Deep Sea Sort

Learning Outcomes:

SP-III.2.2 - organizes data independently, using such graphic organizers as diagrams, charts, and lists.

Assessment:

Use a simple checklist (JKL) to answer following questions: "Student sorts creatures into correct categories", "Student participated in creating a variety of categories", "Student recorded the categories used in class."

Connection to Last Lesson:

Students will have formulated independently the questions and categories for data collection. Students will also have been exposed to the Ocean theme.

Flexible Grouping:

Categorization and sorting class work, while recording is individual.

Activating Strategies:

After class has made a collection of sea creatures for science, display the pictures and have class do a gallery walk. Remind children to take a good look at each picture because they will need to know all the animals for the next activity. Have a helper collect the pictures and bring them to the front of class. "Shuffle" the pictures and hand them out randomly. Then hand out a dab of sticky tab to each student. Remind them not to eat it.

Acquiring Strategies (How will students acquire new information or processes?):

1. Come up with two general categories for the creatures (ex. Fins, No fins) and label the top of the black/white board.

2. Then ask the students to sort their pictures under the proper heading. Discuss if the animals are sorted properly.

3. Have students come up and retrieve the picture they had placed and return to desk.

4. On the back of each picture have students write the category that their picture represented.

5. Each student then passes the picture forward to the next student.

6. Repeat the activity 6 or 7 times with the students discussing and formulating the categories to be used.

Applying Strategies (How will students apply, consolidate, or extend the information process?):

1. Repeat the activity 6 or 7 times with the students discussing and formulating the categories to be used.

2. After activity have students return pictures to their creators. These pictures can be returned to their project folders or into student portfolios.

Learning Resources:

Sticky tack

Checklist (Excel worksheet)

Different Ways of Learning (What are the areas of engagement in this lesson e.g., learning styles, thinking styles, multiple intelligences?):

Quietly play ocean sounds or music (The Living Sea by Sting, The Little Mermaid Soundtrack) for Musical learners.
Naturalist learners are working with ocean creatures.
Viewing work by others for the Spatial learners.
Class work for Interpersonal learners.

Connections:

Data used comes directly from a study of sea creatures in science.

Additional Notes:

Be sure that the drawings of the sea creatures are of a size that they can easily be manipulated within the class. Instead of sticky tack, you might try using clothes-pins on hangers to display pictures.

Source:

Suggestions for Instructions and Assessment (p. C-30, 31 Kindergarten to Grade 4 Mathematics: A Foundation for Implementation)

Submitted by:

Hema Stulberg