South Carolina ETV

South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

The Great Button Sort (Grade K-1)

Master Teacher

Tammy McCarthy

Time Allotment

Two 30-45 minute lessons

Overview

In this lesson students will practice figuring out how items have been sorted. They will also sort buttons in small cooperative groups. Students will color and sort their own paper buttons and then give their button sort to another student to see if he or she can figure out how the buttons were sorted.

Subject Matter

Mathematics

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

Sort buttons using one or more attributes;
Decide how items are sorted and give labels to each group.

South Carolina Standards

SC Mathematics Standards

Mathematics: Algebra-Kindergarten

I. Understand patterns, relations, and functions.

A.Sort, classify, and order objects by size, number, and other properties.

1.Sort and classify objects by one attribute (size, color, shape).

2. Sort and classify objects by more than one attribute (size, shape, and color).

Mathematics: Algebra-1^st Grade

II.Understand patterns, relations, and functions.

B.Sort, classify, and order objects by size, number, and other properties.

1. Sort and classify concrete objects according to one or more attributes including color, size, shape, and thickness.

Media Components

Video

Mathica's Mathshop I, Lesson 8: "Mary, Mary Extraordinary."

Materials

Per group of 3-4 students:

Variety of buttons-10 to 15 per group

Per student:

Activity Sheets 1 and 2
1 sheet of construction paper (any color)
crayons
scissors
glue

Equipment

VCR and TV

Prep for Teachers

Preview the video Mathica's Mathshop. Note the Focus for Media Interaction points in the Learning Activities section.
Cue the video to the point where Mary, Mary Extraordinary joins Mathica.
Put 10-15 buttons into zip lock baggies for each group.
Copy Activity Sheets 1 and 2.
When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video elements, Web sites or other multimedia elements.

Introductory Activity

Step 1: Pick two students with something in common (the rule) to come to the front of the room and stand together. (Example: They are both wearing glasses.)

Step 2: Pick two students who could not be a part of the first group to come to the front of the room and stand away from the first group. (Example: They are not wearing glasses.)

Step 3: Ask the class to guess what the rule is. Call on a student to make a guess. Before that student guesses, have him or her pick another student to go up front. Tell this student which group he or she is to stand with. Then allow the first student to make his or her guess. Repeat this process until the rule is figured out or until all of the students are standing in one group or the other.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 with a new rule several times as time allows.

Learning Activities

Step 1: Introduce the video. Tell the students Mathica is an elf in Mathland who is going to help her friend Mary, Mary Extraordinary sort buttons. Tell them they will be helping to figure out how the buttons are sorted.

Step 2: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to watch and see if they can figure out how Mary, Mary Quite Contrary has sorted the buttons.

Step 3: START "Mary, Mary Extra-ordinary" from the point where Mathica is fixing her tray of sandwiches and Mary, Mary Quite Contrary walks in the door. PAUSE at the question prompt, "How are the buttons sorted?"

Ask the students how the buttons are sorted.

Step 4: Provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by telling them to watch and see if they were right. Tell them that Mary, Mary Quite Contrary will sort the buttons again. Ask them to watch and see if they can figure out how she has sorted them this time.

Step 5: CONTINUE the video. STOP the video after Mathica says, "The buttons are sorted by shape."

Step 6: Put the students into groups of 3-4.

Tell the students they will be given a baggie of buttons, which they will sort into 2 or more groups.

Step 7: Walk around the room and ask students how their buttons are sorted. After they sort one way, tell them to mix up the buttons and sort them a different way. Continue this for about 10 minutes or as long as time allows. Collect the buttons before going on to the Culminating Activity.

Culminating Activity

Step 1: Give each student crayons, glue, scissors, a piece of construction paper, and Activity Sheet 1.

Step 2: Tell the students they will be sorting their own buttons but first they need to color them. After they color them, tell the students to cut the buttons out and sort them into 2 or more groups onto their piece of construction paper and not to tell their neighbor how they are sorting them. Once they have them sorted, tell the students to glue their buttons in place.

Step 3: Collect the sheets and then pass them back so no student gets his or her own. Tell the students they are to figure out how the buttons are sorted. Give them several minutes to do this.

Step 4: Tell the students that they will make a guess as to how the buttons are sorted. Call on a student to show the button paper and say how he or she believes the buttons are sorted. Have the student who did that sort tell if the guess is correct. If the guess is not correct, give the class a chance to guess. Continue until each sheet has been shared.

Step 5: Pass the sheets back to their owners. Tell the students to label each group. Re-collect the sheets.

Assessment

As a final assessment, give the students Activity Sheet 2-A and 2-B to complete. Tell the students to cut out the buttons from Activity Sheet 2-A and sort and them onto Activity Sheet 2-B. Tell the students they will also need to label the groups.

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Science: Sort leaves or other pieces of nature from a nature walk.

Language Arts: Read "Toad's Missing Button," from Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (HarperCollins, 1970). Help Toad find his button by using the attributes he gives.

Social Studies: Make a Venn Diagram of things from the past and things from today.

Community Connections

Visit a bank to see how money is counted.