Sorting Charts
📖 Learn
Scientists use charts to organize information. Today we will make sorting charts for living and nonliving things!
What is a Sorting Chart?
A sorting chart has columns (up and down). We put things in the right column based on what group they belong to.
| Living Things | Nonliving Things |
|---|---|
| 🐕 Dog | 🪨 Rock |
| 🌷 Flower | 📚 Book |
| 🐦 Bird | 🚗 Car |
Reading a Chart
Look at the chart above. We can see:
- There are 3 living things in the left column
- There are 3 nonliving things in the right column
- The dog, flower, and bird all grow, need food, move, and breathe
💡 Examples
Let's practice reading and making charts!
Example 1: Where does the fish go?
🐟
Think: A fish grows, needs food, moves in the water, and breathes through gills.
Answer: The fish goes in the Living Things column!
Example 2: Where does the teddy bear go?
🧸
Think: A teddy bear does not grow, does not need food, cannot move by itself, and does not breathe.
Answer: The teddy bear goes in the Nonliving Things column!
✏️ Practice
For each thing, say which column it belongs in: "Living Things" or "Nonliving Things"
1. 🐈 Cat
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
2. ⚽ Soccer ball
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
3. 🌳 Tree
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
4. 🪑 Chair
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
5. 🦋 Butterfly
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
6. 📚 Book
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
7. 🐝 Bee
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
8. 🚗 Car
Which column: Living or Nonliving?
Make Your Own Chart!
Draw a chart on paper with two columns. Look around your room and find:
- 4 living things to put in the left column
- 4 nonliving things to put in the right column
✅ Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions about the chart below:
| Living Things | Nonliving Things |
|---|---|
| 🐕 🐈 🌷 🐟 | 🪨 📚 |
1. How many living things are in the chart?
2. How many nonliving things are in the chart?
3. Which group has MORE things?
🚀 Next Steps
- Practice making sorting charts at home
- Count how many things are in each column
- Move on to the next lesson to practice explaining your thinking