Sorting Cards

A really cool way for the kids to review is by creating sorting cards.  I created a couple of different sorting cards to use the last couple of weeks in fourth grade Social Studies.  The most recent set was created to review the steps of how the Hawaiian Islands were formed.  I typed up the steps into a table in Word.  I left boxes in the table blank so that I could draw in pictures once I printed out the page.  It took me about 20 minutes to type, print, and draw the pictures.  Then I made enough copies so that there is one per student.  I had also printed each step on a separate page in larger letters and drew bigger pictures so that I could have a set to use as a class.  This took longer (I added color to the pictures since I can be a bit of a perfectionist). I then laminated the larger set in the hope that I can use it again next year (if I am fortunate enough to teach Social Studies again).  I used a paper-cutter to chop the boxes apart quickly.  You could have the students cut out the pieces, but I was trying to save some of their learning time.  I put each set into a separate plastic baggie.

For the lesson, we read and took Cornell notes on the stages of how a volcano forms and becomes an island.  Then I passed out either a paper with a written step on it or a paper with the drawing of that step to sixteen of my students.  I asked those with the words to go up to the front of the room and try to put themselves in order.  They did pretty well with only some support from their friends.  Then we had the students with the pictures try to match up to the right words.  They did fairly well too.  We then passed out the cards again to let other students have a turn too.

Afterwards, we let each team of three or four students work on sorting the island formation steps that they were given in the plastic baggies.  It was a race between teams!  After students had a chance to practice in teams, they then tried it with a partner and finally by themselves.  At the end of the lesson, students wrote/drew in their reflection journals what stages they could remember of the islands being formed.

Here is the link to the lesson plan:
Hawaiian Island Formation Lesson Plan