Library Skills in Grade 5 help students learn how to use a library effectively for research, reading, and independent learning. At this stage, children practice locating books, understanding how catalogs work, and evaluating different types of resources. They also develop skills in note-taking, summarizing, and citing sources correctly. By learning how to ask the right questions and find reliable information, students gain confidence in using libraries both online and offline. These skills are essential for future school projects, lifelong learning, and developing a love for reading. Below are 60 assignments divided into starter, practice, and challenge levels, designed to encourage Grade 5 learners to explore libraries and information resources with curiosity and independence.
🟢 Starter
- Find a book in the library that has your favorite animal on the cover.
- Identify the author and illustrator of a picture book.
- Learn what the word “nonfiction” means by looking at library sections.
- Browse a magazine and share one interesting fact.
- Ask the librarian where the fiction section is located.
- Find a dictionary and look up a new word.
- Explore the difference between hardcover and paperback books.
- Locate a book with more than 100 pages.
- Identify three parts of a book: title, table of contents, and index.
- Pick a storybook and explain why you chose it.
- Learn how to check out a book with your library card.
- Practice putting books back in the right shelf order.
- Discover the biography section and name one famous person you see.
- Find a book written more than 20 years ago.
- Compare the covers of two books and ask which looks more interesting.
- Explore the difference between a library and a bookstore.
- Look for a book with pictures and one without.
- Identify the call number on a book spine.
- Ask the librarian how books are organized.
- Choose a book and share what you think it might be about before reading.
🟡 Practice
- Use the library catalog to search for a book about planets.
- Compare two nonfiction books about the same topic.
- Write down the title and author of three books you borrowed.
- Find a reference book and explain what it is used for.
- Practice taking notes from a short text.
- Locate a book by an author whose last name starts with “M.”
- Compare how information is presented in a book and on a website.
- Find a story that has been made into a movie.
- Explore how books are arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name.
- Use the index of a book to find a topic quickly.
- Identify the copyright year of a book.
- Choose two books on history and explain one difference.
- Practice summarizing a short article in your own words.
- Find a book that won an award (like Newbery Medal).
- Write down the Dewey Decimal number of a nonfiction book.
- Discover how to renew a book online or at the desk.
- Compare a library e-book with a printed book.
- Explore why some books are kept in a “reference only” section.
- Practice citing a book in proper format (author, title, year).
- Ask a librarian about their favorite book.
🔴 Challenge
- Research how the Dewey Decimal System works and explain it.
- Locate three books on the same subject and compare their reliability.
- Create your own mini “library catalog” for five books at home.
- Investigate why plagiarism is harmful and how to avoid it.
- Practice making a bibliography for a short project.
- Study how encyclopedias are organized.
- Find two sources with different opinions on the same topic.
- Research the difference between primary and secondary sources.
- Explore how digital libraries work compared to physical ones.
- Ask why libraries keep archives and what they are for.
- Study how the role of a librarian has changed over time.
- Investigate how to use online databases for school research.
- Compare how newspapers and books give information.
- Explore copyright laws and why they protect authors.
- Design a poster showing how to take care of library books.
- Research how libraries support communities beyond lending books.
- Interview a librarian about their daily tasks.
- Explore how search engines and library catalogs are different.
- Create a research plan using at least three different library sources.
- Investigate how libraries around the world are similar and different.
🟢 Easy
- What is a library in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain borrowing books?
- Why is returning books on time part of Library Skills?
- What is a library card in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe fiction and nonfiction?
- What is the role of a librarian in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain a book catalog?
- What is a shelf in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe an author?
- Why is reading important in Library Skills?
- What is the title page in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain chapters in books?
- What is the meaning of a bookmark in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain the spine of a book?
- What is a magazine in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain digital books?
- What is the Dewey Decimal System in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe reference books?
- Why is quiet behavior part of Library Skills?
- What is a dictionary in Library Skills?
🟡 Mild
- How does Library Skills explain call numbers?
- Why is organization important in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe indexes and glossaries?
- What is the importance of summaries in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain the use of encyclopedias?
- Why is note-taking part of Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe plagiarism?
- What is the purpose of bibliographies in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain library databases?
- Why is keyword searching part of Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe the use of atlases?
- What role do journals play in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain primary and secondary sources?
- Why is citation important in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe research projects?
- What is skimming and scanning in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain online catalogs?
- Why is cross-referencing studied in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe evaluating sources?
- What is paraphrasing in Library Skills?
🔴 Hard
- How does Library Skills explain advanced database searching?
- Why is evaluating credibility important in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe peer-reviewed sources?
- What role do digital archives play in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain the difference between open-access and subscription sources?
- Why is intellectual property studied in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe metadata in digital catalogs?
- What is interlibrary loan in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain information literacy?
- Why is ethical use of sources important in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe evaluating online resources?
- What role do citations play in preventing plagiarism in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills connect to digital citizenship?
- Why is understanding publication dates important in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills explain thematic research?
- What is content curation in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills describe Boolean searching?
- Why is source diversity valuable in Library Skills?
- How does Library Skills support academic honesty?
- What is the long-term importance of Library Skills?