Invertebrates/Vertebrates Sorting

Vocabulary and background knowledge are two of the language strands that support reading comprehension (Scarborough, 2001). Sorting builds both. Students practice their vocabulary by naming and discuss what makes an animal a vertebrate or an invertebrate, knowledge they will draw on when they later read about the natural world.

Learning how words relate to one another through classification activities is also part of how we build gist and the word webs that support literacy.

First, make sure students know the name of each picture, using the three-period lesson if needed. Then discuss the difference between the two groups: vertebrates have bones, teeth, and claws, and invertebrates do not. Students can feel their own bones, nails, and teeth and discover that they are vertebrates, too. Finally, invite students to sort the cards into two groups. For students who are reading, place the "invertebrate" and "vertebrate" labels at the top of each column. When this sort is comfortable, move on to vertebrate classes sorting.

Typically ages 4 and up. Pre-readers sort the pictures while students who are reading add the sorting labels. The cards also work well for English learners and in intervention settings.