Library Scavenger Hunts Engaging games to get students connected with the library collection by Allison Maynard

Agenda Purpose and essential questions Share 3 different lessons Ideas for tailoring the lessons for your library

Goal: Familarize students with the location of specific spine labels and give them practice interacting with the library collection Essential Questions How and why are materials organized in a library? How do we organize knowledge so that it is useful? How is this related to your own learning and writing?

Spine Label Search with cards Grades 1 - 5 Choose sections (authors and numbers) with a large variety of choices Variations: Fiction and/or Nonfiction Work independently or with a partner Find bookcase and/or book with spine label Grade 1 - just Easy Fiction and Fiction Grade 2 - Add Nonfiction if they have learned about them Grades 3 - 5 - use all sections Choose labels that you have a lot of so that if 1 or 2 of them are checked out, the students will still be able to find the spine labels (Fiction spine labels - Car, Smi, Bri, Bro, Lon, Hen, Adl) Choose nonfiction spine labels that have a lot of the same number - 595, 796, 970, 811, 523.4. If you have a lot of one number and letters (398.2 Gri), you can add the letters. Easy Variation - just find the bookcase. If more than one student’s spine label in on that bookcase, the students have to stand in ABC order.

Spine Label Search with chart Grades 3 - 5 Choose sections (authors or numbers) with a large variety of choices Variety of sheets to make sure that all the students are not looking for the same information Each student has paper and pencil to record authors and titles Boards to write on Find any book with matching spine label The sheet that you have could be put into two charts. Boards - I use the sturdy cardboard that comes in the bottom of the BTSB boxes. Some spine labels (I.e. Car) can be several different authors (Carle, Carlstrom, Carrick). Which ever author the student chooses, the title has to be one of that author’s books.

Spine label Search with chart Variations Fiction and/or Nonfiction Number of items to locate Work independently or with a partner Depending on the grade level, you may want to just use Easy Fiction and Fiction If you have several charts with different spine labels, that will allow the students to be spread out around the library. If students want to work together, they both have a chart. Maybe one student find the first one and then the other student find the next one.

Books in Five Grades 4 - 5 Variety of sheets to make sure that all the students are not looking for the same information Choose letters that provide a large variety of choices Students have to match two criteria: 1st letter of author’s name or title Section of the library

Each student has paper and pencil to record authors and/or titles Boards to write on Work down the chart to save time Variations Work independently or with a partner * students choose a letter (it can be different for each column)

Helpful Tips and Ideas Model what students will do Tailor to any grade level Call one group at a time, if needed It’s not quantity, but quality - they won’t all finish Variety of sheets so if students finish early they have another sheet with different searches to try