American Chemical Society
Classifying Objects Based on their Observable Properties
Sorting objects by properties is a lesson in justification. Learners begin by studying different types of properties of materials, including those based on appearance and texture. They examine the properties of specific items and use...
Berkshire Museum
Nature Journaling: Experience the Outdoors Through Writing and Drawing
Step into the great outdoors and develop young scientists' skills of observation with a nature journaling lesson. Given a specific focus or goal, children practice making and recording observations of nature through written descriptions...
UAF Geophysical Institute
Observing the Weather
How can you predict the weather without any technology? Young scientists learn to forecast the weather using traditional Native American techniques. Based on their observations of the weather, as well as talking to their classmates, they...
Curated OER
Classifying Shells
Pupils observe and classify different types of shells. They compare and contrast an exhibit they created with one that already exists in a musuem. They discover the different characteristics of shells.
Curated OER
Classifying Objects
Fourth graders classify living things according to similarities and differences through guided and independent activities. They place objects into groups according to their characteristics and then make a collage of living things...
Curated OER
How Are Soils Classified?
Students list the three texture groups that classify soils. They classify a soil sample as sandy, silty or clay soil.
Berkshire Museum
Backyard Rocks
You don't have to travel far to learn about rocks, just step outside, pick up a stone, and begin investigating. After taking a class walk around the school grounds collecting rocks, young scientists practice their skills of observation...
Beyond Benign
Reactions Lab
You're bound to get a reaction from your classes with this experiment! Scholars perform several chemical reactions, make observations, and classify the reactions as single replacement, double replacement, composition, or decomposition...
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Fifth graders examine and participate in the process of classifying rocks. In small groups, they sort the rocks into two categories and complete a Venn diagram. Next, they select three rocks, and complete a worksheet that is in the...
Curated OER
Environmental Studies: The Environment Rocks!
Rock exploration, so exciting! After reading the book Everybody Needs a Rock, the class makes sandwiches to better understand that the Earth is made in layers. They then use a description of the 3 types of rock to conduct an observation...
Curated OER
A Biology Game To Promote Classification And Observation
Learners play a biology game. In this science lesson plan, students play a game that require them to use observation skills and develop their classification skills.
Curated OER
How are Seeds the Same and Different?
Young scholars examine seeds from various plants. In this science lesson, students cut open fruits and vegetables in order to see the seeds. Young scholars describe each type of seed and classify the seeds.
Virginia Department of Education
Three Types of Rocks
Rock out with the second installment of a five-part series on earth materials and processes. Your budding geologists make observations of given rock samples and posit classification systems for rocks. They then learn about the...
Curated OER
Botanical Bookmarks
Young scholars increase their comprehension of botany as they collect, identify, and classify various leaves. They observe that each leaf has its own unique color, texture, design, and pattern. Students create a pressed-leaf bookmark,...
University of Hawaiʻi
Taxonomy and Me!
Taxonomy is the study of organisms and how you phylum. Three biology activities are included, helping scholars understand four of the six kingdoms, specifically Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia. Scholars observe and classify...
Larson Lab
Animal Classification
How are animals classified? Scholars explore animal classification by observing non-living and living specimens. They learn how to organize animals into vertebrates and invertebrates and identify the five vertebrate groups: mammals,...
California Academy of Science
Sorting the Solar System
Scientists are always sorting and classifying objects based on their characteristics. In a hands-on learning activity, young space explorers work together to categorize solar system cards based on their properties. It is up to the...
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Third graders classify rocks. In this rocks and minerals lesson, 3rd graders observe, make inferences and conclusions about rocks, minerals, soil and fossils.
Curated OER
Sorting Things Out
Written to examine seeds that grow in Kansas, you can adapt this lesson to anywhere you live. Learners sort a mixture of five different seeds to by any characteristic of their choice. When your budding scientists are exploring the life...
Curated OER
Sampling Rocks
Here is a geology instructional activity which invites learners to explore a variety of rocks. They find rocks in the schoolyard and classify them according to size, color, and weight, then read the book Everybody Needs a Rock. Good...
Curated OER
Classifying Living Things
Young scholars identify how to classify living things. They classify various concepts including family members, kinds of clothing, numbers, shapes, and vocabulary words. They discuss how to classify various concepts and classify...
Curated OER
Classified Information - Part 1: Shapes
Third graders investigate how and why scientists use classification. They discuss classification strategies using animals, and as a class fill in a flowchart with their responses. Next, in small groups they cut out a variety of shapes...
Curated OER
Classify Prisms
Students classify prisms according to their attributes. In this classifying prisms lesson, students explore different prisms. Students generate observations of the attributes and classify the prism correctly.
Curated OER
Discover Ways to Further Classify Matter
Students analyze and classify substances. In this classifying matter lesson plan, students look at various substances and identify them as heterogeneous or homogeneous mixtures, pure substances, or solutions. Students bring...