Friday, August 12, 2011

Information Literacy Bulletin Board Ideas

The movement for bulletin boards is to embrace "interactivity."  Don't just post something that is "readable," but rather design a display that requires participation.   Pick a theme and see whether your students can:
  • Suggest a contribution (great books, best non-fiction, best summer read, etc.)
  • Find an answer to the question (How can I find a book? Why do you like the library? Why should you learn to read? etc.)
  • Identify a date, time, theme, etc. 
You get the picture--not just read, but react.  Here are a few information literacy themed bulletin board ideas that require student interaction:
  • "2 Truths and a Lie" theme--  Place three pictures on the board with correct and incorrect usage according to [MLA] citation and ask the kids to identify the incorrect -- place the answer underneath the original as it could flip up. 
  • "2 Truths and a Lie" theme-- Place a few samples of correct/incorrectly usage of intellectual property (according to Carol Simpson - Copyright for Educators) and ask the kids to identify which is not kosher.  
  •  Ethical Use of Information Scenarios... this might be more appropriate for secondary students, but if you use music, video, quotations, common knowledge, etc.,  you could really drive home one piece of AASL & ISTE standards.   
  • Which Source Would You Use For...   Place color photo-copied covers of reference books or online information sources and underneath the cover place scenarios for which you might use the book.   Have a list of questions in the middle that might require the student to consult a source.  
  • Why should I care?  -  Ask a question and invite students to thumbtack up the answer on your board (anonymously).  The questions could change weekly.    Why does it matter if you cite your source?   Why should I care whether I received my information from a credible source?    These essential questions might actually be a "learning objective" of your lesson and you could require the students to complete an index card on the way out with the answer (ticket to leave).  This will display evidence of student learning and will score you points on an observation.  You will have displayed evidence of student learning.   In addition, you have displayed student work, and can fill you bulletin board.   If you use a differing color index card each week, you could build a multi-colored display. 
  • Is this source credible?  - Find bizarre stories online at Google Magazines ( and perhaps choose some stories from Weekly World News such as:

Ask the students why they would or wouldn't use the sources.  Be sure to include credible, accurate and reliable info in addition to wacky, questionable, etc.   If you have some weirdo stories, they'll be more apt to stop and read your display!   Enjoy.

Here's another  bulletin board idea from 2009:

On one side represent 
On the other print a Database title (or a few).
Cover the Google sign with garbage (litter, gum wrappers, Styrofoam cups, crumpled magazine ads, dirty napkins, Stick in a few good website printouts (CDC, .org,, NYcareerzone, etc.) On the database side, place a few captivating printouts on high-interest topics as well as scholarly printout, etc. "Valid Information Resides Here"
This visual representation is one more additional way to "Market Information Literacy". Remember--we are living in a visually infested atmosphere, and that is the stronger default modality. Send me your photos if you do this and I will post them here!  

Someone recently asked me for additional info lit bulleting board ideas.  Remember from earlier postings-- the movement for bulletin boards is to make them interactive, reactive--rather than static.   Here are a few additional ideas to ponder:

  • We are living in the Age of Misinformation!  Which one of the following is true?
    (Place random facts both true and plausible--but not true.)
  • If you were diagnosed with a disease, where would you go for information?
    (Place good and bad sources on the envelopes...Depending upon which source they choose, they would have a likelihood of getting well... "You lose...  Placebo... Find a new doctor....Congrats! You will likely recover...etc.
  • What keywords would you choose to answer the following questions?
    (Question on the outside, keywords under the flap.)
  • Library Lingo for Lucky Searching... "I'm feeling lucky" picture on Google.
    Can they  get a good hit on Google with correct Keywords?  You provide the questions. (Personally, I don't like this feature, but your students might have fun with this.)
  • Information, Misinformation, Disinformation, Information Pollution & Information Overload.... Are you suffering from TMI?
    Statistics for Google being a Garbage Dump of Information? (Make up the statistics and see who verifies any of them... prizes for those who find out! No sources cited?)
  • Sherlock Holmes style detective head with comment bubble, "What's your source?"   Have random facts that open with the source underneath.
  •  "You can ACCESS anything with your phone...but how do you know it's true?"   Random Facts from the Internet.  Cite your source! 
  • It's plausible, but is it true?   Investigate the source. 
Have fun.  Mix and match the ideas above to customize your own interactive bulletin board!

(image from Creative Commons:

    See other posts on InfoLit Bulletin Board ideas:


  1. Awesome, Creative Ideas! I needed an idea for a board i needed to do tomorrow...and i found it.

  2. Rất hay ! cảm ơn vì thông tin hữu ích của bạn ! Rất vui khi xem thông tin của bạn.
    kính cường lực
    sữa tươi devondale