Monthly Archives: September 2014

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Dewey Decimal Classification Card Game

For the past few months I have been tinkering with ways of teaching the Dewey Decimal Classification System to my students in a manner that does not make their eyes glaze over.

I am a bit of a stereotype as a Librarian inasmuch I love Dewey and what it does, but will admit that to the casual user it can seem a bit complicated andconfusing in places.

To that end I have designed a card game that can be used from Year 7 and up.
It is currently called the Dewey Decimal Classification Card Game but that lacks a certain je ne sans quoi, so if anyone comes up with a blinder of a game name please let me know!

I made test prints to see what they would look like and decided that the cards were a bit too stubby, so I lengthened them slightly as can be seen in this comparison between a first and second generation card.
ddc card game cards

These are the first eight cards I made, four from the Picture Deck and four from the Dewey Deck.
ddc card game

There are two decks, a Picture Deck and a Dewey Deck, with 32 cards in each.
20140909_143331

Each card is unique and has been created with posed Lego minifigures. I am currently creating supplementary cards which I will make available as soon as I am able.

The game rules are as follows:

Contents:

Each game set should have two decks, a Dewey Deck and a Picture Deck consisting of 32 cards each.

There should also be game rules, please note that players are welcome to adapt the game to the players.

Players encountering the Dewey Decimal Classification System for the first time can play the game using the main classes at the top of each card and at the end of the game get an extra point if they match up the Picture Card with the correct Dewey Card.

Advanced gamers and Librarians can play using the subject specific Dewey Numbers at the bottom of each card

Game Rules

Card Game:

Shuffle the decks but keep them separate

The aim of the game is to have no cards from either deck by the end of the game

Deal out both decks to people playing the game

The Picture Decks must remain face down in front of the players

All players must hold their Dewey cards

The person on the left of the dealer flips their first Picture Card (face up)

If the player to the left of the player that flipped the Picture Card cannot match it with a corresponding Dewey Card they must pick up the card and place it in the middle of their Picture Cards

If the player can match the Picture card with a Dewey Card then the two cards are placed face up next to each other in the middle of the player circle

This continues until a player runs out of Picture Cards

When this happens the Player with no Picture Cards must put down a Dewey Card and gameplay starts to go anti-clockwise

At this point players must swap their Picture Decks for their Dewey Decks

If the person to the right of that player cannot match a Picture Card to a Dewey Card then they must pick up the card

If a player runs out of Dewey Cards then the game reverts to the clockwise direction using Picture Cards

Gameplay can continue until all the cards are used or until a player runs out of both types of cards

Book Hunt:

This uses only the picture cards

Deal random cards from the Picture Deck to students and ask them to find a relevant book that will match up with the card

The winner is the student that finds the most books

Memory Game:

Place both decks of cards face down on a table

Flip one Picture Card and one Dewey Card

If you can match the Picture Card and the Dewey Card put them together, if not flip them face down again and try to match another two

You can download the beta deck and rules by clicking on the card image below
ddc card 13x

Or click here

Please note: the game is still in active development and as such the rules and cards may change with little to no warning. The game is stable enough to play.

The game is free to download, use and share but please credit Teen Librarian as the originating source if sharing with colleagues.

If you would like to offer comments, criticisms and suggestions on how the game can be improved, please leave them in the comments field below.

Welcome Back Man!

Looking for a quick and dirty poster welcoming students back to school? Why not use this one because deep down all students super heroes.

welcomebat

At the very least it may get a laugh and can be used with a display of new graphic novels.

A Dark Inheritance by Chris D’Lacey

uk-cover-for- Chris D'Lacey
When Michael saves a dog in a cliff top rescue, he comes to the attention of his schoolmates, the police and a strange organisation called UNICORNE.

What UNICORNE reveal is extraordinary.

They claim they can tell him what happened to his father, who disappeared three years ago, but what they want in return is dangerous.

Something supernatural that’s hidden in Michael’s very bones…

Michael is an excellent and likeable protagonist thrust into a strange, dark new world after his seemingly impossible rescue of Trace (the dog) becomes front-page news. His discovery of the differences he has compared to normal humans is mirrored in the changing relationships with his mother, sister and friends. The intrusion of UNICORNE into his life changes him and the demands they make of him seem confusing and only slowly begin to make sense as you progress through the story.

There are many mysteries contained within A Dark Inheritance and only a few of them are answered within its pages – as a number of great entertainers have said over the years: “Always leave them wanting more!” and A Dark Inheritance does not disappoint.

I love arc-driven series, it started with Babylon 5 back in the ‘90’s and that love then spun off into books, don’t get me wrong – I love stand-alone novels, duologies and trilogies but I what I really enjoy is finding a series that has action, adventure, scares and excitement and can unfurl its mysteries slowly and organically as the story demands. Obviously to get into such a series a gripping opening book is needed; fortunately A Dark Inheritance is such a book!
A Dark Inheritance is a brilliant and gripping supernatural mystery mixed up with a who (&how) dunnit and a secret agent vibe. I read it in in two massive gulps in one day.

It put me in mind of Necroscope by Brian Lumley but aimed firmly at YA readers.