Sort It Out Lesson Plan Sort It Out!
Teacher Lesson Plan
30 Minutes
Pre-K Students
Learning Objective
Students will be able to observe, describe, and sort objects by physical properties such as color, shape, and size, demonstrating an understanding of basic classification skills (Science TEKS K.9).
Why It Matters
Sorting develops critical thinking and observation. It teaches students to notice details and organize information, which is foundational for all science learning.
Preparation (15 Minutes)
Review Materials: Slide Deck, Mystery Bag worksheet, and the three differentiated Choice Board activities.Object Baskets: Create baskets of mixed items (blocks, buttons, toy animals, leaves, stones, pom-poms) for each group.Sorting Mats: Prepare 3 mats or hula hoops per small group.Specialized Tools: Print picture cards for below-level learners and recording sheets for above-level learners.Mystery Bag: Place distinct objects (smooth rock, fuzzy pom-pom, hard block) in a non-transparent bag.
Instructional Sequence
1. Warm-Up: Mystery Bag Sort
5 Min
Gather students in a circle. Introduce the Mystery Bag.
Students feel inside without looking and describe objects (smooth, rough, hard, soft).
Prompt with: "What does it feel like?", "Is it heavy?", "What do you think it is?"
2. Introduction: What is Sorting?
5 Min
Display the Slide Deck. Discuss the concept of grouping.
Ask: "What does it mean to sort things?"
Explain that they are "Super Sorters" grouping things by how they look or feel.
3. Choice Board Activity Rotation
15 Min
Divide students into three differentiated groups:
Below-Level: "Picture Power Sorting" (matching objects to pictures).On-Level: "Speedy Sorting" (sorting by color, shape, or texture).Above-Level: "Super Scientist Sorting" (discovering multiple sorting rules).
4. Cool Down: One Big Group!
5 Min
Bring everyone back together to share one observation.
Collaboratively sort all objects into one large category (e.g., "things for play").
Reiterate that sorting helps us understand the world!
Sort It Out Slides Sort It Out!
What does it mean to put things into groups?
Color
Size
Feel
What is Sorting?
Sorting means putting things that are the same together.
We can sort by color!
We can sort by size!
We can sort by how they feel!
Be a Super Sorter!
Today, you will look closely at objects and put them into groups.
Ready to explore and sort?
Look Closely • Group Together • Discover Rules
Mystery Bag Warm Up Name:
Date:
Super Sorter Warm-Up
Mystery Bag Sort!
What is hiding inside? Use your hands to find out!
How to Play:
1
Close your eyes tight! No peeking!
2
Reach your hand into the bag.
3
Feel the object. Don't pull it out yet!
4
Guess what it is! Describe how it feels.
What did you feel?
My object felt like:
My Secret Guess:
I think it was a:
Smooth?
Bumpy?
Hard?
Soft?
Speedy Sorting Activity Name:
On-Level Activity
Speedy Sorting!
How fast can you group them?
The Goal:
Work with your friends to sort your basket of objects into groups using a rule!
1
Look at your objects!
Spread everything out on your table. What do you see?
2
Pick a sorting rule!
Choose one way to group them: Color , Shape , or How it feels .
3
Sort them fast!
Put all the matching things together on your mats.
Our Sorting Rule Was:
Write or draw your rule here
One Object We Sorted:
Draw one object here
Color
Shape
Feel
Picture Power Activity Name:
Below-Level Activity
Picture Power!
Match the objects to their pictures.
1
Look at your big picture cards!
2
Find the object that looks the same.
3
Put them together in groups!
How did you sort today?
BY COLOR
BY SIZE
Big and Small
Draw one object you put in a group: Super Scientist Activity Name:
Above-Level Activity
Super Scientist!
Find multiple ways to sort the same objects.
The Challenge:
Sort your objects in two different ways . Can you find a rule that uses two properties at once (like "Small AND Blue")?
Experiment #1
Rule 1
My Rule:
Draw your groups for Rule 1
Experiment #2
Rule 2
My Rule:
Draw your groups for Rule 2
Big Group Cool Down Name:
Whole Class Cool Down
One Big Group!
Can we sort everything together?
1
Bring one object to the class circle.
2
Put all objects together in the middle.
3
Think of ONE BIG rule to sort them into just two groups!
Our Big Group Sorting Rule:
My favorite way to sort:
Write or draw it
Why?
Draw your reason
I am a Super Sorter!
