Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Earth Materials: Collecting and Classifying
Activity investigates what Earth materials are made of. Students will go out and collect non-living earth materials that will fit in a small plastic bag then sort the material to discover ways of classifying what they have gathered....
E-learning for Kids
E Learning for Kids: Science: Scotland Kilt Store: Classify by Property
Mr. Wallace owns a store and needs help sorting items in his shop. Help him explore properties of common objects.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Animal Sorting
[Free Registration/Login Required] This K-2 flipchart is designed to make animal classification fun! Sort the animals into categories and think like a scientist!
Government of Alberta
Learn Alberta: Math Interactives: Exploring Shape Classification
Investigate the properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, and regular polygons using this interactive Learn Alberta math resource. Students are able to practice classifying shapes based on their different properties. Be sure to follow the...
![Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Teaching With Collections [Pdf] Lesson Plan](https://d15y2dacu3jp90.cloudfront.net/images/attachment_defaults/resource/large/FPO-knovation.png "Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Teaching With Collections [Pdf] Lesson Plan")
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian in Your Classroom: Teaching With Collections [Pdf]
This lesson is great for young learners who like to collect things. It gives you ideas of ways to teach such concepts as classifying, sorting, arranging, multiplying, graphing, and measuring with collections of simple objects.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Cool Collectibles and Super Sorts
Second graders will create a classroom rock collection.
Read Works
Read Works: Genre Kindergarten Unit: Real and Make Believe
[Free Registration/Login Required] A lesson plan where young scholars learn the difference between real and make-believe and practice sorting details into the two categories. Ideas for direct teaching, guided practice, and independent...
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Classifying Rocks
This is a performance task where students sort and classify rocks based on their properties, then demonstrate how they can transfer their understanding to decide on ways they might sort and classify other types of objects.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Patterns in Mathematics: Guess My Button
This website gives students an opportunity to sort and classify attributes of a group. The applet responds to each selection made and guides student to the next step.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Using and Creating a Dichotomous Key
Learners will investigate classification through a sorting activity and discus real-life evidence of classifying objects.
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Classifying Candy 2 (Lesson)
For this fourth grade performance assessment task, students sort candies according to their properties and demonstrate their understanding of binary classification principles.
Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington: Is It a Rock or Mineral? [Pdf]
In this lesson, young scholars will compare types of candy to learn about geological classification. Students will classify and sort different materials by their composition and physical properties.
CPALMS
Cpalms: Observable Properties of Matter
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students will sort objects according to their observable properties, such as size, shape, color, temperature (hot or cold), weight (heavy or light) and texture. Included are printable resources, a...
PBS
Pbs Mathline Lesson: Geometry, It's a Perfect Fit [Pdf]
This two-part geometry lesson plan has students identify, describe, and classify two-dimensional shapes. Students engage in hands-on activities including identifying shapes in the classroom, creating patterns with shapes, identifying...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: First Grade Collecting Leaves With the Book Leaf Man
In this environmental science activity, students go on a leaf walk and collect different types of leaves, and then brainstorm characteristics of their leaves then classify them.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Introduction to Graphing
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this flipchart students will be introduced to the process of sorting, classifying, and graphing procedures through an interactive series of three activities.
University of Regina (Canada)
Univeristy of Regina: Math Central: Patterns Here, There, and Everywhere
This lesson plan on early patterning is well written, well planned, and extensive. The math content is substantial for this age. There are lots of connections to other content areas. Materials needed are readily available or provided for...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Max's Math Adventures: Perfect Parade
Help Max and Ruthie set up the band following the mayor's directions. The activity sheet and teacher's guide will help make this into a fun lesson.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Generating and Recording Data
This "fish" activity will help early elementary students develop skills related to categorizing, recording data, developing vocabulary, and counting. An assessment rubric is attached.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Measuring With Mixie Bot
Children can measure with a favorite character to understand the value of standardized units of measure, such as inches and feet. This activity will help them practice measuring and understand comparing the measurements of one item to...
SMART Technologies
Smart: Adventures With Adverbs
Students will identify, sort, and classify adverbs as well as compare and contrast adjectives and adverbs in this whiteboard lesson provided by SMART.
ABCya
Ab Cya: States of Matter
States of Matter is an educational activity for kids to learn about the different properties of matter. The lesson will introduce solids, liquids, and gases. Students will then be assessed through a sorting activity where they will...
Read Works
Read Works: Branching Out
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about three branches of government and their system of checks and balances. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in classifying and categorizing.
Read Works
Read Works: Earth Rocks
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about three different types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in classifying and categorizing.