Fifth graders at Holladay Elementary have been learning about classifying objects (SOL5.1a) and organisms (SOL5.5b) using various characteristics. Today, students in Ms. Haislip’s class practiced this skill by classifying their classmates. First, we went to AvatarMaker and created an avatar that looked like us–same hair style, eye color, etc. We downloaded the image as a 200×200 png file (click “Download”). Then we uploaded it to a shared Google slideshow so everyone could see each other’s avatars. Once all the avatars were uploaded, I turned off file sharing so no one would accidentally move or delete the images. I arranged the avatars neatly on the slide then instructed the students to make a copy of the slideshow (File > Make a copy). On their own copies, they duplicated the class slide (Right click > Duplicate slide), and we discussed ways to classify the students into groups with common characteristics. The students had many great ideas: gender, hair color, eye color, glasses, facial expression, etc. They chose a characteristic and typed it in the top of the slide. Next, they clicked and dragged the images to sort them into groups. As an option for making the groups clearer, I demonstrated how to create shapes with the Shapes tool and send them to the back (Arrange > Order > Send to Back). If students finished, they could make additional copies of the slide and create different sorts. You can see some student examples here.
