What's Growin' in My Classroom: April 2015 Secondary Smorgasbord

Do you use card sorts in your science classroom? I like using them with my middle school students. Card sorts can be used in a variety of ways. They are a great way to see what students know going into a new unit. They can be used to practice new concepts. Or they can be used to review material your students haven't worked with for awhile. 

My seventh grade science students always enjoyed card sorts, and we especially used card sorts during our physical science unit. We brought out card sorting activities for elements, compounds, and mixtures; homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures; the changes in states of matter; and physical and chemical changes. 

My students liked card sorts because they could work together with classmates while they classified the cards. It felt like a game. I liked the card sorts because they allowed me to meet the needs of all the students in my class. The card sort was great for my many ELL students because each card had both words and pictures. The kinesthetic learners benefited as well because they could move and arrange the cards.  The advanced students could provide rationale for each of their classifications or create their own examples to add to the card sort. Students who needed more practice with the content could work with partners who could explain the material while sorting the cards.

Another thing I liked about using card sorts in my classroom was the versatility. The activity could take as little as five minutes by having students quickly sort the cards and checking their answers. Or the activity could last up to forty-five minutes, which allowed for students to record their answers, explain and defend their classification choices, and answer reflection questions. It was also flexible because it could be used as a unit introduction, a way to practice new material, a quick check of understanding, or a review. The activity could easily turn into a fun class competition by seeing which group correctly sorted the cards the quickest.

Take a look at the many different card sorts I have used with my seventh grade science students.

• Physical and Chemical Changes Card Sorting Activity
• Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Mixtures Card Sorting Activity
• Elements,Compounds, and Mixtures Card Sorting Activity
• Changes in States of Matter Card Sorting Activity
• Measurement in Science Card Sorting Activity
• Steps of the Scientific Method Card Sorting Activities
• Genetics Vocabulary Card Sorting Activity

Thank you ELA Buffet and  Desktop Learning Adventures for arranging and including me in this Smorgasbord!

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up