Mac, Information Detective, in the Curious Kids...digging for Answers: A Storybook Approach to Introducing Research Skills

The Curious Kids Digging for Answers: A Storybook Approach to Developing Research Skills and its accompanying Educator's Guide, is the second in a set of three dealing with teaching the inquiry process to young learners ( K-3). Mac, Information Detective, introduces the during stage of the research process in which students locate, collect, organize, and interpret their information in order to answer their questions. In this Case, students have found a rock which is no ordinary rock ( it may be a fossil ). They have many questions and they begin digging for answers. Mac introduces them to a new clue: I give you Clue #4: Get ready for . . . Information Exploration Answers we will find. Information Exploration. I've got FOSSILS on my mind Accompanying the interactive storybook is an educators' guide featuring lesson plans for reading the story aloud and many extension lesson ideas for teaching the inquiry process as well as vocabulary words, and reproducible worksheets. Lessons are all coordinated to AASL information literacy standards and national content area standards as applicable in language arts and science. Lessons are framed to be collaboratively taught using the skills and expertise of the classroom teacher and teacher librarian.

Dr. Marilyn Arnone is the Director of Educational Media, Syracuse University Center for Digital Literacy and President of Creative Media Solutions.

Sharon Coatney is a former school library media specialist, a past president of the AASL and the Acquisitions Editor for School Library Media, Libraries Unlimited.