Sorting and Analyzing

Vickie Townsend                Crown Fine Arts Community Academy
                               2128 S. St. Louis
                               Chicago IL 60623
                               (312) 535-1680

Objectives: 

1. After the lesson the students will be able to sort, compare and analyze.
   This lesson can be appropriate for all levels.
                  
2. The students will explore, observe and examine concrete objects while 
   sorting, comparing and analyzing.

3. The students will be able to recognize a bar graph.

Materials Needed:

1. Each student will receive a sheet with a month on it and 8 cakes drawn on
   it; a paint brush; red, yellow and blue paint.
2. Each student will receive 2 Post-it-Notes, crayons, sorting sheets, and a
   questions and answer sheet.
3. Each group of 4 students will receive one 2.07 oz. package of Starburst
   candy and one 16 oz. bag of Starburst candy.
4. The students will receive tape, a cup of water per group of 4 students and
   paper towels.

Strategy:

The students will answer the question "How can we find out how many student's
birthdays in each month?"  The students will offer suggestions as to how to 
solve this problem.  The students will decorate their sheet with the month and 
the cakes on them.  They will use the primary colors and mix them to create 
different colors.  They will get a piece of tape and tape each month in order on 
the bulletin board.  Each student will then write their name on one Post-it-Note 
and write their birthday on the other Post-it Note.  When they are finished they 
will put the Post-it-Notes under the month in which their birthday falls.  

They will notice the common characteristic of birthdays in the same month 
They will realize that sorting means putting things in groups of like items. 

They will notice the bar graph that is produced on the bulletin board and answer 
questions such as the following: 

1. Which month has the most birthdays?
2. Which month has the least birthdays?
3. Are there more birthdays in January than December?
4. What is the total number of birthdays in February and March?
5. What is the total number of birthdays in September and October?

The students will then hold up the 2.07 oz. package of Starburst.  They will 
open it and count the number of candies.  They will estimate how many candies 
are in the 16 oz. bag of Starburst.  They will count them to see if they are 
correct.  They will use the sorting sheet to create a bar graph showing how many 
candies of yellow, red, pink and orange they have?  They will answer questions 
such as the following: 

1.  How many yellow candies are there?
2.  How many red candies are there?
3.  How many pink candies are there?
4.  How many orange candies are there?
5.  Which color has the most candies?
6.  Which color has the least?
7.  How many red and yellow candies?
8.  How many pink and orange candies?
9.  How many yellow and red candies?   
 
The students must then divide the amount of candy evenly so that each student
has an equal amount.

Performance Assessment:

The students must complete the Sorting Question and Answer sheet with at least 
80% correct.