North Allegheny School District

Library Curriculum Overview: Middle School

The mission of the North Allegheny Library program is to empower students to become effective users of ideas and information in all formats in a constantly changing learning environment.  The library program increases the access to global information sources and the use of technologies as effective learning and teaching tools. In addition, the library program is focused on supporting the development of student literacy by connecting students with good literature and positive reading experiences. The comprehensive end goal is to support the creation of students who are lifelong readers and learners.

At the middle school level, the librarians support the integration of information literacy and technology skills across the curriculum by collaborating with teachers in all subject areas. Students do not have a regularly scheduled library class. In collaboration with subject area educators, integrated units of study are developed and delivered that support and extend the subject area curriculum. The teaching of library information and technology skills is the joint responsibility of the librarian and the classroom teacher. Another key focus is the development of student literacy, connecting students to quality literature through author visits, book talks, discussion groups, genre lessons, and various reading incentive programs. Middle school librarians are heavily invested in the Accelerated Reader program and the implementation of NoodleTools, among other technology initiatives. Each middle school has a full time librarian as well as a full time library secretary.

6th Grade

Literacy: Students will expand their knowledge of literary forms and describe their characteristics, as they read and interpret works of literature for curricular and leisure reading.

Research: Students will continue to refine skills and further develop knowledge learned in fifth grade library classes with regards to the automated library catalog and selection of resources. Students will learn to identify, evaluate, refine, and ethically integrate a variety of research media into curricular projects. They will critically evaluate the research process and refine their information-seeking techniques as it pertains to their final products. 

Technology: Students will review the skills learned in fifth grade, and further develop knowledge of website navigation, research databases and other age appropriate technology. They will identify the qualities of a responsible digital citizen with regards to retrieval, evaluation, creation, and presentation of information.

Students will receive instruction from the librarian on a regular basis in reading classes as well as core curricular and special subject areas. Time will be provided to independently select books of interest.

Literacy: Students will continue to identify the criteria of literary genres and award-winning books with a focus on diversity and cross-cultural literature for curricular and leisure reading.

Research: Students will expand their use of traditional and electronic tools, refining their research strategies and incorporating multiple production techniques. They will focus on analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing online media. With emphasis on the creation of bibliographic citations, students will begin to develop an understanding of citation formatting and development.

Technology: Students will review the skills learned in sixth grade, and further develop knowledge of website navigation, research databases, and other age appropriate technology. As digital citizens, students will continue to enhance skills using current and emerging information and collaborative technologies, including the evaluation of relevant learning platforms.

Students will receive instruction from the librarian on a regular basis in core curricular and special subject areas. Time will be provided to independently select books of interest.

Literacy: Students will continue to identify the criteria of literary genres and award-winning books and media, expanding analysis skills in curricular and leisure reading.

Research: Students will be able to navigate information sources on a local and global scale. Students will implement a detailed research process and further refine evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and presentation skills. Students will continue to develop an understanding of plagiarism and the ethical use of print and nonprint information and produce a works cited that reflects the research process.

Technology: Students will review the skills learned in seventh grade, and further develop knowledge of website navigation, research databases, and other age appropriate technology. Students will utilize advanced collaborative production tools and continue to develop an understanding of their role as an ethical digital native in information seeking.