This document outlines an instructional unit planning guide using the Big6 model. It provides sections for defining content standards, skills, tasks, timelines, source evaluation, note taking, skills instruction, project synthesis, and assessment. Teachers and librarians will collaborate to introduce tasks, locate sources, teach skills, and develop final products and evaluations. Students will work individually or in groups to research topics, take notes, synthesize information, and present results in various formats with proper citations.

1. Instructional Unit Planning Guide
Names of teachers and librarian: __________________________
_____________________________________________________
Class: __________________ Date(s): ______________________
Content standards:
Information and technology skill standards:
Dates for instruction, etc:
Big6 #1: Task Definition
What is the task? (Consider defining an audience for the students’ final products. What problem
will students solve?)
What information do the students need to know (look up, find out) in order to accomplish the
task?
Who will introduce the task to the students? (___teacher, ___library media specialist, ___both)

2. How will students be grouped? (___individual, ___pairs, ___ groups of 3 or 4)
How much time will this take?
Big6 #2: Information Seeking Strategies
Which sources will students use to acquire information? (consider library books, materials from
subscription databases, sites on the free Web, videos, and human sources—survey, interview,
observation—as appropriate)
Who will evaluate sources for accuracy and authority? (___teacher/library media specialist,
___student)
How will you provide a list of sources to students? (___present list to students, ___ allow class to
brainstorm, then teacher/library media specialist will add to and edit the list)
Big6 #3: Location and Access
How will students locate sources and information within sources?
What instruction do students need prior to locating sources? (Consider index and table of
contents, keyword identification and listing related words, various search options on
subscription databases, etc.)
Who will teach these skills? (___teacher, ___library media specialist, ___both)
How much time will this take?
Big6 #4: Use of Information
How will students use sources? (read, listen, view, etc,)
How will students evaluate information for relevancy?
What note-taking method will students use?
What organizer will they use to record notes?

3. How will students cite sources? ___MLA ___APA ___Other ___________________
___ Electronically (NoodleTools, CitationMachine, EasyBib, etc.)
___ Use template provided by teacher
___ Use style manual
What instruction do students need prior to taking notes?
Who will teach these skills? (___teacher, ___library media specialist, ___both)
How much time will this take?
Big6 #5: Syntheses
How will students organize their notes and put together information from the sources they used?
How will students show evidence of higher-level thought in their final product?
Which transferable skills will students use to create the product? (Circle all that apply:
composition, technology, production, performance, and presentation skills)
In what format will they present their results (final product)?
What materials will be needed? Who will gather these? (___teacher, ___library media specialist,
___both)
How will they give credit to sources used?
Who will teach these skills? (___teacher, ___library media specialist, ___both)
How much time will this take?
Big6 #6: Evaluation
How will students evaluate their own efforts? (Circle one: rubric, scoring guide, checklist,
informal written evaluation)
Who will create the evaluation instrument? (___ teacher, ___library media specialist, ___both,
___student input)
How much time will this take?
Assessment—Who will assess:
Final product? _________________ Notes/bibliography?_________________________
Sources used? ________________________ Other? _____________________________