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Sorting objects by one attribute
Ed wants to hang up his drawings. How should he do it?
Learning intention
Students will learn how to:
sort by colour, shape and other attributes (one attribute only).
Success criteria
I will know I have been successful if I can:
- sort objects by colour
- sort objects by shape
- think of other ways to sort objects.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of basic colours and shapes
Language
Reinforce the use of mathematical language: sort, sorting, shape, colour, same, different
Misconceptions
- All objects in one group have to look exactly the same, eg all triangles also have to be the same colour.
Before the video
- Give students a Mathletics shape attribute card (download this resource from the bottom of this page).
- Call out a colour/shape/size and have the students sit down if the shape on their card matches the attribute called out.
During the video
First viewing:
Watch the video without stopping or pausing. Then, ask the children to explain what happened in the video. Begin to draw out key vocabulary or possible misconceptions.
Second viewing:
| Pause point | Key learning | Action/discussion |
|---|---|---|
| 1:24 | Sorting things makes them easier to identify/find quickly | How has sorting helped Ed? |
| 1:55 | We can sort objects by shape | How have the pictures been sorted? |
| 2:18 | Sorting by shape | Has Ed put his new picture in the right place? |
| 3:28 | Sorting in a different way | Can you think of another way you could sort the drawings? |
After the video
Sorting by colour:
- Students sort coloured objects, eg coloured pencils as per the video.
- Ask students how else the objects could have been sorted.
Sorting hoops:
- Use hoops to sort a variety of physical objects. Select objects that can be sorted in more than 1 way.
Mathletics shape attribute cards:
- Explore the various ways the cards can be sorted. Ask the students to sort using a given rule and have the students choose their own rule to sort the cards.
- Play ‘Guess the rule’. Students have one card between each pair. They approach the teacher with their card and the teacher tells them ‘yes’ if their card is accepted or ‘no’ if it is not. Students reason what rule the teacher has for saying yes or no to the cards.