Puzzling Through the Library
A third grade information skills lesson that uses a jigsaw puzzle and 'scavenger hunt' approach to teach students how to use the OPAC to identify resources and exposes them to the Dewey Decimal System as a tool for locating books on the library shelves.
This lesson will be built around content that corresponds with the third grade Social Studies unit on Mexico and Monarch butterfly migration. The students will be asked to work together to locate the different books that are identified on their puzzle sheet. The students will need to successfully search the OPAC to locate the call number before searching for and finding the book on the shelf. When the book is found, it will contain a piece to their puzzle. The piece should be brought back to their table and the next piece should be located (and so on until the entire puzzle is finished and the surprise photo is revealed.)
Third grade students will be able to successfully use the OPAC and locate books on the library shelves.
Third grade students will be exposed to the Dewey Decimal System (DDC) and how it influences the location of books in the library.
Introduction:
Students will arrive in the library and sit at tables in groups of four. Displayed on an easel will be a large map puzzle of Mexico. The map is missing a piece.
I will ask the boys how they go about finding books (likely responses: I ask the librarian or I just pick one off the shelf.). I will discuss the fact that next year they will be in Middle School and will want (and may have) to be able to locate books on their own for assignments. This discussion will lead to a brief review of the use of the OPAC (a skill they were taught in second grade). This will include a review of where different types of books are located (Picture books, ABC Books, J Fiction, J Non-Fiction, Fiction, Biography, Reference). (TIME: 10 minutes)
I will ask the students what is wrong with the map of Mexico. I will ask if they can help me find the missing piece. The piece is hidden somewhere in the library and the only way to find it is to find the book in which it is hidden. I will choose a student to help find the missing piece. The student will read the clue on the map where the piece is missing. Ask the class to walk you through the process of finding the information on the OPAC (e.g., search by author, title, subject; identification of call number and availability). Display this search on the monitor. Ask the student to locate the book on the shelf, look inside the front cover and bring back what he finds. (He'll find the missing piece of the puzzle of Mexico). (TIME: 5 minutes)
Body:
Announce that we will now have a library puzzle scavenger hunt. Students will be grouped in pairs (either select names randomly out of a bag or pair up students according to ability prior to class beginning). Each pair receives a blank puzzle sheet that contains clues to books inside the puzzle shapes.
The boys are to work in pairs to find the books on the OPAC and locate the books on the shelf. When the book is located the puzzle piece should be retrieved from the back of the book and brought to their table and placed in their puzzle.
When the puzzle is complete the surprise picture reveals photos of different stages of a butterfly's life cycle (i.e., caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly, swarm of butterflies, Monarch migration map). (TIME: 20 minutes)
Conclusion:
Once the boys have all completed their puzzles, review the process and ask for questions.
Query for difficulties in either the OPAC or location activities. Distribute OPAC Help sheets for the students to keep for future use. (TIME: 5-10 minutes)
Note: those boys who complete the puzzles earlier than others can color a Monarch butterfly sheet or select books for check out.
