Shuffle Your Way Through Insulators and Conductors with a Sorting Activity!

Get your students ready for science experiments or investigations of insulators and conductors with this sorting activity. Students will sort 16 cards into two piles based on whether the object shown is an electrical insulator or conductor.

To play, place the insulator and conductor sorting mats in the middle. Spread the cards out face down. Students choose a card, determine if the picture is an insulator or conductor, and place it on the appropriate sorting mat.  

Through this activity, students will show they can differentiate between insulators and conductors based on their visual and known characteristics.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

A team of dedicated, experienced educators created this resource to support your science lessons. 

In addition to individual student work time, use this sorting activity to enhance learning through guided science groups, whole class lessons or as a fast finisher activity. 

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Help students who need support understanding the concepts by providing access to previous assignments, as well as posters and anchor charts for students to recall past lessons.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

For students who need a bit of a challenge, encourage them to think of other items that are insulators and conductors.

🛴 Scoot Activity

Place the cards around the room and give each student a blank piece of paper. Assign students or pairs to a starting point card. Give students time to review the card, write down the object, and determine if it is an insulator or conductor. Students will rotate to the next card when you say, “SCOOT!” Continue in this manner until students return to their starting point.

🏃 Relay Race

Divide students into two team lines and show a flashcard to the students at the front of each line. The first student that correctly identifies the picture as an insulator or conductor wins the flashcard. The team with the most flashcards at the end of the game wins!

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. 

Print on thick card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

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This resource was created by Lauren Blankenship, a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more activities and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

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