[CALIBK12] Dewey treasure hunts [XWall-MX]

[Lock, Mary]

Hi, all!  Like Kathy Shepler, I've been using Beanie Babies and small
stuffed animals for years in my elementary library.  We begin by having
K-1 students sort them into 2 categories - "real" things and "not real"
things - so we can talk about the Fiction and Non-Fiction sections of
the library.  It's always interesting and fun to lead a discussion on
why our Strega Nona, Jack and the Beanstalk, Gingerbread Man, and 3
Bears end up going back over with the Non-Fiction things - 398.2!  

 

With 2nd graders, I spend a little time having them sort the wild
animals from the domesticated animals, so we can talk about why tigers
and hyenas are in the 500s while Siamese cats, Labradors and other pets
are in 636.

 

>From 3rd to 5th grades, the students begin by sorting all of the animals
into groups that belong together, so we can discuss categories & subject
headings 8 to 10 year olds find "even and odd-toed ungulates"
particularly hysterical, so I'm always sure to mention them!  (It took
me awhile to find a stuffed llama - thanks, Barnes & Noble!)  After
that, they're all off to the shelves to match up animal groups and
numbers.

 

The students' favorite game to play after a few weeks of working in the
Non-Fiction section is "Stump the Librarian."  With my back turned, a
few students at a time go and select any book from the Non-Fiction
section of the library.  They bring it back and read me the title.  I
have to guess the correct Dewey number.   That gets them moved quickly
out of the animal section and has them exploring all of the NF shelves
for obscure titles that will trick me.  They know that the sections that
they use the most for check-out - animals, transportation, pets, and
biographies - will be easy for me.  The best "stumper" I've had in the
last 5 years?  Prairie Visions - the Life and Times of Solomon Butcher.
I incorrectly guessed 921, and then they gave me a second chance!  I got
it wrong again by guessing 977 or 978.  The entire class was beside
themselves that they "got me!"  Where was it shelved? 770 Photography!!!


 

I think that anything that gets the kids thinking about subject headings
and how they work, to using shelf guides, to understanding that there's
an organization to it all that is universal, is a great first step on
their way to the Big Six and their first research projects.

 

Mary Lock, IMT/Librarian

Wildwood Elementary School

Thousand Oaks

 

________________________________

From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
[mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Kbshepler at aol.com
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 10:23 PM
To: janiescott at san.rr.com; calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] Dewey treasure hunts [XWall-MX]

 

In a message dated 10/1/2007 12:28:03 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
janiescott at san.rr.com writes:

	Does anyone know of a treasure hunt/search we could have our 4-6
grade do to begin to learn the Dewey system? They have never done it
before and so I would like something fairly simple that we could
reproduce and give to them.

	 

	If you have one you could send on or know of a simple one I
would really appreciate not reinventing the wheel.

	 

	Thanks,

	 

	Janie Scott, Librarian

I don't have a "treasure hunt" per se, but do have couple of ideas about
teaching dewey. Perhaps they may be interesting to others:

 

- keep some of those beautiful calendars from past years and rip up the
ones with obvious Dewey connections : ancient Egypt, reptiles, pets,
architecture, solar system. During a lesson, let each student choose one
of the pages, then they use their reference list to map their calendar
page to the correct Dewey number. Check results. Then they must go and
find that area in the library and check out a book on that topic.

 

- create a collection of beany baby toys: all the animals you can find
at garage sales e.g. amphibian, bird, reptiles, insects, pets,
carnivores (I even have paranormal creatures like dragons!). Have a
collection of tags with cords on them. Students choose a beany baby
figure. Then they use their reference list to map their "creature" to
the correct Dewey number, and attach a Post It note with the Dewey
number on it to tag and attach to creature. Check results. Then they
must go and find that area in the library and check out a book on that
topic.

 

Working with fun, attractive materials appeals to everybody and the
kinesthetic work helps all kinds of learners.

 

Kathy Shepler, Librarian

Aurora School

Oakland, CA





________________________________

See what's new at AOL.com <http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170>
and Make AOL Your Homepage
<http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169> .

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.sjsu.edu/pipermail/calibk12/attachments/20071002/35a9b834/attachment.html