CREATING ANALOGIES To create analogies, identify relationships between pairs of concepts. Analogies help us make connections between things that seem very different. Typically the pattern is A:B::C:D (or “A is to B as C is to D”

CREATING ANALOGIES “Analogy” is a term that means “word relationships”. Analogies are like word puzzles. Why teach analogies? Solving Analogies helps develop critical thinking skills!

Creating Analogies happy:sad::big:small Happy and sad are opposites, just as big and small are opposites Example of using a familiar concept to help students understand a more difficult one… “concentrations of particulates in water are stated in measures such as one part per trillion…What does trillion mean? One:trillion::one drop of milk in a row of tanker trucks ten miles long

Reflecting on My Current Beliefs and Practices - Analogies – What is the purpose of asking students to create analogies? – What kind of activities do I use to help students create analogies? – What analogies can I think of that apply to the content areas that I teach? – What questions do I have about using analogies in my classroom

Recommendations for Classroom Practice Give students a model for the process Use familiar content to teach students the steps of creating an analogy Give students a graphic organizer for creating an analogy Give guidance as needed; scaffold their growth

Model for Analogies Steps for Creating Analogies for Younger Students 1. What is the connections between the first two things? 2. How can I describe this connection? 3. Do the second two things have a connection like the first two? Steps for Creating Analogies 1. Identify how the two elements in the first pair are related. 2. State their relationship in a general way 3. Identify another pair of elements that share a similar relationship

Looking at Relationships Common to Analogies Similar Concepts – the adjacent concepts are synonyms or similar in meaning hungry:ravenous::tired:exhausted Dissimilar Concepts – adjacent concepts are opposites or dissimilar in meaning grim:cheerful::hilly:flat (Adapted from Lewis & Greene, 1982)

Class or Category Analogies Class Membership – Adjacent concepts belong to the same class or category carrot:potato::brown:purple Class Name or Class Member – One element in the pair is a class name the other is a member of the class 3:natural number:: √ 2 :irrational number (Adapted from Lewis & Greene, 1982)

More Analogies Part to Whole – One element in a pair is a part of the other element in the pair Spark plug:engine::variable:function Change – One element in a pair turns into the other element in the pair Caterpillar:butterfly::tadpole:frog (Adapted from Lewis & Greene, 1982)

Still More Types of Analogies Function – One element in a pair performs a function on or for another Pilot:airplane::lawnmower:grass Quantity/Size – The two elements in the pare are comparable in terms of quantity or size One minute:two years::one penny:ten thousand dollars (Adapted from Lewis & Greene, 1982)

Analogy Graphic Organizer (figure 4.3) Stock Market Crash of 1929 Is to B U.S. economy A C D Is to Exposure to germs Human body As Something that attacks a system and weakens its ability to prevent serious affliction.

Analogy Graphic Organizer #2 Evaporation Is to B Steam A C D Is to Liquid As The student must figure out the relationship of the first two elements in order to fill in the missing element.

What knowledge will students be learning? Do I need to set aside time to teach students the process of creating analogies? How will I teach them the process? Will I ask students to use a graphic organizer? How much guidance will I provide students? How will students explain their work and communicate their conclusions? How will I monitor how well students are crating and using analogies? What will I do to help students who are not creating and using analogies effectively? Planning for Analogies