teaching: Modeling
I will show them that I would use a dictionary to find a definition for the word “warped”.

Teaching: Checking for Understanding

After reading the book I will give them a situation (I am writing a story about my
vacation to Mexico. I want to use another word for “great”. What reference material
would I use to do this?)

Guided Practice:
“The Reference Source Challenge” there will be a series of questions on the SB and I will
divide the class into three groups. I will call one person up from each of the group and
give them a scenario. The first person to get the correct answer will win a point for their
team.

Closure:
Remember that there are resources that are specifically designed for certain types of
information, just like a mall has stores that sell certain merchandise. I would not go to
the Supermarket to get a book. Recap the resources that we’ve covered. It would be hard
to find the information we need without these resources. The internet has all of these
reference materials. So, if you don’t have these books in your home you will be able to
find them on the computer from the Searingtown library website.