60-Second Strategy: Science Word Sorts

St. Marys Area Middle School science teacher Pam Armanini started using word sorts because she wanted to dig into her students’ knowledge: What was sticking, and what did they still need help with? This activity—which can be used to assess students’ prior knowledge or as a review activity—has the added benefit of getting students out of their seats, moving around, and working together.

Each student is given a card with a science term on it (pulled from the chapter they’ve just studied or are about to study). They then circulate in the center of the classroom, searching for other students whose cards have related terms. Each student must find two other students, to form a group of three; this process involves discussing the terms and their relationships. Once students have found their groups, they step out of the center of the room to the periphery. And once everyone is in a group, Armanini asks each one to explain why their words belong together. For example, students might explain that the three terms in their group—recycle, landfill, and incinerate—are all forms of waste disposal.

If there is time, she repeats the activity by shuffling the same cards and handing them out again, to reinforce the learning and make sure students were paying attention. “Now, if you have a different card,” she says, “do you know which group you go in?”

Armanini likes using word sorts in science for lots of reasons. “ I’m getting to assess my students’ knowledge in a different way,” she says, “instead of just having them write something down or take a test on a computer. This is real-time assessment of what they know.”

It also requires participation from all students. “Every student is involved regardless of how much they really want to talk,” she notes. “Someone has to talk to them in order to get them into a group. So even the most reluctant student is engaged.”

Finally, it keeps class interesting—and it’s highly adaptable to a range of ages and academic subjects. “ I’m teaching the same thing five times a day… If I’m bored in my classroom, my students will be bored. So I’m always looking for ways to have engaging activities in my room that the students will enjoy and benefit from.”

To find more activities that help students build deeper understanding of content they already know, read Andrea Tamayo’s article for Edutopia, “12 Ways to Activate Your Students’ Prior Knowledge.” Or, find more quick teaching strategies for middle school in Edutopia’s 60-Second Strategies collection.