CECsci.168


TITLE:    Donut Sort

AUTHOR:   Beckianne D. Kilkenny,Cornelius Elementary
          School; Cornelius, OR

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:     3rd up.
                    Classification, Dichotomous Key

OVERVIEW:
This activity is the product of consistent requests received
on Family Science evaluations for donuts to be served at the
classes!  Since we had done one entire evening class
sorting, classifying and constructing dichotomous keys, it
became a natural review and culmination activity for our
Family Science program.  It's also a big hit in the
classroom!

PURPOSE:
This is the clearest and easiest road to understanding
construction of a dichotomous Key that I have found.

OBJECTIVE(s):  Learners will:
1.)  Identify properties of donuts.
2.)  Use properties to distinguish donut similarities and
     differences.
3.)  Construct a Key that places every donut in its own
     category according to its properties.
4.)  Identify each donut according to the Key.
5.)  Eat their donuts!

     Perquisite Skills.
     1.)  Knowledge of properties.
     2.)  Exposure to dichotomous keys and how they are
          used is a good idea!

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
6 distinctly different donuts (for a group of 6 learners)
6 sandwich bags
1 blank dichotomous sheet per person

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Before class:
     Put each donut in its own baggie.
     Prepare the ditto.

Introduction:
Briefly review what a property is.  Hold up one donut and
orally list properties that might pertain such as shape,
size, color, coating, etc.

Best Shot:
Have each person pick a donut and put their name on the
baggie in a permanent felt pen.  Then have the group lay all
the donuts out in front of them and name one property they
can use to divide the donuts into two piles.

For the sake of clarity make one pile 'that which has the
property' and the other one 'that which doesn't'.  For
example in this group of donuts :

*********************************************************
creme      raised     raised   maple     twist    cruller
bismarck   choc.ice   sugar    bar               choc.ice
John       Katie      Sheila   Michael   Shirley    Paul
*********************************************************

They could be separated into round and non-round.
*********************************************************
                     Round
     Bismark     Raised choc.     Raised Sugar Cruller
*********************************************************

*********************************************************
                     Non-Round
            Maple Bar              Twist
*********************************************************

File in 1A and 1B on the dichotomous key as
  1A  not round
  1B  round

Next take either group and divide it again by one property.
For example take the not round into twist or no twist.  Fill
in 2A and 2B on the dichotomous key/

  2A  not round twist (Shirley's)
  2B  not round not twist (Michael's)

As soon as you've gone as far as necessary to identify an
individual donut then name whose it is.

Continue until all donuts have their own individual
category.  Learners must name all the characteristics to
"key out" their donut before they can have it to eat.  The
key might look like this:

                           Donuts
        1A not round                    1B round
2A twist     2B not twist      3A no holes   3B holes
Shirley's     Michael's         John's

                             4A choc.ice  4B not choc.ice
                                               Sheila

                         5A ruffled    5B not ruffled
                         Paul's        Katie's


Donut Key
1A  not round
1B  round
2A  not round, twisted (Shirley's)
2B  not round, not twisted (Michael's)
3A  round, no hole (John's)
3B  round, hole
4A  round, hole, choc. iced
4B  round, hole, not choc. iced (Sheila's)
5A  round, hole, choc. iced, ruffled (Paul's)
5B  round, hole, choc. iced, not ruffled (Katie's)

** Note **
Any property may be used to make each new classification.
There are many right answers as long as each division is
made according to just one property and states it in terms
of that property; for instance:

     Green    ---   Not Green

Have fun and enjoy your donuts!

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Family Science available form N.W. Equals Portland, OR has a
good unit on constructing and understanding dichotomous
keys.