Sorting also allows us to examine relationships between objects and ideas. It allows us to dig deeper into our understanding of a topic. Plus, sorting is actually really fun - especially when you get to do it with a friend.
With all of these benefits, why wouldn't we use sorting in school?
I realize that not every is familiar with the power of sorting, so I decided to make a few videos to show how the sorting works. I grabbed one of my daughters and her friend to help me. I am not kidding you, they loved it. They loved it so much they wouldn't stop sorting when I needed to end the video.
This is not promotional talk here. They were having so much fun. It made me think of amazing it would be to have an entire classroom of kids this engaged with their work.
I think one part of sorting that is important for kids, especially kids who typically struggle in school, is that it doesn't require them to write. You can write to record your thinking, but you don't have to. This takes away a huge barrier for a lot of kids. It creates a level playing field where everyone can have fun and feel successful.
Can you tell I love sorting?
Anyway, the video below is all about biomes. I have taught biomes for so many years! I have reading passages in my stores which I love, but nothing has been as fun for kids as these sorting cards.
So, the girls only sorted two biomes, but there are actually 7 biomes in the sorting set. You get cards for:
1. Freshwater Aquatic
2. Marine
3. Desert
4. Grasslands
5. Rainforest
6. Tundra
7. Taiga
Each biome has two environment pictures, a description of the biome, 3 animal cards, and 3 plant cards. You also get pictures of my sorts as an "answer key", but of course, there are different sorts that could still make sense.
That is another part of sorting that I love. There are so many correct answers that require kids to explain their thinking.
Can you tell that I love sorting?! Oh, and I love biomes!
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