LibGuides: US Scientific Literacy: Home

Scientific Literacy

Scientific Literacy
Library Services

Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity. It also includes specific types of abilities. In the National Science Education Standards, the content standards define scientific literacy.

Scientific literacy means that a person can:

ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences
describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena
read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions
identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed
evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it
pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately

National Science Education Standards. National Academy Press, 1996, https://www.csun.edu/science/ref/curriculum/reforms/nses/nses-complete.pdf

The PDS libraries aim to cultivate literacy across all disciplines in order to provide students with the necessary skills to locate information, understand data, and think critically as global citizens. Librarians can provide many services to help teachers and students including:

Research Skills Lessons

databases
questioning/inquiry
evaluation sources
annotated bibliographies
literature reviews

Collaboration

lessons
projects
technology integration
book & resource recommendations
book purchasing

How can Library Help? Connect students and teachers to ....

Library Resources
Teaching Resources

Infobase Facts on File Databases This link opens in a new window
Facts on File Infobase source covers a wide variety of topics with more than 3,000 titles and spans a multitude of subject areas such as U.S. history, world history, language and literature, science and technology, careers, social issues, and many others. Our publishing program covers five reading levels: elementary (grades 3-5), middle school (grades 6-8), high school (grades 9-12), college/academic, and general adult. A
Global Issues in Context This link opens in a new window
Global Issues in Context spans continents and cultures to bring essential, balanced information to researchers across many academic disciplines. Integrating news, global viewpoints, reference, country information, primary source documents, videos, statistics and more in a single search, Global Issues in Context not only focuses on broad issues such as poverty and nuclear proliferation, it also prompts a close appraisal of targeted issues,
Ebscohost Databases This link opens in a new window
A powerful online reference system accessible via the Internet. It offers a variety of proprietary full text databases and popular databases from leading information providers. It includes Novelist, French and Spanish online databases, Points of View Database, and full text access to journals, magazine, and more.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a digital library founded in 1995. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now also includes books and primary sources, and current issues of journals. It provides full text searches of almost 2,000 journals.

The library also has print resources such as Scientific American, Popular Science, Orion, and The New York Times Science section.

Articles

Teaching Science Literacy
Four actions help teachers foster citizens who are critical thinkers about science-related issues.
Maria Grant and Diane Lapp, Educational Leadership, vol. 68, no. 6, 2011.
Literacy in Science: A Natural Fit
Discusses specific examples of classroom activities to successfully promote science literacy.
Janet Creech and Gina Hale, The Science Teacher, Feb 2006.

Tools

Integrating Literacy Strategies into Science Instruction
Curriculum collection from the American Museum of Natural History. Includes lesson ideas, strategies, graphic organizers, etc.
Listenwise
Listenwise is an award-winning listening skills platform. It harnesses the power of listening to advance literacy and learning in all students. Its collection of podcasts and public radio keeps teaching connected to the real world. Most of the podcasts include teaching tools such as assignment resources, discussion themes, quizzes, and class activities.
New York Times - The Learning Network
Articles, lessons, and resources for connecting curricular content and prinicples to current events.
Flipgrid
Video discussion platform which allows students and teachers to share ideas outside of the classroom.

Scientific Literacy Quiz
Excerpt from: Czerneda, Julie E. "Science Fiction and Scientific Literacy," The Science Teacher, vol. 73, no. 2, 2006, http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2007-07/tst0602_38.pdf
Source Evaluation Checklist
Developed by the Meriam Library, California State University, Chico
Explanation Tool
American Museum of Natural History
Explanation Tool Rubric
American Museum of Natural History
Evidence Thinking Tool
American Museum of Natural History
Paraphrasing Checklist
American Museum of Natural History
Questioning
Closed and open questioning worksheet used in middle school

US Scientific Literacy: Home

Scientific Literacy

How can Library Help? Connect students and teachers to ....

Upper School Librarian