Closed Sorting Tasks

Closed Sorting Tasks

Definition: An activity in which target vocabulary terms are given to students, and then the students are asked to organize the vocabulary into specific, given categories.
Purposes:
  • To increase comprehension
  • To develop organizational skills
  • To provide collaborative learning
  • To understand categorical distinctions

Step 1.
Select the critical terms that you want the students to learn.

Step 2.
Organize the words into natural categories.

Step 3.
Jumble the terms and provide the students with the categories. The words should not be assigned to categories--that will be the students job.

Step 4.
Ask the students to work in pairs, and ask them to discuss why they choose the different categories.

Step 5.
Review the responses as a whole class.

Example:
Let’s say you want to teach a unit on the differences between eubacteria and archaebacteria.

Step 1. Choose the terms that you want students to remember, like cell wall or Bacilli.
Step 3. Provide the categories and terms to the students and ask them to pair up to organize the terms.

Step 4. As a whole class, ask students, one at a time, where the terms go and why.

This task is a general learning task that you may or may not have tried to use with any of your students. By highlighting the vocabulary, this is an excellent way to review readings and check for comprehension. Also, the pair work requires negotiation, which is a valuable experience for students who are learning.

For a similar activity called “card sort”, check out http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/card-sort


Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 18, 2019 at 4:12 AM

    Last week I had students in my Interpersonal Relationships class define the 25 words from the WORD WALL list I have in my room. After completing the definitions, I assigned 5 groups and each group had their own 5 words. They were to write a short story utilizing the words assigned, and then the stories were read aloud. It was very interesting and enlightening to see their creativity and the variety of stories they created. I have done this the past two years and I feel it broadens their knowledge of vocabulary as well as allowing them to be creative with their own story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMarch 1, 2019 at 8:33 AM

      That sounds like a great activity. Thanks for sharing!

      Delete

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