Using the Public Library
Margaret Larson
Student
characteristics and level: Low Intermediate to Low High ESL students
in day program (Best Plus score 2 or better).
A. Instructional
Goals/Teacher Goals: Students will be able to access and use a
public library’s various resources.
B. Student Objectives –
Outcomes: They will demonstrate how to locate a library in their
town, list the scope of what libraries offer, show how to check-out
material and knowledge of what a due-date is, who to speak with if
confusion/questions arise, recognize, identify and calculate late fees.
Also, if the internet is available, how to access same.
a. Locate the public
library.
b. List what resources the library provides.
c. Communicate personal needs to library staff.
d. Complete the necessary form for a library card and understand
what types of personal identification is needed.
e. Demonstrate skill of using a computer to access internet.
C: Rationale - Public
libraries offer an array of free services from internet access, movie
rentals, “story hour” for children and of course, access to a large
source of reading material in many languages. Libraries also may provide
contacts/information with what other community services are available
through the information board. Any resident would benefit recognizing
and making a connection with their library to take advantage of the
services.
D. Content and Material,
Activities: Academic Skills Integrated onto the lesson:
- Group discussion using
props such as the brochure from the library and actual library books
that show the page where the due date is reflected. (Reading,
Vocabulary, Speaking)
- Overview and demonstration
on the class computer showing how to access the internet and
experiencing Trinidad’s library using it’s webpage,
http://carnegiepubliclibrary.org/. (Listening, Technology,
Reading)
- Cross Roads and/or various
other text books that offer exercises promoting recall of the
information covered. (Reading, Writing)
- Personal journals that
would reflect questions posed to them during the course of the class
and their answers to be shared during class time. (Writing,
Speaking)
E. Instructional procedures:
- Make a list answering such
questions as ”Do you like to go to your public library? Where is it
located? What is available there for you to do?”
- Review a brochure about the
services a library may have available and experience looking at an
actual library book.
- Discuss questions in a
group setting regarding any vocabulary or ideas a student may not
understand from the brochure.
- Answer true or false
statements regarding the information the students discussed and read
about the library.
- If the questions are false,
discuss in the same group what would make the statement true.
- Compare library services to
what they may have in their native countries.
- Create a mock situation for
the class, wherein they set up a conversation between a student and
a “librarian”. Several questions can be posed, including walking
through the procedure of checking out a book. They then must
calculate what over-due fines would apply if their book was late
given various due dates and when the book was actually returned.
- Each student takes turns
accessing a library website using the class computers.
F. Learning Assessments:
- Each step of the
instructional procedure will be followed up by a question and answer
period to evaluate each student’s foundation of proficiency.
- A quiz will be given and
certain skills (library card form, calculating over due material,
some general questions about the library) will be assessed in
written form.
- As each student progresses,
their skills and level of knowledge will be checked off in their
binder. Pairing students with a comfortable awareness of the
material with those that are struggling to discuss difficult ideas
and concepts should help assist those students who are burdened with
both the discussion format and written material.
G. Group activities:
- Sharing experiences and
what they already know about libraries.
- Reading and answering
questions together.
- Creating lists singularly
and then sharing their ideas and thoughts together.
- Creating games/mock
situations that cover important context.
H. Alternative Plans (Plan B)
Depending on what the students
learning ability is, these exercises can be altered.
Taking a field trip to the
library and showing the students where the library is located,
introducing them to the head librarian and participating in a guided
tour highlighting the areas discussed in the class: forms, resource
material, information board, and computer area and log-on procedures.
I.
Considerations of Cultures: