Garden City School Library: 3 - FICtion Call Numbers

• Introduction and warm-up: Remind the kids that the library collection is divided into sections, and each section has its own call number. 
  
  Place 6-10 fictional chapter books on each table, making sure that they all have call numbers using the convention of FIC ABC. Have the students look at the books and see if they can figure out how fiction call numbers are created. Then do some practice call numbers on the whiteboard (e.g., me, the principal, their classroom teacher). 
   
• Activity: I found a great bingo game on Teachers Pay Teachers ... well worth the $4 price! It includes 30 cards and 50 author names to call. I showed the names on the projector to help the students see how they were spelled. They have to figure out what that author's call number would be and then see if they have it on their card.
  
  

• Review: Remind the students that call numbers for the fictional chapter books start with FIC and then include the first three letters of the author's last name. Hold up several books, read off the title and author, and ask the kids to figure out what the call number would be.
   
• Activity: Give each student a copy of the worksheet below; their assignment is to create the call numbers for seven books. When they are done, they bring the paper to you to review. If it's not correct, they need to fix it. Common errors are using the first three letters of the first name or the author's initials. 

Create

1 = has mistakes that make no sense and/or are not corrected

2 = has mistakes that make sense and are corrected

3 = writes a couple of wrong answers but mostly shows understanding

4 = gets them all correct the first time

Once their paper is accepted, they get a call number to find on the shelf (see attachment ... use authors who are prolific!).

Find

1 = can't find a book 

2 = finds book with call number that at least starts with the correct letter (e.g., DEA instead of DIT)

3 = finds correct call number on shelf

4 = finds multiple books correctly

• Review: Remind the students that call numbers for the fictional chapter books start with FIC and then include the first three letters of the author's last name. Hold up several books, read off the title and author, and ask the kids to figure out what the call number would be.
   
• Activity: Explain to the kids that they will now create their own book cover, making up a fictional story with themselves as the author. Their covers (template below) must contain three elements:

- Title (it must be fictional; it can't be factual)
- Their full name as author
- Their FIC call number on the spine

Ideally, they will also draw an illustration.
 

• Assessment:

Cover

1 = Does not follow directions; copies an existing FIC book or graphic novel OR creates a nonfiction book

2 = Original title and author's name on cover, but missing a call number that makes any sense

3 = Original title and author's full name included, as well as an attempt at a FIC call number that makes sense even if it isn't correct 

4 = includes all elements including a CORRECT call number