Lesson Plan

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Information Literacy Lesson Plan
Maggie Davis
ITEC 7136

Background Information

This lesson is designed for 9th grade Biology students who are currently
studying the cell cycle and DNA. These students will choose a type of cancer
to research and then find information about the causes, symptoms, etc. of
the chosen cancer. These students will then create an electronic poster
(Power Point slide) of their cancer. The media specialist will teach a short
lesson on the definition of plagiarism and how to avoid it by using citations.
The media specialist will also provide a pathfinder on cancer for the students
to use when researching cancer.

Time Frame: 120 minutes (60 minutes for the Information Literacy Lesson
and 60 minutes for the creation of the electronic slide.)

Audience: One 9th grade Biology class

Standards:
Subject Matter Standards: GPS Biology Standards:
SB2. Students will analyze how biological traits are passed on to
successive generations.
a. Describe the relationships between changes in DNA and potential
appearance of new traits including
• Alterations during replication.
• Insertions
• Deletions
• Substitutions
• Mutagenic factors that can alter DNA.
• High energy radiation (x-rays and ultraviolet)
• Chemical

Information Literacy Standards: AASL Standards for the 21st Century

Learner:
1. Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge
1.1.5. Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of
accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance and for social and
cultural context.
1.3.1. Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and
producers.
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Enduring Understandings:
Subject matter: Students will understand that:
• The relationship between DNA and visible traits in organisms creates
genetic diversity.
• DNA is the recipe for life.
• Natural variations in the genetic code can be harmful or helpful.
• Spontaneous changes in DNA can affect an organism’s ability to
survive.

Information Literacy: Students will understand that…

• Ideas of others can be stolen just as easily tangible objects.

Essential Questions:
• Subject matter EQ: How do you know if you are normal?
• Information Literacy EQ: When can you get away with stealing?

Knowledge:
• Information Literacy: Students will know…
o the definition of plagiarism
o how to recognize instances of plagiarism
o how to cite sources to avoid plagiarizing
• Subject matter: Students will know…
o the causes, symptoms and types of cancer
o the various ways cancer is treated
Skills:
• Information Literacy: Students will be able to…
o define plagiarism
o use a pathfinder to research a particular type of cancer.
o summarize the information researched and cite it correctly.
o create a power point slide informing others of the cancer
researched.
• Subject matter:
o define cancer
o compare and contrast various types and causes of cancer
o list and define the various treatments for cancer

Assessments
• Students that are able to summarize and cite their research correctly,
using the summarizing sheet will have their name entered into a 1000
ml beaker. A name will be drawn. The winner will receive an Airhead
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(to remind them of what NOT to be.) The summaries and citations will
be assessed by the media specialist through observation.
• The students will create a power point slide with correct summary of
research as well as correct citations. See assignment and rubric.

Materials Needed:
• Wireless computer lab

Procedure:

Day One: The media specialist will begin the information literacy
portion of the lesson by asking the teenagers if they have ever stolen
anything. This will be an instant hook as many teenagers have either
stolen something or they know someone who has stolen something. After
some discussion with the students, the media specialist will then ask “When
can you get away with stealing?” This will lead to the term “plagiarism”
and the definition of plagiarism. The media specialist will continue
discussing examples of plagiarism and how to avoid plagiarism. This will
lead to the discussion of the importance of citations. (Please see the power
point on plagiarism.)
The media specialist will then give everyone a laptop and allow them
to access the internet. The media specialist will then say “We are going to
practice how to research, summarize and cite information correctly so that
we can avoid stealing someone else’s ideas.” She will hand out the Cancer
Summary Sheet and direct the students to the pathfinder on cancer located
at http://www.engdav.net/media/pathfinder.php. She will say “This is a
pathfinder to guide you on your quest for good, reliable information on
cancer.” (The students are already aware of their type of cancer they are to
research as the science teacher had the students sign up for “their cancer”
during the previous class.) She will then say “As you research for
information on cancer, please summarize your information in the appropriate
boxes. Please make sure that you are writing down citation information as
well.” The smart board at the front of the room will display the information
needed for the students to cite the source correctly. The students will also
be encouraged to go to the teacher’s website http://www.engdav.net to
access the links on MLA citations that were shown on the plagiarism power
point a few minutes prior. The media specialist will circulate the room
checking summarizing sheets to make sure that information has been
summarized and cited correctly. Everyone who is able to cite correctly and
not “steal” will have their name entered into a 1000 ml beaker. At the end
of the period, a name will be drawn. The winner will receive an Airhead (to
remind them of what NOT to be.)

Day Two: The second day will be used by the students to create their
electronic poster (power point slide) using the wireless computer lab. The
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media specialist will check in periodically to see if help is needed with power
point, but will otherwise not be present; the class will be managed solely by
the regular classroom teacher. The electronic posters will be emailed to the
classroom teacher who will then compile the slides and post the completed
slide show on her website.
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Cancer Summary Sheet Name:
______________________
Back to day one

Instructions:
Use the pathfinder at http://www.engdav.net/media/pathfinder.php to
locate information on cancer. As you find information that is useful to you
(see other handout), please summarize that information in the spaces below.
Please write the information that will be needed to cite the source as well.
You are required to summarize from 3 sources. Good luck! 

Please provide the name of the cancer that you would like to research in the
space provided. (This must be approved by the teacher.)
____________________

Source #1:
Summarized Information:

Citation Information:
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Source #2
Summarized Information:

Citation Information:

Source #3
Summarized Information:

Citation Information:
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All About Cancer Name: __________________________________
Back to day one

Cancer name: __________________________________________

Instructions:

• Once you have been informed of plagiarism, researched your

information, summarized your information, and obtained the
information needed to cite your sources, you will then complete the
following mission:
o Your mission is to create ONE power point slide (think of this as
you making an electronic poster) that informs others of the type
of cancer that you have researched. Your slide should have the
following information:
 The name of your cancer
 Causes
 Symptoms
 Treatments
 Other interesting information (pictures and graphics are
nice here, be sure to give credit where credit is due)
 Correct citations for your sources
o Please refer to the rubric for information as to how I will grade
you. Be creative and original!!!!!
o Once you have made your electronic poster, please email your
slide to me. I will then compile all of the slides into a power point
for your viewing pleasure.

Good luck and have fun!!!! 

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Back
HyperStudio/Powerpoint Appearance and Content :
PowerPoint Slide Rubric
Teacher Name: Maggie
Davis
Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Content - All content Most of the The content is Content is
Accuracy throughout the content is generally typically
presentation is accurate but accurate, but confusing or
accurate. There there is one one piece of contains more
are no factual piece of information is than one factual
errors. information that clearly flawed or error.
might be inaccurate.
inaccurate.
Background Background does Background does Background Background
not detract from not detract from somewhat makes it difficult
text or other text or other detracts from to see text or
graphics and is graphics. text or other competes with
appropriate for graphics. other graphics
the topic. on the page.
Spelling and Slide has no Slide has 1-2 Slide has 1-2 Slide has more
Grammar misspellings or misspellings, but grammatical than 2
grammatical no grammatical errors but no grammatical
errors. errors. misspellings. and/or spelling
errors.

Text - Font Font formats Font formats Font formatting Font formatting
Choice & (e.g., color, bold, have been has been makes it very
Formatting italic) have been carefully planned carefully planned difficult to read
carefully planned to enhance to complement the material.
to enhance readability. the content. It
readability and may be a little
content. hard to read.
Citations All work is cited There is 1 error There are 2 or Work has not
correctly. in the citation. more errors in been cited.
the citation.

Target: 18-20 points

Acceptable: 15-17 points
Unacceptable: 14 points and below

Your score: _________________________________________

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Reflection

For my first experience collaborating in the role of the media specialist,

I think I did an okay job. I feel as though I did well for my first time around.

I certainly was out of my comfort zone!!! As I look back, I find several

successes and several places in which I could improve.

I chose to collaborate with a colleague of mine, a fellow science

teacher that teaches in my department. We both teach ninth graders, and

we share assignments regularly. We get along really well, so I thought that if

I used her students to “practice on”, she would not mind. I approached her

about this assignment, and she was all for it. We soon began discussing the

science lesson that we would use to go along with my information literacy

lesson. I found it difficult to find the extra time needed to plan with

someone else. We, as a school, already have so much planning that we have

to do. We plan with our fellow Biology department colleagues as well with

special education co-teachers. We also must meet with the entire science

department weekly to plan as a group; it was difficult to squeeze in extra

time to collaborate about one lesson. Even though she gave much needed

input about the subject matter and the difficulty level that the students of, I

felt as though that I did not collaborate enough. Many times, just due to

scheduling conflicts, I just ran my ideas across her and waited for her

approval. We squeezed in time to collaborate between classes, at lunch

and after school when we could. Fortunately, she was very accommodating

and allowed me to do basically whatever I wanted to do for my lesson. I can

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only imagine working with a teacher that was not as accommodating and

easy to work with as my colleague. In the future, I really need to figure out a

way to collaborate more. It is difficult when you and your collaborative

partner have different planning times. When I am a media specialist, I will

be able to go to the teachers during their planning times; this will hopefully

make it easier to plan appropriately.

The students had already been taught the information on cancer, so I

began the lesson with the PowerPoint of plagiarism. We discussed

plagiarism and avoiding plagiarism by using citations. The students were

already aware of the definition of plagiarism and some examples of

plagiarism. There were some surprises, though, at what the students did not

know. The students thought that as long as the words in a sentence were

changed a little, that they were “in the clear”. They were baffled at the

thought that they were still “committing a crime.” (I always enjoy it when

the imaginary light bulb shines above their heads when they understand

something.) As we moved into the “how to cite” portion of the lesson, the

students knew a great deal about how to cite a book. They were

knowledgeable about reference materials as well. When we discussed citing

websites, the students thought they only needed the URL. We discussed

the need for other information, the date retrieved, the author’s name (if

given), etc. One of the students mentioned easybib.com which I then found

and put on the smart board. We went through how to use this site as well.

When we got to the end of the PowerPoint, I asked them if I was guilty of
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plagiarism. Many of the kids said that I wasn’t because I mentioned

Merriam Webster in the PowerPoint. After some discussion, we decided that

I was guilty since I did not give credit to the sources that gave me my ideas.

I found it amusing that they all thought I should pay a fine.

The technology part of the lesson was probably my most successful

portion of my lesson. We have smart boards in all the science rooms and

some of us have the notebooks that allow us to control the smart board from

any place in the room. I was able to stand behind the students and watch

their laptop computer screens as I guided them through the pathfinder with

the smart board. They were able to see my computer just as I was able to

see theirs. It worked so well in that I could easily explain what they were

doing wrong. The bad part to that was I did not know their names!!! It was

difficult to call on them if there was a problem. Fortunately, my colleague

was there to help!!!

Even though my pathfinder was not the most exciting, the kids liked

the fact there were sites to choose from. They were not allowed to go to

google at all which was tough for them. Many kids asked if they could just

“google” their cancer. This was a good experience for them, to break

themselves of a habit. Many students opted to open a word document

window so they could type their summaries and sources rather than

handwrite the information on my handout. My colleague and I thought that

was a great idea, one that we should have thought of and didn’t. Most kids

had their flash drives with them so they were able to save their work when
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they were finished. Most of the questions that we had from students were

about figuring out the proper way to document the source for an internet

site. I was busy answering citation questions while my colleague was busy

approving cancer topics. I had them print their summaries at the end of the

period (even if they were not done). We then drew a name for the Airhead.

The students loved this (which I found interesting). Unfortunately,

absolutely no one used any of the books that I checked out of the media

center. While only four books were listed on the pathfinder, there were

thirteen available in the room. I almost felt as though it was a waste of my

time to go and check out the books. I think next time I might require the

students to use a book as one source.

The second day of the lesson consisted of the creation of the

PowerPoint slide. I dropped in a couple of times to see if anyone had any

questions. The students knew so much about PowerPoint; I was not needed

much at all. I did help a couple of students insert a hyperlink into a slide. At

that point, I was only being used as an extra set of eyes and ears to help out.

I think that the students benefited by having two adults in the room. With so

many questions throughout those two days, the kids were able to get their

questions answered far more quickly than if my colleague had been left to

fend for herself.

Even though I felt as though I could have done so much better, I felt

successful in that I taught them something that they did not already know in

an area that was, and still is, completely out of my comfort zone. Being out
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of my comfort zone was not fun. I felt that at any moment the students

would ask me a question about citations or plagiarism that I did not know. I

felt anxious and on edge much of the period, even though I was extremely

prepared, just because it was the first time I ever taught that topic. I felt like

a brand new teacher again. That feeling is not a feeling that I particularly

enjoy. I know that gaining the knowledge that I need to feel comfortable

will come with time.