teaching mid school BASIC skills

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        I've just had my first week with my middle school kids in the
library and I am trying to figure out ways to teach them the very basic
stuff.  Because so many have had no school libraries (to speak of) or
librarians, and due to the low academic level, they don't know what call
numbers are, library vocabulary, stuff like that.  I have to do hands-on
with them or they just tune out.  But the only hands-on I know (or have in
my LMC books) are for younger kids and middle school kids would refuse to,
for example, arrange themselves in Dewey order holding signs.  Any ideas for
sources (or just plain ideas) for teaching basic stuff to middle school kids
in a very interactive way?  I had a reference sources exploration today and
seventh graders were asked to make up two questions that you could use this
book to answer.  I was surprised at how difficult a concept that was for
some kids.  And there are some who barely care, so how do you teach
something that looks as pointless as call numbers and Dewey when you don't
even have them interested in reading???  If you just expain what a call
number is, they don't care enough to listen.
        I have to start from the beginning.  any thoughts on this are much
appreciated!

Johanna Halbeisen
Rebecca M. Johnson School
(K-8) Springfield, MA
jhalbei@k12.ucs.umass.edu

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