Year 1 Science: Sorting things into groups
Part of the Year 1 Science being a scientist chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Sorting things into groups
Scientists sort things into groups to see patterns. We sort by a rule, such as “has wheels” or “no wheels”. Each thing goes in one group only: the group where it fits the rule. Sorting things like this helps us to classify them.
Key ideas
- Sort things by a rule.
- Each thing goes in one group only.
- Check each thing against the rule, one at a time.
- Name each group by its rule, such as “has wheels”.
Method. Check each thing against the rule: can it fly?
- Check the bird. A bird can fly.bird: can fly
- Check the cat and the fish. A cat walks and a fish swims. They cannot fly.cat and fish: cannot fly
- Check the kite. A kite flies in the wind.kite: flies
- Write the answer. bird and kite
Check. Two things fly, and two do not. ✓
Watch out. Check every thing on the list, one at a time.
Method. Check each thing against the rule: “round”. Put it in one group only.
- Check each thing against the rule. Ask: does it fit the rule? Yes or no?ball fits, book does not fit, coin fits, box does not fit
- Put the things that fit in the “Round” group. Each thing goes in one group only.ball, coin
- Put the others in the “Not round” group. Every thing must be in a group.book, box
- Write the answer. Round: ball, coin. Not round: book, box.
Check. Count the things: 2 + 2 = 4. ✓
Watch out. Check the rule, not the colour or the size.
Method. Look for the thing that is different from the other three.
- Look at the fruit. An apple, a pear and a banana are all fruit.apple, pear, banana: fruit
- Find the different one. A carrot is a vegetable, not a fruit.carrot: not a fruit
- Write the answer. The other three are fruit, so the carrot is the odd one out.carrot
Check. Three things are fruit, and one is not. ✓
Watch out. Think about what the things have in common.
Watch out
Watch out: check the rule, not the colour or the size. A red car and a blue car both have wheels, so they go in the same group.
Try it at home (with a grown-up). Gather about 10 safe things from around the house, such as socks, toy animals or buttons. Choose a rule, such as “is it soft?”, and sort them into two groups. Then choose a different rule and sort them again. Check with a grown-up that everything is safe to touch.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to choose the rule before they sort. Then ask: “Can you think of another rule?” Sorting is about noticing what things have in common.
Exercise 1D Sorting and grouping
Method. Check the rule: does the car have wheels?
- Look at the car. A car has wheels under it.car: wheels
- Check the groups. The group that says “has wheels” is the one for things with wheels.has wheels group
- Write the answer. Has wheels
Check. The bus and the bike also have wheels, so they are in the same group. ✓
Watch out. Check the rule, not the colour.
Method. Check each thing against the rule: does it have wheels?
- Check the bike. A bike has wheels.bike: wheels
- Check the bus. A bus has wheels.bus: wheels
- Check the cup. A cup has no wheels.cup: no wheels
- Write the answer. cup
Check. Look at the groups: the cup is in the “no wheels” group. ✓
Watch out. Check every thing in the list.
Method. Count the things in the group with the wheels.
- Find the group. It is the group named “has wheels”.has wheels
- Count the things. Touch each thing once.car, bus, bike
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Count the other group too: 3 things with no wheels. ✓
Watch out. Count each thing once.
Method. Check each thing against the rule: “is an animal”. Put it in one group only.
- Check each thing against the rule. Ask: does it fit the rule? Yes or no?cat fits, dog fits, oak does not fit, daisy does not fit
- Put the things that fit in the “Animals” group. Each thing goes in one group only.cat, dog
- Put the others in the “Plants” group. Every thing must be in a group.oak, daisy
- Write the answer. Animals: cat, dog. Plants: oak, daisy.
Check. Count the things: 2 + 2 = 4. ✓
Watch out. Check the rule, not the colour or the size.
Method. Check each thing: is it a plant?
- Check the rose. A rose is a plant that grows in a garden.rose: plant
- Check the rock. A rock is not alive, so it is not a plant.rock: not a plant
- Check the sunflower. A sunflower grows from a seed and is a plant.sunflower: plant
- Write the answer. rose, sunflower
Check. Two of the three things are plants. ✓
Watch out. A rock does not grow, so it is not a plant.
Method. Check each thing against the rule: is it red?
- Check each thing. Look at the colour of each thing.red ball, blue cup, red book, blue car
- Count the red things. Touch each red thing once.red ball and red book
- Write the answer. 2
Check. The other two are blue. 2 + 2 = 4 things in all. ✓
Watch out. Check the colour of each one.
Method. Add the counts together to find how many there are in all.
- Read each count. Each row has its own count.round: 6, square: 4
- Add them together. The total is all of them added up.6 + 4 = 10
- Write the answer. 10 buttons
Check. Add them in a different order to check: you still get 10. ✓
Watch out. Make sure you add every row, and that no row is missed.
Method. Look at each number in the table or chart. The most is the biggest number.
- Read each number. Read every row, so you do not miss one.long: 5, short: 7
- Find the most. Biggest is the answer we want.7 is the most
- Write the answer. short
Check. Compare 7 with each of the other numbers. ✓
Watch out. Read the numbers, not the size of the picture.
Method. Look for the thing that is not like the other three.
- Look at the animals. A dog, a cat and a rabbit are all animals.dog, cat, rabbit: animals
- Find the different one. A rose is a plant, not an animal.rose: a plant
- Write the answer. The others are animals, so the rose is the odd one out.rose
Check. Three things are animals and one is a plant. ✓
Watch out. Think about what the things are, not just what they look like.
Method. Think about a rule that splits the toys into two groups.
- Think of a feature. A feature is something a thing has, such as its size, its shape or its colour.size, shape or colour
- Make it a rule. A good rule puts each toy in one group only.big or small
- Write the answer. Big or small
Check. Each toy is either big or small, so it fits in one group. ✓
Watch out. Choose a rule that splits the toys into two clear groups.
Method. Choose a rule first, then sort the things one at a time.
- Choose a rule. A rule must split the things into two groups.my rule
- Sort one at a time. Check each thing against the rule.one at a time
- Say what you noticed. For example, some things were harder to sort than others.Accept any sensible observation
Check. Count the things in each group. Together they make 10. ✓
Watch out. Check that each thing is in one group only.