There are many reasons why I think card sort activities are great. Here are a few:

• They are useful as both an extension activity or as an assessment to check for understanding.

• They’re reusable. Make the card set once, and let everyone use it! If the cards are printed on cardstock, laminated (preferably with .5mil if you can get it), and kept out of direct sunlight, my experience is that the cards can be used for many years.

• Card sorts are game-like. Manipulating cards adds variety, is hands-on, and fun!

• Card sort activities can be done independently or with a small group. I believe that the most successful use of the cards is when two or three children do the activity together and end up actively discussing why they think the cards belong in a certain category. Peer learning and persuasive argument development all in one!

• There are so many applications to various curricular areas – math, language, science, history all have uses for this type of activity.

• They require higher level of thinking to analyze the information and then sort into the appropriate category.

•  Manipulating the materials is required rather than just using pencil and paper. The option for whole body kinesthetic movement is an option depending on the size of the cards!

• Students can self-check their work with either an answer key or control of error designed into the activity (for example, each category has the same number of cards under it).

“Who Am I?” cards for native plants of Southern Nevada

Card sort for steps of the scientific process

Matching decimal numbers with their names