Lesson 6 Using Variables and Values.

Making groups Activity 1 Living and non-living things Here is a list of living and non-living things. Work in pairs. Put a tick by everything you think is living. Compare your results with the other pair in your case group. What have you learnt?

Activity 2 Chemicals Divide the chemicals into two groups, using their appearance. What is/are the variables? What are the values?

Activity 2 Chemicals

Take a very small amount of each chemical in turn and shake it gently with water. If the solid disappears, and the liquid is left clear, that chemical is soluble. If the liquid is still cloudy, that chemical is insoluble What is/are the variables? What are the values?

Activity 2 Chemicals Now use both characteristics (variables) together to divide the chemicals into four groups. Record your results on page 17.

Activity 3 Store cupboard Look at the selection of tins and packets. Sort them out so that you can store them on the shelves on the drawing of the cupboard. Discuss, debate & decide how you are going to arrange things. Make a note of what you decide and why.

Activity 3 Store cupboard Write a label for each shelf, saying what the characteristics of the things on that shelf are. Sort the tins and packets onto their right shelf. Have you had any second thoughts? Why is it useful to organise the shelves?

Activity 3 Store cupboard Was it difficult to decide? Who’s system was the best?

Activity 4 Big animals Look at the pictures of big animals on page 15. All of these animals share at least one characteristic, they all have backbones. Work in pairs:-

Sort them into three or four groups. Use these rules: Each group must have at least two animals. The members of a group must share at least one characteristic. Each group must be different from every other group.

Sort them into three or four groups. Use these rules: Compare your results with the other team. Have you got the same grouping? How are the groups the same? Are their groups better than yours? Why?

Activity 5 Thinking back Put a tick by the classification activity you found easiest. Put a cross by the one you found most difficult. Why was the one you ticked the easiest? Why was the one you marked with a cross the hardest? Has every other group in your class ticked and crossed the same things as you?

Characteristics of classmates Write a group sentence describing someone in the group and using the word characteristic. Why do you think that it is useful to be able to classify things?

Homework Why is it useful to classify things?