The Book Disaster

or

Dewey "SWAT" Team to the Rescue

A Dewey Decimal WebQuest for Fifth Grade

Designed by
Sara Ferris

Wolf Swamp Road Elementary School
Longmeadow, MA 01106

Last updated February 2009
Sports Illustrated for Kids

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page

Introduction

Oh, no! It's a disaster! During construction at your school, the workers accidentally knocked down the library. All of the books are in huge piles, and they're all mixed up. Volunteers have arrived, but they and the workers are scratching their heads trying to figure out what to do. They know there's some logical way to sort them out, but they don't know what it is. They need help! You and your teammates are experts in the Dewey Decimal system, and you have been called in to create a basic handbook that will help them. You are the "SWAT" Team - Shelve With a Theme! It's up to you to tell the volunteers what the Dewey Decimal System is, who developed it, why it is useful, and how it is organized.
Handspeak

The Task

"SWAT"Team members, you will create a handbook to explain the Dewey Decimal System in a logical way to the volunteers. You will use a word processing or a publishing program to produce your handbook, and include original illustrations or other pictures. Included in your book must be the following:

A short biography of Melvil Dewey.

A brief history of how the Dewey Decimal System was developed.

One chapter (one to two paragraphs long) about each of the ten
major classes of the Dewey Decimal System.

A closing chapter which tells why the Dewey Decimal System is helpful to us. (especially in light of the book disaster)

A title page, table of contents, and bibliography/webliography. (Just like a bibliography is a list of books, a webliography is a list of web sites!)

Back to the top

The Process

You will work in a "SWAT" team of four people. Your teacher will divide the class into groups. Once assigned to a group, each member of the group will be randomly selected for one of the roles below. Although each member will be individually responsible for their task, the group will work cooperatively to complete all tasks. Each one of you has an important and expert part to play in this publication. Your roles are:

"SWAT" Team Logician

  • You will write a chapter about the life of Melvil Dewey, the creator of the Dewey Decimal System.

  • You will include some information on how the Dewey Decimal System was developed.

  • You will write a chapter about each of these classes in the Dewey Decimal System:

    000, 100

    For these classes, you will identify the general category and list five specific and interesting subjects that can be found here.  As a guide to the volunteers, you will also include the titles of five books in our library from this class.

  • You will write the closing chapter which tells why the Dewey Decimal System is important to us.

Here are some web sites to visit for your information:

"SWAT" Team Organizational Expert One

  • You will write a chapter about each of these classes in the Dewey Decimal System:

    200, 300, 400

  • For each of these four classes, you will identify the general category and list five specific and interesting subjects that can be found here. As a guide to the volunteers, you will also include the titles of five books in our library from each class.

  • Print the Chapters form to help you take notes.

Here are some web sites to visit for your information:

"SWAT" Team Organizational Expert Two

  • You will write a chapter about each of these classes in the Dewey Decimal System:

    500, 600, 700

  • For each of these four classes, you will identify the general category and list five specific and interesting subjects that can be found here. As a guide to the volunteers, you will also include the title of five books in our library for each class.

  • Print the Chapters form to help you take notes.

Here are some web sites to visit for your information:

"SWAT" Team Project Coordinator

  • You will write chapters about the 800 and 900 classes in the Dewey Decimal System. You will also be responsible for the title page, table of contents, and the bibliography/webliography.

  • For each of these two classes, you will identify the general category and list five specific and interesting subjects that can be found here. As a guide to the volunteers, you will also include the title of five books in our library for each class.

  • Print the Chapters form to help you take notes.
  • Print the Parts of a Book form to help you organize.
  • Print the Bibliography/Webliography form to keep track of the resources you used.

Here are some web sites to visit for your information:

Back to the top

Your entire "SWAT" Team should be familiar with all of the content
listed above. Your individual jobs involve writing your assigned
chapters or portions of the book. . You may use colorful illustrations (your volunteers prefer that you do)! MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE RUBRIC TO SEE IF YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR TASK.

Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus

The bookshelves on the left of the page conceal some secrets! See if you can discover what mysteries they hold! Here's a hint - move your cursor over the shelves and see what changes. Each team member has at least four secrets to find, based on your Dewey categories. Write down the information you find, and tell what Dewey number it would have.

Back to the top

EVALUATION

Beginning

1

Developing

2

Accomplished

3

Exemplary

4

Score

Knowledge of Content

Showed little or no research or use of information. Many inaccurate details. This wouldn't help!

Showed some research. The information used was basic, and not very helpful. Some inaccurate details. Some people might put books back properly.

Research was adequate. There was some good information, and it was fairly helpful. Details were good. This would help most people!

It's obvious that extra research was done. The information was excellent and extremely detailed. Well done! You are a valuable SWAT team member.

 .

Organization

Confusing. The volunteers will really have a hard time following your handbook. You didn't present your information clearly, and left out many important details.

You presented your information in a way that might be helpful, if the volunteers were really sharp! Your chapters are arranged in order, and contain the basic details and examples.

Your information is well organized. Most of the volunteers can follow this handbook without too much trouble. If you were a little more organized, they might have an easier time organizing the books!

SWAT should stand for Superior Work at All Times! Your booklet is so well organized you could go into publishing. (That would be in the 338's!)

 .

Mechanics

There are many errors in spelling and grammar. You might need to get a dictionary to help you (check the 400's)!

Some words are not spelled correctly. You are missing some capital letters, and there are some mistakes in grammar.

The shelving volunteers thank you for spelling most words correctly, and for proper grammar (most of the time!) It makes their job easier.

Wow, have you been spending a lot of time in the 400's (Language)! Your spelling and grammar are outstanding. SWAT team wins again.

 .

Creativity

You included few or no illustrations, and they were not especially neat or colorful. Check the books in the 740's (Drawing and Decorative Arts).

You included some illustrations, and they were appropriate for your content. You don't seem to have done your best, neatest work.

Your booklet is attractive, with many colorful illustrations. Many of the volunteers will enjoy your artwork as well as your instructions.

If your SWAT team career ends, there is definitely one waiting in art (740) for you! Your illustrations are extremely well done, and fit your content perfectly.

 .

CONCLUSION

CONGRATULATIONS!
Every book is back in place on the shelves - and, most importantly, every book is in its proper place! SWAT team, you rose to the occasion and created a remarkable handbook for the volunteers. They thank you, the librarian thanks you, your principal thanks you, and each and every student at your school thanks you. (If Melvil Dewey were still alive, he would thank you, too!) You now know how important this system of organization is to us, and how confused we would be without it. Let's head for the cookbooks (641's) and the party planning books (793's), and plan a celebration feast! You've earned it.

Back to the top