Information Literacy Standards

BENCHMARKS: INFORMATION LITERACY STANDARDS

The following chart represents 5^th – 12^th grade curriculum benchmarks for the American Library Association’s “Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning” including descriptors and outcome measures.

Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Descriptor	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Recognizes the need for information.	Gives examples of situations in which additional information (beyond one's own knowledge) is needed to resolve an information problem or question.	When faced with an information problem or question, determines whether additional information (beyond one's own knowledge) is needed to resolve it.	Assesses whether a range of information problems or questions can be resolved based on one's own knowledge or whether additional information is required.
b. Recognizes that accurate and comprehensive information is the basis for intelligent decision making.	Selects examples of accurate and inaccurate information and of complete and incomplete information for decision making.	Explains the differences between accurate and inaccurate information and complete and incomplete information for decision-making.	Judges the quality of decisions in terms of the accuracy and completeness of the information on which they were based.
c. Formulates questions based on information needs.	States at least one broad question that will help in finding needed information.	States both broad and specific questions that will help in finding needed information.	Revises, adds, and deletes questions as information needs change.
d. Identifies a variety of potential sources of information.	Lists several sources of information and explains the kind of information found in each.	Brainstorms a range of sources of information that will meet an information need.	Uses a full range of information sources to meet differing information needs.
e. Develops and uses successful strategies for locating information.	Lists some ideas for how to identify and find needed information.	Explains and applies a plan to access needed information.	Formulates and revises plans for accessing information for a range of needs and situations.

Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently.

Descriptor	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Determines accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness.	Defines or gives examples of the terms "accuracy," "relevance," and "comprehensivenes"	Compares and contrasts sources related to a topic to determine which are more accurate, relevant, and comprehensive.	Judges the accuracy, relevance, and completeness of sources and information in relation to a range of topics and information problems.
b. Distinguishes among fact, point of view, and opinion..	Recognizes fact, opinion, and point of view in various information sources and products.	Explains how fact, point of view, and opinion are different from one another.	Assembles facts, opinions, and point of view as appropriate in one's own work.
c. Identifies inaccurate and misleading information.	Recognizes inaccurate or misleading information in information sources and products.	Explains why inaccurate and misleading information can lead to faulty conclusions.	Judges and supports judgements of the degree of inaccuracy, bias, or misleading information in information sources and products.
d. Selects information appropriate to the problem or question at hand.	Recognizes information that is applicable to a specific information problem or question.	Analyzes information from a variety of sources to determine its applicability to a specific information problem or question.	Integrates accurate, relevant, and comprehensive information to resolve an information problem or question.

Benchmarks: Information Literacy Standards

Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively

Descriptors	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Organizes information for practical application	Describes several ways to organize information - for example, chronologically, topically, and hierarchically.	Organizes information in different ways according to the information problem or question at hand.	Organizes an information product that presents different
b. Integrates new information into one's own knowledge	Recognizes and understands new information and ideas.	Draws conclusions by combining what is already known about a topic with new information.	Integrates one's own previous knowledge with information from a variety of sources to create new meaning.
c. Applies information in critical thinking and problem solving.	Identifies information that meets a particular information need.	Uses information from a variety of sources to resolve an information problem or question.	Devises creative approaches to using information to resolve information problems or questions.
d. Produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats.	Names a variety of different formats for presenting different kinds of information.	Chooses an appropriate format for presenting information based on the information itself, the audience, and the nature of the information problem or question.	Chooses the most appropriate format for presenting information and justifies that choice.

Benchmarks: Independent Learning Standards

Standard 4: the student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests.

Descriptors

Grade 5

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Grade 8

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Grade 12

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a. Seeks information related to various dimensions of personal well-being, such as career interests, community involvement, health matters, and recreational pursuits.

Occasionally seeks information about aspects of personal interest or well-being.

Generally goes beyond one's on knowledge to seek information on aspects of personal interest or well-being.

Explores a range of sources to find information on aspects of personal interest or well-being.

b. Designs, develops, and evaluates information products and solutions related to personal interests.

Organizes and presents basic information related to topics of personal interests.

Creates information products and solutions related to topics of personal interest.

Judges the quality of one's own information products and solutions related to topics of personal interest.

Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information.

Descriptors	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Is a competent and self-motivated reader.	Explains and discusses various examples of fiction.	Chooses fiction and other kinds of literature to read and analyzes literary plots, themes, and characters.	Reads avidly and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the literature read.
b. Derives meaning from information presented creatively in a variety of formats.	Explains and discusses films, plays, and other creative presentations of information.	Analyzes and explains information presented creatively in various formats.	Evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of various creative presentations of information.
c. Develops creative products in a variety of formats.	Expresses information and ideas creatively in simple formats.	Expresses information and ideas creatively in products that combine several formats.	Expresses information and ideas creatively in unique products that integrate information in a variety of formats.

Benchmarks: Independent Learning Standards

Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

Descriptors

Grade 5

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Grade 8

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Grade 12

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a. Assesses the quality of the process and products of personal information seeking.

Retraces the steps taken to find information and explains which were most useful for resolving an information problem or question.

Assesses each step of the information-seeking process related to a specific information problem and assesses the result.

Evaluates the information-seeking process at each stage as it occurs and makes adjustments as necessary to improve both the process and the product.

b. Devises strategies for revising, improving, and updating self-generated knowledge.

Explains basic strategies for revising, improving, and updating work.

Selects and applies appropriate strategies for revising, improving, and updating work.

Recognizes gaps in one's own knowledge and selects and applies appropriate strategies for filling them.

Standard 7: The students who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society.

Descriptors

Grade 5

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Grade 8

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Grade 12

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a. Seeks information from diverse sources, contexts, disciplines, and cultures.

Identifies several appropriate sources for resolving an information problem or question.

Uses a variety of sources covering divers perspectives to resolve an information problem or question.

Seeks sources representing a variety of contexts, disciplines, and cultures and evaluates their usefulness for resolving and information problem or question.

b. Respects the principle of equitable access to information.

Explains why it's important for all classmates to have access to information, to information sources, and to information technology.

Uses information, information sources, and information technology efficiently so that they are available for others to use.

Proposes strategies for ensuring that classmates and others have equitable access to information, to information sources, and to information technology.

Benchmarks: Social Responsibility Standards

Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology.

Descriptors	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Respects the principles of intellectual freedom.	Defines or gives examples of "intellectual freedom."	Analyzes a situation (e.g., a challenge to a book or video in the library media center) in terms of its relationship to intellectual freedom.	Predicts what might happen if the principles of intellectual freedom were ignored in one's own community.
b. Respects intellectual property rights.	Gives examples of what it means to respect intellectual property rights.	Analyzes situations (e.g., the creation of a term paper or the development of a multimedia product) to determine the steps necessary to respect intellectual property rights.	Avoids plagiarism, cites sources properly, makes copies and incorporates text and images only with appropriate clearance, etc., when creating information products.
c. Uses information technology responsibly.	States the main points of school policy on using computing and communication hardware, software, and networks.	Locates appropriate information efficiently with the school's computing and communications hardware, software, and networks.	Follows all school guidelines related to the use of computing and communications hardware, software, and networks when resolving information problems or questions.

Benchmarks: Social Responsibility Standards

Standard 9: The students who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

Descriptors	Grade 5 Benchmark	Grade 8 Benchmark	Grade 12 Benchmark
a. Shares knowledge and information with others.	Contributes to group efforts by seeking and communicating specific facts, opinions, and points of view related to information problems or questions.	Using information sources, selects information and ideas that will contribute directly to the success of group projects.	Integrates one's own knowledge and information with that of others in the group.
b. Respects others' ideas and backgrounds and acknowledges their contributions.	Describes others' ideas accurately and completely.	Encourages consideration of ideas and information from all group members.	Helps organize and integrate the contributions of all the members of the group into information products.
c. Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to identify information problems and to seek their solutions.	Expresses one's own ideas appropriately and effectively, in person and remotely through technologies, when working in groups to identify and resolve information problems.	Participates actively in discussions with others, in person and remotely through technologies, to analyze information problems and to suggest solutions.	Participates actively in discussions with others, in person and remotely through technologies, to devise solutions to information problems that integrate group members' information and ideas.
d. Collaborates with others, both in person and through technologies, to design, develop and evaluate information products and solutions.	Works with others, in person and remotely through technologies, to create and evaluate simple information products.	Works with others, in person and remotely through technologies, to create and evaluate products that communicate complex information and ideas.	Works with others, in person and remotely through technologies, to create and evaluate complex information products that integrate information in a variety of formats.