Curated OER
Seeds in Fall...Collect Them All!
Classify seeds by attributes such as size, shape and color! Learners classify seeds using a dichotomous key. They identify human behaviors that have a positive impact on preserving seed and plant biodiversity.
National Park Service
Rock Ranking
Junior geologists sort rocks and soil. They separate a sample of river gravel by size, shape, color, and other characteristics. To include Common Core standards, you could have little ones graph the number of particles in each sample.
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Marshmallow Figures
Students enjoy making 3-D figures while learning about rectangular prisms, pyramids, vertices, edges, and faces. After a lecture/demo, students use marshmallows, toothpicks and a worksheet imbedded in this lesson plan to create 3...
Space Awareness
Coma Cluster of Galaxies
Scientists classify everything from the smallest cells to the largest galaxies, but how do they decide on a classification system? Scholars use 40 pictures of galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to sort and try creating their...
Skyscraper Museum
What is a Skyscraper?
Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first activity in this...
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Venn Diagram with Blocks
Fifth graders classify blocks according to their attributes. In this math lesson, 5th graders will identify attributes of blocks, sort them, then form the groups into a Venn Diagram, and write ratios using the attributes.
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Grasping Geometry
Young scholars investigate geometric shapes in their environment, make a geometric design, and write paragraphs describing the design.
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Dango
Students discuss lines, shapes, patterns, and colors used in Jun Kaneko's piece Untitled (Dango). In groups, they help make a paper Mache replica and demonstrate their understanding of lines, shapes patterns, and colors by painting their...
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Rocks and Minerals
Fifth graders examine different types of rocks and classify rocks by their different characteristics. In small groups they sort their rocks into two categories, then create three categories to sort by on a sorting worksheet. Next, they...
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Big Bones, Little Bones
Learners investigate archeology. In this archeology instructional activity, students research the process of excavation. Learners participate in a mock-excavation and sort objects by physical properties.
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Classifying Candy I
Students explore the observable properties of matter. They develop two binary classification systems using concrete objects. based on two different properties of the concrete objects.
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The Great Button Sort
Pupils practice figuring out how items have been sorted. They also sort buttons in small cooperative groups. They color and sort their own paper buttons and then give their button sort to another student to see if he or she can figure...
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Sort It Out
Students study classification systems by sorting Legos and determining how the different pieces are classified. They list as many attributes as possible to use for sorting.
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Classifying Candy III
Students create a classification tree based on grouping candy with eight different properties. This allows students to understand how living things are classified.
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Sort It Out and Match It Up
Learners identify objects that are the same shape and size. They compare and contrast attributes of two-and three-dimensional objects using appropriate vocabulary. Pupils justify an extension of a geometric pattern to explain what was...
Curated OER
Classifying Functions
Eleventh graders sort different types of functions including rational, periodic, exponential, polynomial, quadratic, logarithmic and linear using "function cards." The functions are displayed in multiple representations including...
Curated OER
Classifying Rocks
Pupils classify rocks into groups after they observe the rocks and identify properties that can be used to divide them into groups. They then identify other properties that could be used to classify other objects into groups.
Curated OER
Look At Those Leaves
Students observe leaves. In this plant biology lesson, students examine leaves and classify them according to size, shape, and color. Students learn more about the leaves by visiting suggested websites.
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Property Lists for Quadrilaterals
Students establish classifications of shapes by various properties (angles, sides, etc.). They introduce the important properties of common shapes. Students develop an awareness of the wide variety of ways the 2-D shapes can be alike.
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4.2: Exploring Rocks
Students collect and look at rocks and write down information about them in science notebooks. They make comparisons and sort the rocks according to their properties, and then discuss their findings with their classmates and put them on...
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Sink or Float
Third graders sort objects into those they think will float and those that will sink and test their predictions. They experiment with clay molding it into shapes that float. They place pennies in them until they sink. They test other...
Curated OER
The Strongest Shape
Students work collaboratively to design and construct a roof out of Legos for a house that was built in a previous instructional activity. The roof must be structurally sound and pass certain criteria determined by the teacher.
August House
Stone Soup
Sharing and cooperation are difficult skills for kindergartners to grasp. Using the story Stone Soup and a series of activities, kids learn about the benefits of working together, categorizing and comparing items, and eating...
