When a class starts a new unit, novel, or concept, we collaborate with classroom teachers to create activities for students to analyze a variety of sources and provide background information. These activities usually involve various stations that students rotate through in the library. In this new time, we are creating virtual station rotations where students continue to access and analyze resources.
First, we decide what background information is needed to proceed through the unit. Some teachers elect to do a pre-assessment to determine what students already know. Once we have the topics, we start pulling resources from our online databases, quality websites like the Library of Congress, and locate other media as well from YouTube or other sources. If we have a resource in print from a previous year’s activity, we locate the source online or find something comparable.
Next, we determine what information literacy skills can be embedded into the stations. Click on the links for examples of activities that involve analyzing a photograph or completing a graphic organizer.
Archive.org’s Analyze a Photograph
Archive.org’s Educator Resources for More Analysis Documents
Graphic Organizers in Google Drawings Format
We also utilize citation tools like Noodletools or Citation Machine to cite the sources.
All the resources are gathered into a website organized by stations. Students navigate the website to visit each station and complete the activity.
For a recent assignment, students analyzed sources from four stations using online graphic organizers. Students created an annotated bibliography using the citation generators and the details from the graphic organizers.
For more information about the Station Rotation model, click on the links below.
Blended Learning Station Rotation Model
Station Rotation in an Era of Social Distancing
How to Make Station Rotation Work During Hybrid Learning
Author: Becca Munson
Becca Munson, Librarian, is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 24 years of experience in education. Becca is the Coordinator for Library Systems in the Blue Valley School District. Previously, she was school librarian at Blue Valley West High School. She opened two buildings in Blue Valley and spent some time as an Ed Tech Specialist before returning to libraries. Becca supports over 45 librarians and support staff as they work to fulfill the mission of flexible scheduling, collaboration, and literacy.
Categories: Blog Topics, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models
Thank you for this post and excellent example, Becca.
Yes! to station (or center) rotations in secondary school classroom-library collaborative units of instruction. Whether in the f2f library or classroom or online, the station rotations coteaching approach is effective for students, classroom teachers, and school librarians. Students enjoy the variety of tasks and educators have the opportunity to teach/reteach/coach/provide interventions with individual students or small groups. Win-win-win.
In your example, students will especially appreciate that you and your colleagues built in choice in Station #2 and choice and voice in Demonstrate Learning.
Do you know of anyone using this at the elementary level in libraries? I have written a lesson plan with this in mind for elementary, but would love some more ideas!
Dear Joanna,
My book Coteaching Reading Comprehension Strategies in Elementary School Libraries: Maximizing Your Impact (ALA 2013) includes 21 lessons plans, several of which use center rotations as an instructional approach.