Classification Activity

noun: classification

1. the action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities or characteristics. “the classification of disease according to symptoms”

Classification is something that we do all of the time, but it’s especially critical for understanding how archives are constructed and, in turn, the ways in which people access the material that is stored in them. The goal of this exercise is to help us think critically about how and why we describe, organize, and categorize information in certain ways.

The scenario: you have just moved into a new apartment. You go shopping and return with the following items:

toothbrush	cooking oil	ice cream	juice
bread	chicken	baking soda	soap
apples	beans	detergent	instant noodles
coffee beans	towels	shampoo	soy sauce
rice	bean curd	trash bags	peppers

• Come up with a classification scheme consisting of several categories based on how/where you would store these items in your apartment
• Group individual items together under each category
• Explain your reasoning behind this classification scheme (ie. why did you choose these categories?)

Note: This activity was adapted from a similar one designed by Teresa Donahue - thank you Teresa!