Information Literacy Scope & Sequence
14 May 2012
The Inquiry Model
The following grade 1-5 benchmarks are
based on the ‘Collaborating to Create an
Information Literacy Continuum’ (Hurley,
2013), initiated by PYP librarian Eileen
Hurley in a collaborative effort to support
teacher-librarians who work within inquirybased learning environments. This
Literacy Continuum document is based on
the ‘New York City Information Fluency
Continuum’, the IB-based work of teacherlibrarian Ingrid Skirrow, the inquiry-based
work of Kath Murdoch and IB-based work
of teacher-librarian Dianne McKenzie and
the inquiry-based work of Barbara
Stripling.
Within the Elementary School, library
lessons are scheduled for grades 1 and 2
on weekly basis during half-hour timeslots
and for grade 3, 4 and 5 on a biweekly
basis during full-hour timeslots. The
teaching of information literacy skills is
strongly embedded in Language Arts
lessons and has links to all subject areas.
Library lessons allow within the library
context for the strengthening of
information literacy skills through
research-focused linking with the units of
inquiry.
.
Connect
Connect to self, previous
knowledge
Gain background and context
Observe, experience
Reflect
Wonder
Reflect on own learning
Ask new questions
Develop questions
Make predictions,
hypotheses
Express
Investigate
Apply understandings to new
context, situation
Express new ideas to share
learning with others
Find and evaluate information to answer
questions, test hypotheses
Think about information to illuminate new
questions and hypotheses
Construct
Construct new understandings
connected to previous knowledge
Draw conclusions about questions and
hypotheses
Based on Stripling, Barbara. Inquiring Minds Want To Know:
Using Primary Sources to Guide Inquiry Based Learning
Grades 1-2
Grade Expectations
Inquiry
Phase
Grade 1
Grade 2
Connect
○ Shares what is known about the general topic to elicit and
make connections to prior knowledge
○ Connects ideas to own interests by asking “I wonder”
questions about the research topic
○ Restates/retells and asks questions about the topic, problem
or question with guidance
○ Identifies the overall “big picture” idea by stating it orally or
drawing a picture
○ Identifies prior knowledge with regards to the inquiry
○ Recognizes that questions can be answered by finding
information
Wonder
○ Adds to a Know/Want to Know/Learned (KWL) chart (Ogle,
1986) by contributing relevant questions for W - Wonder
○ Asks “I wonder” questions about the research topic, based on
own interest, starting from the lines of inquiry
Investigate
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Construct
Demonstrates the ability to use the library and check out
books
Uses the correct terminology when referring to library
procedures
Distinguishes between fiction and nonfiction resources
Recognizes that nonfiction resources in the library are
organized by categories
Recognizes that fiction and picture books are organized by
the author’s last name in A-B-C order
Follows a modeled 3-step inquiry process (Super-3) during
research-oriented visits to the library
Selects and uses appropriate sources with guidance,
including picture dictionaries and beginning encyclopedias, to
answer questions
Distinguishes between fact and opinion
Finds information and briefly summarizes via writing,
drawing, or verbalization to answer research questions
○ Interprets information represented in pictures, illustrations,
○ Uses A-B-C arrangement of fiction and picture books to locate
books
○ Understand and uses the topical Dewey arrangement of
nonfiction books to locate nonfiction books
○ Recognizes the purpose of the online catalogue to locate
materials
○ Follows a modeled 6-step inquiry process (Big 6) during
research-oriented visit to the library
○ Uses a variety of print and online resources with guidance
○ Selects and uses appropriate sources with guidance, including
print and online encyclopedias, dictionaries, periodicals,
website and maps to answer questions
○ Writes, draws, or verbalizes the main idea and supporting
details
○ Uses simple note-taking strategies as demonstrated by teacher
○ Identifies the names of sources use
○ Demonstrates simple organizational skills such as sorting and
and simple charts and verbalizes the main idea
○ Completes the L portion of the KWL chart with what new
ideas were learned
○ Draws a conclusion about the main idea with guidance
categorizing
○ Compares new ideas with what was known at the beginning of
the inquiry
Express
○ Uses writing process to develop expression of new
understandings
○ Uses format chosen by the teacher
○ Presents facts and simple answers to questions
○ Begins to understand concept of “audience”
○ Presents information in variety of ways (e.g., art, music, poetry,
movement, verbally, and/or written language)
○ Uses technology tools chosen by teacher to create written
products
○ Presents information in a variety of ways (e.g., art, music,
poetry, movement, verbally, and/or written language)
Reflect
○ Asks, “What do I wonder about now?”
○ Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement
○ Completes the L portion of the KWL chart with what new
ideas were learned
○ Demonstrates the attributes of the learner profiles with
regards to their use of the library
○ Identifies possible actions, resulting from the investigation
○ Asks, “What do I wonder about now?”
○ Identifies own strengths and sets goals for improvement
Grades 3 to 5
Grade Expectations
Inquiry
Phase
Grade 3
Grade 4
Connect
○ Identifies own understanding of the
○ Breaks down the inquiry to identify main
inquiry
elements.
○ Connects ideas in texts to own interests ○ Generates a list of keywords for
○ States what is known about the problem
research-based project with guidance
or question and makes connections to
○ Asks questions to clarify topics or
prior knowledge
details
Grade 5
○ Creates mindmaps to identify existing
knowledge
○ Uses multiple sources to acquire
background information and
brainstorms ideas for further inquiry
○ Self-examines the inquiry to come to a
deeper understanding.
Wonder
○ Formulates questions about the topic
with guidance
○ Uses prior knowledge and
understanding of overall topic to make
predictions about what the new
information will reveal
○ Predicts answers to inquiry questions
based on background knowledge and
beginning observation or experience
○ Formulates questions about the topic
independently
○ Assesses questions to determine which
can be answered by simple facts, which
cannot be answered, and which would
lead to an interesting inquiry
○ Forms tentative thesis about main idea
with guidance
Investigate
○ Locates nonfiction material at
appropriate reading level
○ Searches the online catalogue (author,
title, and subject) with assistance to
locate materials
○ Uses bookmarked websites to find
appropriate information
○ Selects and uses multiple appropriate
print, non-print, electronic and human
sources (e.g., thesauri, general
encyclopedias) to answer questions
○ Uses at least two sources for research
projects
○ Questions text during reading or
listening
○ Uses simple note-taking strategies
(e.g., graphic organizers)
○ Identifies and uses the organizational
structures of a nonfiction book (table or
contents, index and glossary) to locate
information
○ Identifies the used resources during the
note-taking process
○ Searches the online catalogue (author,
title, and subject) independently to
locate materials
○ Uses selected search engines to find
appropriate information
○ Uses pre-selected primary sources to
gather information
○ Uses pre-selected web resources to
locate information
○ Selects and uses multiple appropriate
print, non-print, electronic and human
sources to answer questions
○ Uses skim/scan to locate information
that is appropriate to age and ability
level
○ Distinguishes between fact and opinion
○ Uses navigation tools of a website to
find information
○ Uses various note-taking strategies
(e.g., highlighting, graphic organizers)
○ Paraphrases, summarizes information
that answers research questions
○ Identifies and uses organizational
structures of a nonfiction book
(bibliography and appendix) to locate
information
Follows a model or template provided to
complete the inquiry project and follows
a timeline
○ Selects and uses a variety of multiple
appropriate print, non-print, electronic,
and human sources to answer questions
○ Uses navigation tools of a website to
find information
○ Uses prior knowledge and experiences
to understand new facts and ideas
○ Interprets information taken from maps,
graphs, charts and other visuals
○ Evaluates print and electronic
information for usefulness, relevance,
and accuracy
○ Determines important details
○ Uses various note-taking strategies
(e.g., outlining, underlining, bulleted
lists, highlighting, graphic organizers)
○ Uses note-taking information to make
notes, writing in own words what the
information means to help answer
research questions.
○ Uses software (e.g., word processing,
graphic organizing) to record and
organize information
○ Identifies and uses the organizational
structures of a nonfiction book (preface,
foreword and introduction) to locate
information
○ Maintains a bibliography of the different
used resources
○ Identifies and keeps track of the used
resources with some detail
Construct
○ Uses a variety of strategies to
determine important ideas
○ States the main idea
○ Organizes information using a teacherprovided tool
○ Identifies facts and details that support
main ideas
○ Notes similarities and differences in
information from two different sources
○ Uses common organizational patterns
(chronological order, main idea with
supporting details) to organize
information
○ Draws a conclusion about the main idea
○ Makes inferences with guidance
○ Forms opinion and uses evidence from
text to back it up
○ Organizes notes and ideas and
develops an outline or graphic organizer
○ Actively listens to and restates others’
ideas and contributes own ideas
Express
○ Communicates new understandings
through combining, predicting,
illustrating and constructing
○ Chooses the format for the product
based on personal preference or uses
format chosen by the teacher
○ Uses visuals and multimedia to
communicate meaning
○ Presents information clearly so that
main points are evident
○ Uses pre-writing to brainstorm ideas for
most effective way to present
conclusions
○ Drafts the presentation/product
○ Understands the concept of “audience”;
determines audience before creating
product
○ Uses writing process to develop
expression of new understandings
○ Cites all sources used according to
model provided by teacher
○ Uses a variety of technology tools
chosen by teacher to create products
○ Chooses the format for the product
based on personal preference or uses
format chosen by teacher
○ Modifies and revises own work based
on feedback from teacher and others
○ Checks for correctness and
completeness
Reflect
○ Identifies and evaluates the important
features for a good product
○ Assesses and revises own work with
guidance
○ Identifies own strengths and sets goals
for improvement
○ Asks “What more would I like to learn
about this topic?”
○ Identifies and evaluates the important
features for a good product
○ Assesses and revises own work with
guidance
○ Identifies and evaluates the important
features for a good product
○ Assesses and revises own work with
guidance
○ Relies on feedback to figure out how to
improve product and process
Bibliography
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41st International Association of School Librarianship Annual Conference. The Shifting Sands of School Librarianship, Qatar, Doha. N.p.: IASL, n.d.
N. pag. Print.
Callens, Jeroen. "Information Literacy Awareness within the Diploma Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate." Diss. The Robert Gordon
University, 2012. Print.
Hurley, E. F. et al., 2013. "Collaborating to Create an Information Literacy Continuum." InfoContinuum. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
"Information Fluency Continuum and Common Core Learning Standards." The New York City Department of Education, n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2013.
International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], (2008). MYP: From principles into practice. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate. Retrieved from
http://occ.ibo.org
Murdoch, Kath. "Phases of Inquiry." Phases of Inquiry.isf - Phasesofinquiry.pdf:. N.p., 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Ogle, Donna M. "K-W-L: A Teaching Model That Develops Active Reading of Expository Text." The Reading Teacher 39.6 (1986): 564-70. Print.
Skirrow, Ingrid. They Are Never Too Young to Develop Research Skills: Primary Age Students in the Library following the International Baccalaureate
Primary Years Programme. Proc. of 38th International Association of School Librarianship (IASL). 2-4 September 2009. Abano Terme: University of
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Stripling, Barbara. "Teaching Inquiry with Primary Sources." Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Quarterly 2.3 (2009): 2-4. Web. 14 May 2013.
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