Dichotomous Keys
4th grade students learned about dichotomous keys this week in Science Lab. A dichotomous key is a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world, such as trees, wildflowers, mammals, reptiles, rocks, and fish. Our students created their own key by using their shoes. Each student placed one of his or her shoes on the table. As a class, students decided how to group these shoes into two piles. They then took each of these two piles and broke them down until they were able to describe each student's shoe. The kids had a fun time working on this project and learning about dichotomous keys.
