Research says… Begin with the end in mind 6 Facets of understanding Explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, self-knowledge Hidden skills of academic literacy Classroom Instruction that Works Plain thinking vs. fancy thinking

Research says… “The results of this study will document that the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher…Effective teachers appear to be effective with students of all achievement levels.” Wright, et. al., 1997 High yield strategies make a predictable difference in student learning and performance. Marzano, et. al., 2001

Research says… Regardless of the background or socioeconomic levels, children can have sophisticated reasoning skills. Ready, Set, Science, NRC, 2008 “Some have argued, in a misinterpretation of Piaget, that young people must go through a multiyear developmental stage where, for example, they can grasp only the directly observable, concrete phenomena before they can engage in abstract, hypothetical deductive reasoning.” Powerful Learning, Darling-Hammond, et. al., 2008 Children as young as kindergarten can reason about a problem based on what they already know along with new knowledge. Ready, Set, Science, NRC, 2008

Research says… “…research will never be able to identify instructional strategies that work with every student in every class. The best research can do is tell us which strategies have a good chance…of working well with students.” The Art and Science of Teaching, Marzano, 2007, pg.5 “Frequent use of strategies leads to consistent and significant gains in student achievement.” The Strategic Teacher, Silver,et. al., 2007

But what about our standards? Examine the verb frequency list in science from the PoS and CCA for the grade level for which you are responsible. Identify the top 3-5 verbs. Highlight the high yield strategies and the hidden skills of academic literacy which correlate to those verbs. What might be some conclusions from this quick comparison?

Identifying Similarities and Differences Developing students ability to compare can lead to an average percentile gain of 45 points. Our brains are wired to make comparisons. Comparisons help us to identify aspects of content that might be invisible (abstract), confusable (easily mixed up with other concepts), and neglectable (easy to overlook).

c Comparing Classifying Analogy Metaphor : : ?

Identifying Similarities and Differences Generalizations from research on Identifying Similarities and Differences Presenting students with explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge. Having students independently identify similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

Fun and Enjoyment are similar because they both ________________. Fun and Enjoyment are different because Fun is ___, but Enjoyment is ___________. Fun is____, but Enjoyment is ___________. Fun is ____, but Enjoyment is ___________.

Comparison Frame Complete the comparison frame using a pair of related but confusing terms in science. How might this strategy help students clarify their thinking?

A and B are similar because they both ________________ A and B are different because A is __________, but B is ___________.

Comparing Identify what you are comparing and decide on a format to organize your information and guide your thinking. Examine the items and decide what characteristics would lead to an interesting comparison. For each characteristic, explain how the items are similar and different. 4. Re-examine your information, and state what you learned or thought about by doing this comparison.

Characteristic 1 Characteristic 2 Characteristic 3 Characteristic 4 Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Characteristic 1 Similarities and Differences Characteristic 2 Characteristic 3 Characteristic 4

Characteristic 1:Similarities and Differences. For characteristic 1, Item 1 and Item 2 and are mainly similar. They both…… Characteristic 2:Similarities and Differences. Characteristic 3:Similarities and Differences. Characteristic 4:Similarities and Differences.

Comparison Matrix Complete the comparison matrix for the topic you selected. Identify one or two ways in which students could apply what they have learned from the comparison. For example, create a metaphor, identify a pattern (then apply to a new situation), form a conclusion, make generalizations about the topic, recognize exceptions How might this strategy help students clarify their thinking?

Applying Comparative Thinking There are two main reasons that people use comparison : 1. To Explain--You might compare kinds of habitats, for instance, to help someone understand how human impact might affect an ecosystem. 2. To Evaluate--You might compare kinds of energy sources to show why one kind of energy source might be better economically and environmentally. There are three strategies to organize comparison papers: 1. Whole-to-Whole, or Block  2. Similarities-to-Differences 3. Point-by-Point

Topic sentence Detail/Expand Detail/Expand Detail/Expand Conclusion 1 Sim & Diff 2 3 Detail/Expand Detail/Expand Detail/Expand Conclusion

Thesis Develop/Support Develop/Support Develop/Support Conclusion 1 2 Sim & Diff 2 3 Develop/Support Develop/Support Develop/Support Conclusion

We are what we repeatedly do We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. --Aristotle