What It Is
Categorizing and sorting can be used to help students understand a wide variety of unique characteristics and concepts. This interaction provides students with opportunities to see how items can sometimes be sorted in different ways and still be correct.
How It Works
This activity will look different depending on what you are sorting or categorizing.
- For categorizing, give students a specific number of items or a list of items. Ask them to sort them into like piles and create category titles based on features inherent in the groups they made. Ask them to prepare a rationale for describing their category.
- For sorting, determine names and features of the groups and provide students with items or lists to sort within these piles. Ask them to prepare a rationale for how they are sorted.
How to Ensure Higher-Order Thinking
The process of categorizing and sorting lends itself to the analysis of components inherent in the concepts being taught. Regardless of what you sort or what you use for student-created categories, ask students to prepare a rationale based on what they sorted or how they categorized concepts or items.
Source
Himmele P., and Himmele, W. Total Participation Techniques: Making Every Student an Active Learner. ASCD, 2017, pp.75-77.
