My name is Ms. Cowe and I’m the school librarian at Olmsted Library 156 in Buffalo, NY.
I have been a school librarian for over 20 years and I like to focus on information literacy, research skills, and book promotion activities such as book clubs and book reviews. I am also a published poet and a musician with a special interest in the creative arts.
Grade 5 Assessments and Priority Skills
5.1 Key Words from Background Information
5.2 Writing Questions That Lead to Inquiry
5.3 Predicting Answers to Inquiry Questions
5.4 Using Predictions to Write a Tentative Thesis Statement
5.5 Using Predictions to Write an Hypothesis
5.7 Selecting the Right Sources
5.9 Evaluating Information within a Source
5.10 The Effects of Different Perspectives on Issues/Topics
5.11 Determining Important Ideas
5.12 Notetaking to Answer Questions
5.15 Mapping the Main Idea and Supporting Facts
5.17 Using Evidence to Support Opinions
5.18 Claim, Reasoning and Evidence
5.19 Communicating Ideas to an Audience
5.20 Using Feedback to Revise My Work
5.25 Impact of Author or Narrator Point of View
5.26 Evaluating the Effect of Media Elements
5.27 Challenging Own Assumptions with Multiple Viewpoints
5.29 Social and Emotional Strengths
Grade 6 Assessments and Priority Skills
6.1 Key Words from Background Information
6.2 Writing Questions That Lead to Inquiry
6.5 Analyzing and Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources
6.7 Important and Unimportant Details
6.11 Claim, Evidence and Interpretation
6.12 Conclusions and Supporting Evidence
6.16 Evaluating the Impact of Media
6.17 Skills of Public Speaking
6.18 Evaluating and Comparing Sources
Grade 7 Assessment and Priority Skills
7.1 Prior Knowledge Background Information and Inquiry Questions
7.2 Developing Focus Questions
7.3 Refining Research Question to Search for Different Types of Information
7.4 Using Predictions to Write a Tentative Thesis Statement
7.5 Using Predictions to write an Hypothesis
7.7 Using Website Navigation Tools to Find Information
7.8 Evaluating Information within a Source
7.10 The Effects of Different Perspectives on Issues/Topics
7.11 Fact Checking Information
7.13 Evaluating the Development of a Claim/Argument
7.18 Organizing by Chronological Order
7.21 Drawing Conclusions from Information
7.22 Claim, Evidence and Interpretation
7.25 Analyzing and Drawing Inferences from Visual Text
7.26 Communicating Ideas to an Audience
7.27 Creating and Delivering an Effective Presentation
7.28 The Skills of Public Speaking
7.29 Challenging Assumptions and Misinformation
7.30 Challenging Own Assumptions with Multiple Viewpoints
7.31 Using Social Media Responsibly
7.33 Historical or Social Context and Empathy
Grade 8
Grade 8 Assessments and Priority Skills
8.1 Narrowing Down a Large Topic
8.2 Narrowing Down a Large Topic - Example
8.3 Refining Research Question to Search for Different Types of Information
8.4 Locating Appropriate Resources
8.9 Notetaking to Answer Questions
8.10 Point of View Influences Interpretation of Information
8.12 Making Inferences from FACTS
8.14 Claim, Evidence and Reasoning
8.15 Claim, Reasoning, Evidence and Counter Claims
8.18 Individual Experience of Inquiry
8.21 Deconstructing Media Claims and Arguments
8.22 Matching Presentation Language with Purpose and Content
8.23 Critical Source Evaluation Strategies
8.24 Ethical Decisions about Creation and Sharing of Information
Readings and Books
Ms. Cowe, MLS
Librarian
The Frederick Law Olmsted School @ Kensington (156)
In-school Extension: 1200 or 1630
Outside School #: 716-816-4330 -- 4330 Option 1,6,1
Email: bjcowe@buffaloschools.org