Sorting Classroom Objects by What They Are Made Of
About this lesson
Children touch, tap and gently bend everyday classroom objects to decide whether each one is made of wood, metal, plastic or paper, then sort them into groups. They practise observing with their senses and explaining their thinking. You need about 12 classroom objects and four labelled sheets of paper. It takes about 15 minutes.
- Grade
- Kindergarten
- Subject
- Science
- Time
- 15 min
- Prep
- 5 min
Objective
Students will use their senses to identify whether an object is made of wood, metal, plastic or paper, and explain how they know.
Prep
5 min: gather about 12 classroom objects and write wood, metal, plastic and paper on four sheets, with a small drawing on each
Materials
- About 12 classroom objects such as a wooden block, spoon, paper clip, plastic cup, crayon box, scrap paper, ruler, pencil and scissors
- 4 sheets of paper labelled wood, metal, plastic and paper with a picture clue
Steps
- Gather the class in a circle with the four labelled sheets on the floor. Hold up a wooden block, a spoon, a plastic cup and a piece of paper one at a time and say, 'Let's feel it, tap it and look at it. Metal feels cold and goes clink, wood goes knock, plastic is smooth and light, and paper bends and crinkles.'
- Hand one object to each pair and say, 'Touch it, tap it gently on the floor and talk with your partner. What do you think it is made of?'
- Invite pairs one at a time to place their object on a sheet and finish the sentence, 'It is made of ___ because it ___.'
- Hold up a pencil or scissors and ask, 'Is this made of only one thing?' Help children notice the different parts, then place it between two sheets.
- Finish by saying, 'Look around our room and point to one thing made of metal. Now point to something made of wood.' Call on a few children to name what they found.
Quick Check
Hold up a new object, such as a glue stick or a book, and have children point to the sheet where it belongs and tell a partner one clue they used.
Differentiation
Make it easier: Use only two groups, such as metal and not metal, and choose objects that are clearly one material.
Make it harder: Ask children to sort the same objects a second way, such as hard or soft, or bendy or stiff, and talk about why some objects moved to a new group.
Good For
- Before lunch
- End of day
- Supply teacher
- Review
