Teacher Cheat Sheet — Session 2: Sorting Time

Data Science for Young Minds · Grade 1 · Ages 6–7

~45 min Ages 6–7 Session 2 of 8 ND-Friendly

Session Agenda

Time	Block	What's Happening
0–5	Hook	Teacher sorts 5 objects in front of class. "What rule am I using?" Students guess.
5–15	Teach	Demonstrate sorting by color, then mix up SAME objects and sort by size. Key insight: same objects, new rule = new groups.
15–28	Activity	Pair sorting: sort a bag of buttons/blocks by 1 rule, label groups, then resort by a different rule. Gallery walk to see others' sorts.
28–33	Brain Break	"Show me with your body" — crouch small like a small object, stretch tall like a big one. Roar like a lion in the BIG group!
33–40	Work	Worksheet: draw Sort #1 and Sort #2, name each group.
40–43	Recap	"What rule did you use? Could you use a different one?" Quick share.
43–45	Close	Preview: "Next time we will COUNT how many are in each group!"

Key pacing note: Demonstrate BOTH sorts yourself before students begin. Hold up the visual rule card for each sort so students can refer to it. The gallery walk (even just 3 min) is worth it — seeing different sorts sparks the "oh, I could have done it that way!" moment.

Materials Needed

Prepare before class:

1 bag of buttons or blocks per pair (15–20 items, mixed colors/sizes/shapes) 3 small bins or labeled containers per pair (for sorting groups) Visual rule cards: COLOR card, SIZE card, SHAPE card (with picture) Masking tape labels for group names Colored pencils Student worksheets

Tip: Make visual rule cards with a picture AND the word — a color swatch for "color," a small/large object comparison for "size," a circle/square for "shape."

Key Vocabulary

Sort — put things into groups that go together

Rule — the reason things belong in the same group

Group — all the things that share the same rule

Category — the name of a group

Belongs — fits in this group because of the rule

Discussion Questions + Teacher Notes

"How did you decide which group this belongs to?"
→ Encourage students to name the rule, not just point. "Because it's blue" IS a rule. Celebrate any attribute-based reasoning — "it's round" is just as valid as "it's red."
"What would happen if we changed the rule? Where would THIS one go?"
→ Hold up one object and ask where it goes under each different sorting rule. This is the central insight: the same object can belong to different groups depending on the rule you choose.
"Is there an object that doesn't fit in ANY group? What do we do?"
→ Validate the question! Sometimes one object doesn't fit neatly. You can make a new group or a "doesn't fit" pile. Real data often has items that don't fit neatly — that's okay.
"Did your partner use the same rule as you? Did they get the same groups?"
→ This seeds Session 4's idea that different people can organize the same things differently. Neither is wrong — both are valid sorts with their own rules.
"Can something belong to two groups at the same time?"
→ It depends on the rule. If you sort by color, a big red button and a small red button are in the same group (both red). If you sort by size, they're apart. Emphasize: the RULE decides everything.

Sorting Activity — Setup Guide

Student pairs. Each pair gets 1 bag of mixed objects and 3 labeled bins (or taped areas on the desk). Teacher holds up a visual rule card. Pairs sort. Then teacher holds up a DIFFERENT rule card — pairs mix up and resort the SAME objects.

Steps (demonstrate ALL first!):

Teacher holds up COLOR card → pairs sort by color, label each group
Gallery walk: 2 min to see other pairs' color sorts
Mix ALL objects back into the bag
Teacher holds up SIZE card → pairs resort by size, label each group
Debrief: "Same objects. Different groups. What changed?"

Key debrief: "The RULE changed — so the groups changed. The objects stayed the same!"

Pairs work better than groups of 3–4 at this age. Fewer objects to negotiate, clearer ownership of the sort.

Opening Hook

Silently sort 5 objects on the document camera / front desk by color. Don't explain — just sort.

"What rule am I using?" Wait for hands.

Then mix them up and sort by SIZE. "Same objects. Did I use the same rule?"

→ The surprise of a new sort with the same objects is the hook. Let it land before explaining.

Brain Break

"Show me with your body!" (~28 min)
"I'm going to sort YOU! If you have something blue on — stand up! If you don't — stay seated. You're in different groups now!"

Then: "Now I'll change the rule — if you have laces on your shoes, stand!" Resets energy perfectly. 60 seconds max.

ND-Friendly Tips

Visual rule cards — Always hold up the picture rule card AND say the rule out loud. Post cards on the board during the sort so students can look back.
Physical bins— Clear bins or taped-off desk areas give students a physical place to PUT objects. Reduce decision fatigue about where to put things.
Pair work — Working with one partner is less overwhelming than a group of 4. Assign pairs intentionally.
Allow "I need to think" — Some students need to hold each object before placing it. That's the correct behavior — don't rush the sorting process.
Gallery walk option — Students who dislike moving can stay seated; bring photos to them instead.