Classify objects by their observable properties

General

Scientists make observations and make connections between ideas or things by grouping them. Students will learn how to name observable properties in objects or things in order to categorize them. They will learn that they can use their five senses to help them name observable properties, examples of types of observable properties, and how to categorize items based on these observable properties. The lesson includes interactive activities and a printable worksheet with a writing activity.

Standards

2-PS1-1

Learning Objective

Students will be able to create categories to classify objects by their observable properties.

Introduction

Have students group the fruits on the slide by labeling each plate and then dragging the fruit and placing them on top of the corresponding labeled plate. Afterward, explain to students that today, they will learn about how to classify objects by their observable properties.

Instruction

Introduce the concept of matter to students. Teach that that we can use the five senses to help perceive matter and its observable properties. Then, go over some examples of words that can be used to describe matter. Afterward, students engage in the following activities: First, have students watch a short video and discuss the given questions on the slide. Next, allow students to practice describing two given objects by their observable properties in an activity where they can drag and place the given properties onto the object that it describes. After that, students participate in a matching activity where they match each object to its corresponding observable property by drawing a line between the columns to connect each pair.

Students can then complete a maze that requires them to follow the path that accurately describes the properties of a slice of pizza. Then, students can begin to practice classifying matter by similar observable properties by dragging and placing images and words into the correct boxes. Finally, students engage in group work that will require them to collect, discuss, and categorize items by similar properties as well as create a poster showing and explaining what they did in their group work.

Quiz

Students respond to ten multiple-choice questions pertaining to matter and the classification of matter according to their observable properties.

Closing

Students will be given a fictional scenario where they will be given a list of things that they will need to classify according to their like properties. Then, they will write a paragraph explaining the reasoning behind the groups they categorized the objects in. This closing activity will include a printable worksheet.