One of the great cornerstones of library learning is the introduction to the (insert horn fanfare here) Dewey Decimal System in the fifth grade! While considered dry by some (and I'd like to know who!!!), I still love to introduce it because not only does it help children navigate the nonfiction section of most any youth library collection, it's the science behind the field of Library Science...the ability to classify information, a skill that transfers to other sciences. Classification of materials also becomes invaluable as a requisite skill in our age of digital curation as well. Anyone who has spent any time on a computer knows how important it is to organize information in such a way that you can find it again!
After classifying our own shoes and enjoying a Gestalt moment of realizing even the most ordinary things can be organized a multitude of ways, we then discuss the many ways books can be organized. Our foray into the Dewey Decimal starts with the learning of a mnemonic device, "Good People Require Speedy Learning, So Try Fine Library Helpers." The first letter of each word is a hint to the name of a Dewey Decimal category. I teach all the students to say this phrase while holding up their hands and putting up a finger for every word, starting with no fingers at all. This little trick matches up the first letter to the first number. Ask your child to show you! Here is a handy-dandy cheat sheet:
000 Generalities
100 Philosophy, psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Sciences
400 Languages
500 Science
600 Technology and applied science
700 Fine arts and performing arts
800 Literature
900 History and biography
This is the meat and potatoes of what I'm trying to introduce and all the average Joe and Josephine will be held responsible for, but there's always a few children who catch my hopefully contagious love of Dewey. For those Junior Librarian types, thanks to the helpful list compiled by the Cambria-Freisland School District they can delve deeper:
000
GENERALITIES
000
Computers, Loch Ness, Bigfoot, UFOs, Aliens
020 Libraries
030 Encyclopedias & World Record Books
060 Museums
070 Newspapers
020 Libraries
030 Encyclopedias & World Record Books
060 Museums
070 Newspapers
100
PHILOSOPHY
130 Ghosts, Witches & the Supernatural
150 Optical Illusions, Feelings
170 Emotions, Values, Animal Rights
150 Optical Illusions, Feelings
170 Emotions, Values, Animal Rights
200
RELIGION
220 Bible Stories
290 Mythology, World Religions
290 Mythology, World Religions
300
SOCIAL SCIENCES
300 Social Issues - immigration, racism, World Cultures
310 Almanacs
320 Government
330 Money, Working
340 Court System, Famous Trials
350 Armed Forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.
360 Drugs, Environmental Issues, Titanic, Police, Firefighters
370 Schools
380 Transportation,
390 Holidays, Folktales, Fairy Tales
310 Almanacs
320 Government
330 Money, Working
340 Court System, Famous Trials
350 Armed Forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.
360 Drugs, Environmental Issues, Titanic, Police, Firefighters
370 Schools
380 Transportation,
390 Holidays, Folktales, Fairy Tales
400
LANGUAGES
410
Sign Language
420 Dictionaries, Grammar
430 German Language
440 French Language
450 Italian Language
460 Spanish Language
490 Hieroglyphics, Japanese Language
420 Dictionaries, Grammar
430 German Language
440 French Language
450 Italian Language
460 Spanish Language
490 Hieroglyphics, Japanese Language
500
SCIENCE AND MATH
500
Science Experiments, Science Sets,
510 Mathematics
520 Stars, planets, astronomy, space
530 Physical Science - force & motion, electricity,
magnetism, light
540 Chemistry, Atoms & Molecules, Rocks and Minerals
550 Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Weather, Hurricanes, Tornadoes
560 Dinosaurs, Prehistoric Animals, Fossils
570 Forests, Rain Forests, Deserts, Mountains, Oceans, Evolution
580 Plants, Flowers & Trees
590 Animals & Insects
591
592 Worms, Invertebrates
593 Corals, Sea Invertebrates
594 Seashells, Snails, Octopus
595 Insects, Spiders
597 Fish, Frogs, Toads, Reptiles, Amphibians, Snakes
598 Birds
599 Mammals of the Land and Ocean, Whales
510 Mathematics
520 Stars, planets, astronomy, space
530 Physical Science - force & motion, electricity,
magnetism, light
540 Chemistry, Atoms & Molecules, Rocks and Minerals
550 Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Weather, Hurricanes, Tornadoes
560 Dinosaurs, Prehistoric Animals, Fossils
570 Forests, Rain Forests, Deserts, Mountains, Oceans, Evolution
580 Plants, Flowers & Trees
590 Animals & Insects
591
592 Worms, Invertebrates
593 Corals, Sea Invertebrates
594 Seashells, Snails, Octopus
595 Insects, Spiders
597 Fish, Frogs, Toads, Reptiles, Amphibians, Snakes
598 Birds
599 Mammals of the Land and Ocean, Whales
600
PEOPLE USING SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
600
Inventions
610 Human body, Health
620 Rockets, Trains, Cars, Trucks
630 Farming, Farm Animals, Cats, Dogs, Pets, Horses
640 Cookbooks, Sewing
650 Secret Codes
660 How Food is made
670 Paper Making
680 Woodworking
690 Building
610 Human body, Health
620 Rockets, Trains, Cars, Trucks
630 Farming, Farm Animals, Cats, Dogs, Pets, Horses
640 Cookbooks, Sewing
650 Secret Codes
660 How Food is made
670 Paper Making
680 Woodworking
690 Building
700
ARTS and RECREATION
710
Art Appreciation, History of Art
720 Houses, Buildings
730 Origami, Paper Crafts
740 Drawing, Crafts,
750 Painting
760 Printing
770 Photography
780 Music
790 Sports, Games, Magic, I Spy, Camping, Fishing, Racing, Hunting
720 Houses, Buildings
730 Origami, Paper Crafts
740 Drawing, Crafts,
750 Painting
760 Printing
770 Photography
780 Music
790 Sports, Games, Magic, I Spy, Camping, Fishing, Racing, Hunting
800
LITERATURE
810
Poetry, Plays, Jokes & Riddles
820 Shakespeare
860 Poetry in Spanish
890 Japanese Poetry, Haiku
820 Shakespeare
860 Poetry in Spanish
890 Japanese Poetry, Haiku
900
GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
910
Explorers, Atlases
920 Flags, People (Biography)
930 Archeology, Ancient Civilizations
940 Knights, Castles, World War I & II, European Countries
950 Asian & Middle Eastern Countries
960 African Countries
970 North & Central American Countries, Native American Tribes, American History, States
980 South American Countries
990 Pacific Islands, Australia, Hawaii, Arctic, Antarctica
And kids who are truly Dewey-obsessed can further classify here. Oh la la. More categories and subcategories than you can shake a YuGiOh card at.
By request, I am linking to the popular "Dewey Decimal Rap," though I promise that I did introduce the children to the real Melvil Dewey, who created the Dewey Decimal system in the late 1800's. Alas and according to all credible sources, despite Dewey's many accomplishments and contributions to library science, he was never actually a rapper. Also, it has been pointed out to me repeatedly, the real one had a beard. The children enjoy it anyway.
After note-taking, flash cards, scavenger hunts and lots of practice, our unit will culminate in a competitive Jeopardy-style throw-down in which all three fifth grade classes will compete for the honor of winning. What's the Dewey number for fun? (Hmmm. Probably around 794.)
920 Flags, People (Biography)
930 Archeology, Ancient Civilizations
940 Knights, Castles, World War I & II, European Countries
950 Asian & Middle Eastern Countries
960 African Countries
970 North & Central American Countries, Native American Tribes, American History, States
980 South American Countries
990 Pacific Islands, Australia, Hawaii, Arctic, Antarctica
And kids who are truly Dewey-obsessed can further classify here. Oh la la. More categories and subcategories than you can shake a YuGiOh card at.
By request, I am linking to the popular "Dewey Decimal Rap," though I promise that I did introduce the children to the real Melvil Dewey, who created the Dewey Decimal system in the late 1800's. Alas and according to all credible sources, despite Dewey's many accomplishments and contributions to library science, he was never actually a rapper. Also, it has been pointed out to me repeatedly, the real one had a beard. The children enjoy it anyway.
After note-taking, flash cards, scavenger hunts and lots of practice, our unit will culminate in a competitive Jeopardy-style throw-down in which all three fifth grade classes will compete for the honor of winning. What's the Dewey number for fun? (Hmmm. Probably around 794.)
