Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop, written by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith is an interactive story where students learn methods for classification and sorting.
Josh's hobby is collecting things. Upon receiving a gift from his uncle, he begins a rock collection. With the help of his friend Amy, Josh's collection begins to grow. They decide to bring their rocks to Dave's-Down-to Earth Rock Shop where he teaches them how to organize their large collection into different categories. Amy says, "We could group our rocks by size, or maybe by color or type." Dave then informs the children that, "there are lots of different ways to group rocks" (p.23). The children end up settling on one method of sorting and to their surprise Dave rewards them with a special honor.
Curriculum Connections
Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop could be used as an introduction tool for learning about classification, sorting, and rock types. This book can be used for a number of different SOL concepts such as: classifying or arranging objects according to attributes/ properties and identifying different types of rock.
Additional Resources
- Stuart J. Murphy MathStart Offical Site: Provides additional activities teachers can use to practice classifying and sorting with their students.
- Scholastic: Summer Activity: Provides a lesson plan for sorting and classifying objects using the outdoors.
- Teacher Vision: Rock Coloring Page: This worksheet gives students ideas on how to classify or sort rocks.
Book: Dave's Down-to-Earth Rock Shop
Author: Stuart J. Murphy
Illustrator: Cat Bowman Smith
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: January 2000
Pages: 40 pages
Grade Range: 1-5
ISBN: 9780064467292