Collection Project

Summary

Outside school, students will collect 10 and 20 items, then create a classification tree and key for the collection. Students will present their collections projects to the rest of the class. NOTE: This is a major assessment for the classification unit.

Materials

None in class

• students will use found materials for collection
• paper or poster board for the charts
• worksheet in Spanish
• worksheet in English

Student Prior Knowledge

process to create a classification tree and key

Instructional Procedures

1. Since students will be sharing this collection with other students, warn them that it should take up minimum space, should not be breakable, dangerous, or valuable. Make arrangements with the students what they should do with their materials before and after the class.
2. The handouts are designed as a take-home note to share the assignment with parents and guardians since it is a major assignment and should not be construed as a request for parents to spend money on supplies. There is a handout in English and in Spanish. If you make bringing the signed handout a separate assignment, it is more likely that the kids will warn the parents before the assignment is due.
3. Pass the notes out to take home as soon as you do one classification tree and key activity in class. Some students will start and finish the project quickly. Others will need a reminder, but the project can be completed in one night if necessary.
4. The timeframe for this activity is at least one week out of class.

Assessment Plan

Scoring guide:
There are three parts to the project:

• One point for each item in the collection
• One point for each correct branch on the classification tree that corresponds to one item
• One point for each correct row of the classification key that corresponds to one item
• You can set a certain number of items and give extra credit for additional items if desired. You can also give extra credit for using technology to create the tree and key.

Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.