Summary
How do we keep the library organized? In this lesson, students reflect on their prior knowledge of libraries and librarians using a KWL chart. Then, students practice shelving virtually before jigsawing a reading about Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Decimal System. After watching some videos on shelving, they watch an interview with a librarian and complete their KWL. Students then practice shelving books in the library.
Essential Question(s)
What skills are necessary to use the Dewey Decimal System to shelve books effectively? How can these skills be applied in other areas?
Snapshot
Engage
Students discuss stereotypes of librarians and invoke their prior knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System using a KWL chart.
Explore
Students are introduced to the Dewey Decimal System and complete a virtual shelving activity.
Explain
Students jigsaw a reading about Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Decimal System and videos over shelving and share out what they found.
Extend
Students watch an ICAP interview with a librarian and complete a 3-2-1.
Evaluate
Students complete their KWL chart and practice shelving books in person.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Caption This! handout (attached; one per student)
KWL Chart handout (attached; one per student)
Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Classification System handout (attached; one per group)
Internet capable devices for students
Paper/Pencil
Engage
15 Minute(s)
Introduce the lesson using the attached Lesson Slides. Display slide 3 to share the lesson’s essential questions: What skills are necessary for effectively using the Dewey Decimal System to shelve books? How can these skills be applied in other areas? Transition to slide 4 to go over the lesson’s learning objectives. Review these slides with students to the extent you feel necessary.
Go to slide 5 and introduce the Caption This strategy. In this activity, students will provide their own captions to images of librarians. Give each student a copy of the Caption This handout, and tell them to think about what they know about librarians. Have students write a one to three sentence caption for each image explaining what is happening in the image or what each image represents based on what they know. Next, invite students to share their captions in small groups and then with the whole class.
Take a moment and discuss common negative stereotypes of librarians as a class. Some common stereotypes you may mention:
Librarians are portrayed as strict rule enforcers, and the library must be completely silent.
Librarians are all old-fashioned and plain.
Librarians are rigid gatekeepers who make accessing information seem overly complicated or exclusive.
Be sure to let students know that these stereotypes are outdated and incorrect, often ignoring the reality of modern librarians, who are dynamic professionals managing digital resources, offering community services, and actively engaging in technology and education.
Navigate to slide 6 and distribute the KWL Chart handout to each student. This strategy is a modified version of the KWHL Graphic Organizer. Let students know that in the ‘K’ Column they will answer, “What do you already know about the Dewey Decimal System? What do you know about libraries? Shelving books? Students should take a moment to jot down all they can think of and elaborate.
Move to slide 7 and tell students they will now fill in the ‘W’ column by answering the questions, “What do you want to know about libraries? What do you want to know about shelving books? What are some questions you have about libraries and working in the library?”
Discuss responses as a class to spark interest and curiosity. Include a brief discussion on the importance of organizing information and how libraries use systems like Dewey Decimal to make finding books easier.
Explore
10 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 8. Provide a brief overview of the Dewey Decimal System, its history, and its significance in organizing library materials. Explain the categories and how numbers are used to classify books.
Move to slide 9. Let students know they will be digitally sorting and shelving library books. Have students access the Shelving Activity via their LMS (or by sharing the link or QR code in the slides) to practice shelving books using the Dewey Decimal System.
You can divide students into small groups or have it be an individual activity. Each group or student will complete the shelving activity, categorizing a selection of books based on provided Dewey numbers.
Encourage collaboration and discussion about their choices as they work.
Explain
25 Minute(s)
After the hands-on activity, regroup as a class. Ask each group to share their experiences and findings from the shelving activity.
Address any misconceptions that arose during the activity. Use this time to explain specific Dewey categories and how they interrelate, providing examples.
In this next activity, students will use the Jigsaw strategy to analyze a reading over Melvil Dewey and two videos over shelving.
Place students back into their small groups or form new groups. Move to slide 10 and introduce the 30-Second Expert strategy.
Let students know they will need to read/watch their group's resources and take notes over what they learn, then give each group either the Melvil Dewey and the Dewey Decimal Classification System handout or one of the videos to watch/read and take notes on. The videos are in the slides (slides 11-12; currently hidden), or you can either direct the students to the links for the videos in their LMS or share them from below.
After they have finished, students will need to nominate an expert for each group. Give the students a bit of time to prepare their group’s expert to share out.
Once each group has finished, have the experts share what their groups learned with the class.
Extend
25 Minute(s)
Transition to slide 13. Students will now watch and take notes over an ICAP interview with a librarian.
After the video has finished, move to slide 14 and introduce the 3-2-1 strategy. On a sheet of notebook paper or in a digital document, have students respond to the three prompts:
What are three things you learned from the video?
What are two questions you still have?
What is one thing you found interesting?
Once students have had a chance to formulate their answers, ask a few students to share out their responses.
Evaluate
20 Minute(s)
Unhide slide 12 and show while students return to their KWL charts and fill in the "Learned" column, summarizing what they learned about the Dewey Decimal System after completing the lesson. As a final question, ask students how they might be able to use what they learned outside the library.
In order to solidify what they have learned, you can now have students actually go organize a shelf. Gather a random stack of books that all belong on one shelf and have the students shelve them in pairs. After one student organizes the books, their peer will then recheck the shelf with the list of books that belong on the shelf provided by the librarian.
You can have the students take a picture of the stack and then the shelf after the books have been reshelved.
Resources
D’arcy, H. (2013, October 26). Shelf Reading Training Video. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/LjCxoSSlPvU
K20 Center. (n.d.). 3-2-1. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/117
K20 Center. (n.d.). 30-second expert. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/1048
K20 Center. (n.d.). Caption this. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/82
K20 Center. (n.d.). Jigsaw. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/179
K20 Center. (n.d.). KWHL graphic organizer. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/127
K20 Center. (2024, November 4). ICAP - Library 101 with Nell Johnson. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/m47IXThoFCM
Lodge. (2013, February 27). Shelve-it! Shelver.mrs-Lodges-Library.com. https://shelver.mrs-lodges-library.com/
pncaworkstudy. (2011, January 20). PNCA Shelving Tutorial #2. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUo9urT6HCU