Fact, opinion, rule, practice, concept, cause, effect…oh my

Read time is two and a half minutes. 

It is not new that the learning category of identifying similarities and differences has the highest Return On Investment category, a 45 percentile gain.* In the last post we reviewed the simplest strategies for identifying similarities and differences. A more complex strategy for using similarities and differences is  CATEGORIZING.

CATEGORIZING has long been established as an assessment tool; for a selfish learner (see Oct 6, 2015 post) it can also be a powerful learning tool. An assessment might ask the learner to categorize animals into mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, or amphibians. Other examples of categorizing as assessment might be types of math equations, types of literary characters, types of foreign words--you get the idea. 

Let's turn our perspective of CATEGORIZING to learning rather than showing what we have already learned. To make learning deep, categorize the information into something meaningful for yourself. 

Start with just two categories. Take the information you are learning and place it into each category. Do not allow a category called Other. Use broad or narrow categories.

• What I Know, What Is Unknown
• Tangible, Intangible
• Fact, Opinion

Later, add more categories.

• Known, Unknown, Perceived, Imagined, Tested by Hypothesis
• Tangible, Intangible, Noticeable, Detectable, Simulation 
• Fact, Opinion, Rule, Practice, Concept, Cause, Effect

Other categories can be much simpler.

• Color, Size, Shape, Characteristics

Even later, describe why the information fits into the category.

This last step takes the learning deeper.

Categorizing can be done individually, with partners, or in groups. The deepest learning is when partners or group members agree on the categorization and why elements fit in the selected category.

Categorizing materials for K-6 learners can be found at http://www.readworks.org/lessons/concepts/classify-and-categorize  or http://www.education.com/worksheets/sorting-categorizing/

A quick search on Bing, brought up over a hundred graphic organizers for categorizing for learners of any age.

           

  

In the next blog post, we’ll look at the most complex strategy for identifying similarities and differences--Metaphors and Analogies. Any age learner can engage in constructing metaphors and analogies.

*Robert Marzano’s meta-analysis online at  http://www.marzanoresearch.com/  or in print What Works in Schools (2003).