1. Read a story to the students - a story containing a storybook character who appears in more than one book. Like Curious George.
2. After the story, ask students, "If I wanted to find this book in the Everybody Neighborhood, where would I look?"
3. Explain that you would look on R Street (or the R shelf) for Reye, because that is the first letter of the author's last name.
4.Tell students that today, you are going to teach them how to locate books in the Everybody Neighborhood.
5. Show PowerPoint (projected on screen). Each slide will show a character, his/her name, the call number of the book. Explain to the students that the call number is found on the spine of the book.
6. Go through approximately 8 slides. Have students identify the character (they love seeing Clifford and Corduroy and Madeline on the screen), identify where the book is stored in the picture book section and then ask them how they know that. With some classes this takes a lot of repetition. But, they do get the hang or recognizing the call number and how it works.
7. After students demonstrate knowledge of call numbers, hand out to each of them the books that contain the same information as your slide show. Tell them that these books are stored in the library and are available to them whenever they want. Ask that they use these books to find books on the shelf.
8. Bring students to the Everybody Neighborhood and show them the different streets and where the different sections are. Allow them to select books - encourage them to use the character books to find them.