All In a Day’s Work: Innovations that Make Work Easier

Day 1: Librarian will ask students to reflect on skills that they have and STEM and other jobs/careers that interest them. In some schools this is a part of the eighth grade curriculum, so students will have been considering this already. In small groups, students will brainstorm STEM and other careers that are of interest to them and their classmates. Teacher and librarian may help with this in conversation or by providing a list of careers to consider. Students will share out their lists of careers generated.

Librarian will ask groups to consider what tools might be needed for the careers that they have in mind. For example, librarian could discuss some of the innovations that have changed the job of librarians. Librarian could display a picture of a card catalog and explain how the card catalog worked. Then s/he could explain that now we use computer systems to manage the records of books using something called a MARC Record. Librarian explains how a MARC record works and reminds students how they use their OPAC to find books and to borrow and return books. Librarian explains how this innovation has made it easier to manage a library collection and has provided more privacy for students as they no longer have to sign their name on a card when they check out. 

Explain that students will be conducting interviews either in person or through an emailed list of questions with someone within each chosen career. Students will be asked to work together with their list of careers to come up with the questions that they think they should ask to research the innovations within that career by interview. Students can ask their interview subjects to think about the structure of their work day and all of the things that they have to do as a part of that day. For example, for a school librarian there will be parts of the day working with the collection, but a large part of the day will be teaching students. Different innovations may make each part of that job look different.

Students will work independently to generate a list of questions that they will use for an interview. Students will be directed to either avoid yes/no questions OR if they need a yes/no question they will need a follow up question to use with it. Students should be trying to generate questions that will prompt longer answers from their interview subjects. Students will submit their list of questions by the end of class or for homework. Librarian and teacher will then send out their questions to the relevant source. This is a great opportunity for students to understand that research can be conducted with an actual person.

Overview of day 2: Students will come back together after email responses have been received and will again work within their small groups to deconstruct what they learned.