Compare and Contrast

Definition: Compare What two or more things have in common- the similarities Contrast What two or more things don’t have in common- the differences

Purposes: It helps you to better comprehend what you read It exercises your higher level thinking skills It is a skill used in all content areas- science, social studies, unified arts It helps in making judgments about the similarities and differences between items/people

similar, in common, alike, compare different, contrast, dissimilar Compare Words: similar, in common, alike, compare Contrast Words: different, contrast, dissimilar

Graphic Organizer Venn Diagram Similarities Difference #1 Differences #2

Boots are more flexible Example Snowboard One Board No help staying up Boots are more flexible Skis Two Boards Use Poles to stay up Boots are rigid Bindings Snow Equipment Can do Tricks

Venn Diagrams Simple Uses general words (called categories) to describe relationships Not always detailed enough Need a new chart to explain categories in greater detail so we can give evidence Q: E:

Short Answer Format: Compare-Contrast Chart Similarity or Difference? Category Selection/Item/ Character #1 Character #2 Similarity #1  Answer:  Quote: Explain: Difference #1 YOU MUST READ THE QUESTION TO SEE WHAT YOU NEED IN YOUR CHART! Might need Similarity #1 and Similarity #2 Might need Difference #1 and Difference #2 Might need Similarity #1 and Difference #1

Example – What are two similarities between skis and snowboards? Similarity or Difference? Category Selection/Item/ Character #1 Character #2 Similarity #1  Answer:  Quote: Explain: Similarity #2 Bindings Ski bindings keep you secure by stepping in Snowboard bindings let you strap in Boots Uses rigid boots to help support ankles Flexible boots to allow for body motion This example has no quote as evidence since it was not from a book

Example – What are two differences between skis and snowboards? Similarity or Difference? Category Selection/Item/ Character #1 Character #2 Difference  Answer:  Quote: Explain: Pole Skiing requires the use of pole Snowboarding does not require a pole Riding Skiing – you ride forward and turn sideways Snowboarding – you always ride sideways This example has no quote as evidence since it was not from a book, so you have to go with the BEST possible DETAILED explanation.

How do I find a category? Look for: relationships groups patterns traits Try to be thoughtful – don’t give obvious or simple answers

Too obvious/simple would be food. Example: What is similar about the following items? An orange and a carrot Too obvious/simple would be food. Turn to your neighbor and discuss other categories that they could share – try to be thoughtful and find categories that could be supported with evidence. Possible answers: healthy foods, things that are orange, things that do not have a smooth surface, items that can be cut or chopped, ingredients used in cooking, foods high in beta carotene

Multiple Choice: Make sure your answer MATCHES what is asked. Check the text to verify whether items are similarities or differences in characters or ideas

Let’s Practice Draw a compare contrast chart and answer the following questions. Make sure to label it with CER. What is one difference and one similarity between what happened to the men in The Cyclops’ Cave and in The Lotus Eaters? You will need quotes from the Ulysses book. Hint: Lotus Eaters: Pages 11-14 Cyclops’ Cave: Page. 18-21

This is what your paper should look like. Category: The Men in the Episode Evidence 1 Lotus Eaters Evidence 2 Cyclops Cave Similar C: In this box, find a way the men are similar E: Give TEXT based evidence to support. AND PAGE NUMBER R: Explain how this quote supports your answer. Difference C: In this box, find a way the men are different (maybe what happened to them)

From Graphic to Response How to go from a chart to a short answer response… Talk to your neighbor about a similarity and a difference between a whale and a caribou.

Example Short answer: Whales / Caribou Similarity Or Difference Category Whales Caribou YOU DO Students need to read the text about whales and caribou silently. As they are reading they need to be highlighting the similarities and differences between the two animals. Yellow highlighter= similarities Green highlighter= differences

Similarity / Difference How are the whales and eels in the selections similar and different? Use information from each text to support your answer. Similarity / Difference Category Whales Caribou Similarity Difference YOU DO Once students have begun reading silently, show this slide so the students can remember what they are highlighting in the text. Copy and hand out slide 38 AFTER students are done reading and highlighting walk over to the student and hand them the GO (slide 38). Each student individually needs to fill out the form.

Similarity / Difference Category Whales Caribou Similarity C: Must travel south from the Artic to warmer places for the winter E: Can’t survive the solid ice of the Artic seas during winter E: Can’t find food through the winter ice C: Travel in groups E: Whales look for traveling companions in the fall E: Small groups join other small groups to form a large herd Difference Travel different distances to their migration location Migrate 6,000 miles Migrate nearly 600 miles Travel in different environments Travel in oceans Travel on land YOU DO Teacher reference / example for possible student responses. For formative feedback- Show slide 39 Stress to students these are things you noticed as sim. and differences. Have students compare your chart to what they wrote down. Have students share out some examples that are different from the teacher GO examples. OR for formative feedback- Hand out “Compare and Contrast Paragraph Score Sheet”. Let students study the score sheet before writing and use it as a reference during the writing of the compare and contrast paragraphs. Once students are done writing their paragraphs individually, let students silently read until all students are done. While students are working, hand out two highlighters to each student and give each student an additional score sheet (every student needs a total of two score sheets) To help students know how to score others papers (for formative feedback) first walk the students through scoring slide 33 (make sure to have an overhead made of this slide). Also, make sure to have an overhead of the score sheets and have two colored overhead pens. Model scoring slide 33 as though it is a student sample (use think aloud strategy) Now the students will be scoring another students sim and differences paragraphs using the score sheet. Have them trade papers with a partner now. Directions to student- 1.When scoring first read the entire paragraph. 2. Next, students will highlight categories in one color (it doesn’t matter which color is which) and the corresponding evidence in another color. 3. Next, the student will score the paragraphs using the score sheet (teacher- when you copy the score sheets make sure to put the similarities on one side and the differences on the other) 4. Student then returns the score sheet and paper to the original owner. The original owner looks at score and reflects on how they did. 5. Repeat process with a new partner, minus the highlighting. 6. Return second score sheet and paragraphs to owner. Student needs to see if scores match or not. 7. During the scoring process teacher needs to be monitoring student activity and noting any times that scores don’t match so that this can come up in discussion at the end of the process. 8. Discuss results with class, you may want to make students who score 6 or below redo their paragraphs in order to meet standard. 9. This activity could be used as a score in the grade book for a formative score.

Similarity: From Graphic to Response Whales and caribou share two important similarities. (C ) Both animals must travel from the Artic warmer locations for the winter. (E ) Whales can’t survive the solid ice of the Artic seas during the winter. (E ) Caribou can not find enough food to eat under the winter blanket of ice. (C ) Both animals also travel in groups. (E ) The whales look for traveling companions in the fall. (E ) Small groups of caribou join other small groups to form a large herd. Beginning next day, opening activity- reverse paragraph (deconstruct) into the GO Directions to teacher- Make a class set of slides 41 and 42, copy back to back Make a class set of slide 36, one per kid Hand out paragraphs and graphic organizer, also make sure each kid has two different highlighters Students then need to highlight the categories and evidence (just like they did the day before). Then students need to deconstruct the paragraphs back into the graphic organizer, transfer the highlighted information into the graphic organizer. Once all students are done, in order to give students feedback to see if they did the activity correctly use slides 37-40. Remind students that don’t have all the boxes filled in they need to be copying down the teacher answers. This activity could be counted in the grade book as a formative score.

From Graphic to Response Although whales and caribou share similarities, they also have several significant differences. (C) While both migrate, they travel different distances to reach their location. (E ) Whales travel 6,000 miles, (E ) while caribou travel just 600 miles. (C ) They also travel in different environments. (E ) Whales swim in the world’s oceans while (E ) caribou travel on land. See slide 40 for directions.