LESSON SIX: Comparing and contrasting
LESSON DESCRIPTION
This lesson will focus on using details from text to compare and contrast. Though the objective suggests using details within a single passage, it is usually more appropriate to compare information presented in multiple passages. The formative assessment calls for students to read two passages about two different influential American women and complete a provided graphic organizer comparing and contrasting those two women. Students will be responsible for correctly labeling the graphic organizer.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ADDRESSED
R3C Use details from text to compare and contrast
§ Sources of literature
o None
§ Supplies
o Two passages, each about a different influential American woman
o Lesson Six formative assessment scoring guide
§ Handouts provided
o Venn diagram graphic organizer
o Spreadsheet (3-Column) Notes graphic organizer
o Lesson Six formative assessment prompt
§ Words to know
o compare
o contrast
o graphic organizer
For the formative assessment, the student will read and study two passages about two different influential American women and label and complete a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the two. Scoring guide provided.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Review the concepts of compare and contrast with the students. (This is a skill they have been using since third grade and will continue to practice after fifth grade.) Ask them what it means to compare and to contrast. Then lead students in providing examples of similarities (comparing) and contrasting (differences) by having two students stand and be studied. (Don’t be concerned at this point with recording students’ responses, just evoke them verbally, correct as necessary, and move on to another response.)
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Strategy
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When choosing students to use for this activity, be certain they will be comfortable with standing in front of their classmates for a few minutes. Be certain, too, to avoid choosing students who are always picked for such activities, and be sure to avoid choosing students about whom their classmates are likely to note negative attributes. Before eliciting student responses, make certain students know their responses aren’t to be a matter of judgment or opinion but statements of the characteristics they observe, such as height, hair color, clothing description, activities the individual is involved in, etc.
For the purpose of this lesson, comparing will be considered identifying similarities or how two or more things are alike, and contrasting will be considering how those things are different. Though fifth-graders may not yet fully grasp the concept, it should be emphasized with them that when contrasting, the difference discussed needs to relate to a common characteristic. For example, no difference is shown when it is noted that one person is a girl and the other wears glasses. It would have to be said that one is a girl and the other is a boy to show a difference and that one wears glasses and the other does not. |
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Questions for Students
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What does it mean to compare? What does it mean to contrast? What is one way these two people are alike? What is one way these two people are different? Are we considering the same characteristic of both people, such as hair color, when identifying differences? |
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Ideas
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For a definition of “compare” as it relates to this lesson, see the Communication Arts Grade Level Expectations Glossary of Terms produced by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, October 2004. |
2. Ask the students to consider how their responses might be recorded. Remind them that they need a method that will allow them to record not only similarities but also differences. Call a student to the black/white board, overhead, Smart Board, NotePad, etc., to demonstrate each suggested method. Be certain to lead students in discussing and correcting any characteristics that may make the method/organizing tool difficult to use.
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Strategy
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Many students are likely to suggest the Venn diagram as an organizing method, since that is a standard tool for comparing and contrasting. Be certain, though, to introduce others if students don’t come up with them. Other possibilities may be a T-chart, a variation of a web with an arm for each common characteristic and an extension from that for each thing (person) studied, or Spreadsheet (3-Column) Notes. (Students may offer other suggestions that may work equally well. As long as the tool serves the purpose of comparing and contrasting information in an orderly fashion, it should be acceptable.) Be certain all students understand how each method is used to record both similarities and differences. It may be necessary to model this with each graphic organizer. Note that the Venn diagram is used solely for grouping similarities and differences between two things, while other graphic organizers appropriate for comparing and contrasting can often be used for other purposes as well. Be certain students properly title and label any graphic organizer suggested. (On the formative and summative assessments as well as on a Missouri Assessment Program assessment, fifth-graders aren’t expected to create an appropriate graphic organizer, only to title and label one provided.) |
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Questions for Students |
How might we organize our ideas about similarities and differences to present them in an easy-to-understand fashion? How should we title and label this graphic organizer to make it clear and easy to make sense of? |
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Ideas
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For information on the Spreadsheet (3-Column) Notes graphic organizer, see Burke, 2002. (A Two-Domain Venn Diagram is also available in the Burke publication.) |
3. Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to choose one of the graphic organizers discussed and complete it to compare and contrast the two students previously discussed. After all groups have worked for several minutes, have them share their responses, correcting those as necessary. Post one of each of the different kinds of graphic organizers so that students can see how they are different but can all be used for comparing and contrasting.
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Strategy
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In order to be certain a variety of organizing methods/tools are used, it may be necessary to assign each student/pair/small group a particular graphic organizer to use. |
4. For further practice, have students brainstorm two things that might be compared and contrasted. These could be two school subjects, two sports, two kinds of vegetables, two holidays, etc. Then distribute copies of a previously-discussed graphic organizer and have students complete it, including title and labels, to compare and contrast the two chosen items.
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Strategy
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Since students are so familiar with the Venn diagram, it might be advisable to have half of the students utilize a Venn diagram and the other half another appropriate selected graphic organizer, then compare the organization and effectiveness of the two.
If students have had considerable practice comparing and contrasting in third and fourth grades – and in subject areas other than communication arts – this additional practice may not be necessary. |
5. Distribute the Lesson Six Formative Assessment Prompt and Scoring Guide as well as two passages, each about a different influential American woman (passages on Pat Nixon and Susan B. Anthony provided). Students are to read those two passages and use them to independently complete the formative assessment.
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Assessment
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For the formative assessment, students will read two passages, each about a different influential American woman, and then title, label and complete the graphic organizer provided to compare and contrast those two women.
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Strategy
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The passages used in Lesson Three for sequencing could also be used for the purpose of comparing and contrasting in this lesson.
As written the formative assessment makes use of a Venn diagram for comparing and contrasting, but any other appropriate graphic organizer could be used instead. |