Kennedy Elementary Library / Media Center Lessons Based on GALILEO

Kennedy Elementary Library / Media Center Lessons based on GALILEO

BY Nada Aswad

Second Grade:

The second grade students are introduced to GALILEO through Searchasaurus.

They are required to write a paragraph about an animal of their choice. The students are given a set of 4 or 5 questions about the animal such as the habitat, the diet…. The students are required to use the Encyclopedia of animals to find their answers. Many times they click on the picture icon to see how their animal looks like. The teachers take it from there and the students are required to write a paragraph about their animal.

Third Grade:

The third grade students start GALILEO after Christmas. They are required to compare the online databases to the physical resources. They are given a set of five questions for each source: dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, encyclopedia, and atlas. The students have to find the answers in the sources as well as online. Each source is covered separately.

Fourth Grade:

Fourth grade are required to use GALILEO for most all their searches. Before giving a class about evaluating web site, fourth graders are introduced to First Gov for Kids. They are asked to navigate the sites and note the authors. The biography section in Sirs Discoverer is a good supplement when they study the explorers.

Fifth Grade:

Like fourth graders, they are required to use GALILEO for most all their searches. They are introduced to the Current Event section in Sirs Discoverer to complement their assignment to reading the newspaper everyday. Fifth graders are required to cite sources for every article they use.

Scope:

These advanced students are introduced to GALILEO at the beginning of the year and they are required to use it for all their researches with their teacher.

Faculty and Staff:

There are many teachers who are continuing their education. They are often in the library looking for information. All of them became to rely heavily on GALLILEO.