Classification

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Classification
Sometimes we need to separate
objects into groups that we recognise
This is called …

classification
 Classification
In order to classify objects, you need to find
similarities and differences between them

Each group should contain items with similar

features, or characteristics
 Sorting Circles
To help you begin, here are
some sorting circles
And here are some
things to sort
On your worksheet, place
Animals one word in each circle, and
one word in the rectangle
Birds outside the circles
Dogs Press the spacebar to
check your answers
 Sorting Circles
?
Birds
?
Dogs

?
Animals

Note that the circles do not

overlap because a bird cannot
also be a dog!
 Try this one!
Fill in your answer on
the worksheet, then
press the spacebar
for the answers.

Joggers
People
Footballers
 Try this one!
?
Footballers
?
Joggers

?
People

Joggers and footballers

overlap because a person
can be both a footballer
AND a jogger!
Some harder ones...
Press the
spacebar for
the answers

Puppies
Animals
Dogs
Some harder ones...
?
Puppies

?
Animals ?
Dogs

All puppies are dogs

All dogs are animals
Sandwiches Anyone?
Press the
spacebar for
the answers

Food Sandwiches
Cheese Salad
Sandwiches Sandwiches
Sandwiches Anyone?
?
Food
?
Sandwiches
Cheese Salad
?
Sandwiches ?
Sandwiches

Some people like cheese sandwiches

Some people like salad sandwiches
Some people like cheese and salad sandwiches.
They are all sandwiches, and all food!
Which one doesn’t belong?

Which animal does not belong

in this group?
Why doesn’t it belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
The snake doesn’t
belong because it
has no legs
The
characteristic
for grouping in
this case is
whether the
animal has
legs or not
Which one doesn’t belong?
The bird doesn’t
belong because it
can fly

The
characteristic
in this case is
the
ability to fly
Which one doesn’t belong?
The lion doesn’t
belong because it is
has a mane

The
characteristic
in this case is
having a
mane
Which one doesn’t belong?
The spider doesn’t
belong because it is
has 8 legs

The
characteristic
in this case is
having
Everybody is correct! 8 legs
 Classification Keys
• We would like to classify some objects
• It is best to look at one characteristic
at a time
• You can then split the objects into two
groups
• The best way to classify objects is to
use a classification key
• This is a device which gradually sorts
items into smaller and smaller groups
 Confectionary
Look at these items of confectionary
Smarties
Nougat
Chocolate
health bar
almonds
Peanut
M&Ms
Jelly Jelly
beans babies

Mixed nuts Maltesers

How could we classify them?

We need to start by splitting them into 2 groups …
 Confectionary
Maltesers
Jelly beans
Peanut M&Ms
Smarties
Chocolate almonds
Jelly babies
Nougat health bar
Mixed nuts
Which ones contain chocolate?

Peanut Chocolate
Maltesers Smarties
M&Ms almonds

Which ones don’t?

Jelly Nougat Jelly

Mixed nuts
beans health bar babies
 Confectionary
Maltesers
Jelly beans
Peanut M&Ms
Smarties
Chocolate almonds
Jelly babies Another way to group them …
Nougat health bar
Mixed nuts Which ones contain nuts?

Chocolate Peanut Nougat

Mixed nuts
almonds M&Ms health bar

Which ones don’t?

Jelly Jelly
Maltesers Smarties
beans babies
 Confectionary
Maltesers
Jelly beans
Peanut M&Ms
Smarties
Chocolate almonds
Jelly babies The following classification key can
Nougat health bar
Mixed nuts be used to sort them into groups.
Confectionary
It can then be used to identify them.
contains chocolate contains no chocolate

with nuts without nuts with nuts without nuts

?
Peanut
M&Ms ?
Smarties ?
Nougat
health bar ?
Jelly
babies

?
Chocolate
almonds ?
Maltesers ?
Mixed nuts ?
Jelly
beans
 More Things to Classify!
Leather shoe Plastic toy Cotton shirt Sea horse
Nylon tights Rose bush Dandelion Mouse

All things

Living Non-living

Plants Animals Natural Artificial

Rose?bush ?
Mouse ? shoe
Leather ? toy
Plastic

?
Dandelion Sea?
horse ?shirt
Cotton Nylon?tights
 Design a Key
On your worksheet, design a key which could be used to
separate the following people into 4 groups.

Name: Brad Name: Molly Name: Sally Name: Gus

Sex: Male Sex: Female Sex: Female Sex: Male
Eyes: Blue Eyes: Green Eyes: Blue Eyes: Green
Press the space bar for a possible solution
 Design a Key
Brad Molly Sally Gus

People

Boys Girls

Blue eyes Green eyes Blue eyes Green eyes

?
Brad ?
Gus ?
Sally ?
Molly
 Design a Key
Brad Molly Sally Gus

People

Blue eyes Green eyes

Boys Girls Boys Girls

?
Brad ?
Sally ?
Gus ?
Molly
On the Planet Xenos, scientists
have developed a system of
classification which can be
Planet Xenos
described by the key below:

All things

Round things Square things

With spots With stripes With spots With stripes

spikes smooth spikes smooth spikes smooth spikes smooth

GLAP GLIK TROL YORD FLUB VORT STOR MEFT

Use this classification key to name

each of these things from Xenos ?
TROL ?
VORT
 Shopping
Look at the items on this shopping list

Dishwashing
Ice cream Soap
liquid

Baked
Grapes Lemons
beans

Design a key which classifies each item in its own

category
Each division in the key must have only two options
One possible solution.
(There are lots of them) Shopping
Shopping

Food Not Food

Not Not
Fruit Liquid
Fruit Liquid

? ?
Dishwashing
Soap
Not liquid
Small Large Frozen
frozen

? ? ? ?
Ice Baked
Grapes Lemons
cream beans
PowerPoint presentation by Jo Kennedy
Graphics & Design by Esther Kennedy

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