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Educator Resources

This guide outlines services and resources for the teachers and educators in the community

Did You Know?

Regional History and Genealogy collections at Pikes Peak Library District are held by Special Collections in the 1905 Carnegie Library located at Penrose Library. The Regional History collection includes books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, and other material related to the history of the Pikes Peak region. Students are encouraged to utilize the broad resources, including a biography file of notable Pikes Peak residents.

Knowledgeable staff members can conduct instruction on the use and interpretation of primary sources either at the library or in the classroom.

Classroom Visits and Lightning Lessons - Elementary

PPLD staff can visit elementary classrooms, bringing STEM, art, literacy, and PPLD resource sessions called Lightning Lessons. 

For elementary STEM activities, we can provide a 30-45-minute activity designed for your specific goal, standard, and classroom in mind.

Please fill out the Educator Support form and select "Lightning Lessons" under the Request Type section to schedule. 

Classroom Visits - Middle School, High School, & College

What's a booktalk? PPLD staff will visit your classroom and talk about books to help foster the joy of reading! We give just enough information about a book to get teens excited and wanting to know more!

Here's what we need to schedule a booktalk:

  • Your name
  • Your school
  • Best dates (We are available Tuesdays-Fridays)
  • Start and end time of each period
  • Grade levels in each period
  • Number of students in each period (up to 60 at a time)

If you would like to schedule a booktalk, please fill out the Educator Support form and select "Booktalks" from the Request Type section. 

Are you planning a research project for your students? Our Research Classes are built to teach your students about the research process, how to use PPLD library databases to find and evaluate information, and how to assess whether it is relevant to their academic work. 

Research Class Details: 

  • Sessions are typically 45-60 minutes long.
  • We can talk to multiple classes at once (about 40 students).
  • We can teach in your library, your classroom, or at a PPLD location.
  • Students need access to personal devices, such as laptops, or to computers in a computer lab.
  • We need a projector and an internet connection.
  • Teachers must be present during these presentations.

Since library cards are required to access PPLD databases, students will need to obtain one before our visit. If your school has the PowerPass, they already have library cards. If your school is not a PowerPass partner, or you're not sure, please reach out to Rachel Martin to inquire about Student Library Cards. 

We ask that: 

  • Students have a specific assignment and/or a specific topic for that assignment (e.g., biography, social justice, literary analysis). This allows us to focus our presentation.
  • Students need to know about the assignment prior to our visit. 
  • The assignment requires the use of at least one PPLD resource (e.g., a library database or Libby/Overdrive). This encourages better attention during our presentations!

Here is what we need to schedule a Resource Class: 

  • Your name
  • The name of your school
  • A selection of dates that work best 
  • Bell schedule(s) for the selected dates
  • Number of students in each class attending the presentation
  • The assignment parameters

If you would like to schedule a Resource Class, please fill out the Educator Support form and select "Research Class" under the Request Type section. 

Navigating Digital Literacy is our newest offering. In this course, students will learn the differences between media literacy, information literacy, and News literacy, why they are important, and how these concepts apply to their lives. Students will also learn the SIFT* method for investigating information and how to apply this method to their research projects both in and outside of the classroom. 

Navigating Digital Literacy lessons typically take 45-60 minutes for PPLD staff to run in the classroom. There is a practice element involved in the course, so students will need personal devices (laptops, tablets, or phones). We can also present these classes in a computer lab, if one is available at your school.

Here is what we need to schedule a Navigating Digital Literacy class: 

  • Your name
  • Your school
  • A selection of dates that work for you and your students
  • Bell schedule(s) for the selected dates
  • Number of students in each class 

If you would like to schedule a Navigating Digital Literacy class, please fill out the Educator Support form and select "Navigating Digital Literacy Class" in the Request Type section.

*The SIFT method was created by Mike Caulfield. If you would like to learn more about SIFT (The Four Moves), please read this article.

Are you having a Back to School Night, Community Picnic, Registration Day, or other type of event?

PPLD can support your school's community by hosting a table filled with resources, library card sign up, or an activity.

If you would like to schedule PPLD for an event, please complete the Educator Support form and select "Event" from the Request Type section. 

Library Tours

Library Tour Packages designed for your student’s needs. 

 

Let us know which tour components you would like your children to experience.

  1. PPLD Kids and Homework Help: Take a guided adventure to ppld.org and visit some of our databases for kids.  Recommended for 3rd-5th grades.  Approximately 20-30 min. Available only at Penrose, East or Library 21c branches.
  2. Library Search: Discover how to find a book, using our computer system. Learn how to check out an ebook from our Cybershelf. Recommended for 3rd-5th grades.  Approx. 20-30 min.
  3. Library Explorations:   Explore a PPLD library or area of your choice and learn where to locate more about it.  Recommended for all grades.  Approx. 20-30 min. 
  4. Library Adventure Storytime: Enjoy books, flannel board stories and more.  Recommended for preschool-3rd grades.  Approx. 15-30 min.
  5. Booktalks: Teen and Children’s staff present “trailers” for reading.  Recommended for 2nd-12th grades.   Approx.  15-30 min.  See if available at your library branch.
  6. Browse and Checkout: Find books in the Children’s area and then check them out.
  7. Behind the Scenes: Tour the return center and book drop areas that show what happens beyond public view.  Approx. 15 min.  Only available at East, Penrose, and Library 21c branches.
  8. Custom Tours: Create your own tour based on your special needs, such as a local history tour if you are studying Colorado Springs history, Scout tours, or Parenting tours.

Please call two weeks in advance to schedule your tour.  Allow additional planning time for Custom Tours.

Please make sure your students have a library card.  If not, contact your local branch for library card applications.

To schedule a Library Location tour, please complete the Educator Support form and select "Tour of a PPLD Library" under the Request Type section.