Identifying Similarities & Differences
1. Venn Diagram
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Encyclopedia Britannica (2014). John Venn. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625445/John-Venn
Image from: http://www.irc.vbschools.com/fortheweb/charts_graphs/pages/venn%20diagram_jpg.htm
- This could take anywhere from 5-15 minutes to complete.
- There is not special room arrangement required.
- The students only need a worksheet with a Venn Diagram on it.
Process Directions:
- The teacher will introduce two (or more) items to compare and give the students a copy of the Venn Diagram. (The diagram will have two overlapping circles for two items, three circles for three items, etc.)
- The students will fill out the chart to find the similarities and differences between the two items. The similarities will be listed in the overlap of the circles and the differences will be in the rest of the circle. If something does not fit into either it can be written outside of the circle.
When/Examples:
- This is used when comparing two objects.
- This could be used to compare shapes, animals, people, etc.
Source:
Encyclopedia Britannica (2014). John Venn. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625445/John-Venn
Image from: http://www.irc.vbschools.com/fortheweb/charts_graphs/pages/venn%20diagram_jpg.htm
2. Double Bubble Chart
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Hyerle, D. (1996, January). Thinking maps: Seeing is understanding. Educational Leadership. 53, 85-89. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=a0182623-d193-40e9-81e0- 795af053a2df%40sessionmgr115&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ofs&AN=508578315
Image from: http://www.weigand-arts.com/juliet/workshop.htm
- This strategy could take anywhere between 10-15 minutes to complete.
- There is no special room arrangement required.
- The student only needs the Double Bubble Chart to fill out.
Process Directions:
- The teacher will introduce two items and pass out the Double Bubble Chart for students to work on.
- The students will fill in the double bubble chart by comparing the two items.
- The items that are being compared are written in the two middle bubbles and the similarities and differences are written in the surrounding bubbles.
- The bubbles that are connected by both main bubbles are the similarities and the bubbles connected to only one item are the differences.
When/Examples:
- This is used to compare two items.
- Look at the lesson section to see how this can be incorporated into a lesson. (Transportation Then and Now Lesson)
Source:
Hyerle, D. (1996, January). Thinking maps: Seeing is understanding. Educational Leadership. 53, 85-89. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=a0182623-d193-40e9-81e0- 795af053a2df%40sessionmgr115&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ofs&AN=508578315
Image from: http://www.weigand-arts.com/juliet/workshop.htm
3. Tree Map
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Hyerle, D. (1996, January). Thinking maps: Seeing is understanding. Educational Leadership. 53, 85-89. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=a0182623-d193-40e9-81e0- 795af053a2df%40sessionmgr115&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z SZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ofs&AN=508578315
Image from: http://siptechnologyapplications.wikispaces.com/GRAPHICS+%26+THINKING+MAPS
- This strategy could take 5-10 minutes to complete.
- There is no special room arrangement required.
- The student will be filling out the Tree Map.
Process Directions:
- The teacher will pick one item/topic and the students will write that on the top of the tree map.
- Then, either the teacher or students will pick some categories of the item to look at. These are written in the spaces below the main item.
- The students will fill in the map giving examples under each of the categories.
When/Examples:
- This is used to break down an item into different categories to look at.
- This could be used to look at
Source:
Hyerle, D. (1996, January). Thinking maps: Seeing is understanding. Educational Leadership. 53, 85-89. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=a0182623-d193-40e9-81e0- 795af053a2df%40sessionmgr115&hid=118&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z SZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ofs&AN=508578315
Image from: http://siptechnologyapplications.wikispaces.com/GRAPHICS+%26+THINKING+MAPS
4. Concept Formation
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Gregory, G. H. & Kuzmich, L. (2007). Teacher teams that get results: 61 strategies for sustaining and renewing professional learning communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Instructional Strategies Online. (2009). Retrieved from http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/formation/index.html.
Image from: http://earthtechling.com/2012/10/high-tech-sticky-notes-could-replace-expensive-medical-tests/
- This strategy could take between 15-20 minutes.
- The students should be seated in small groups (3-4 students).
- The students will need sticky notes.
Process Directions:
- The teacher will identify a topic and pass out sticky notes to the students.
- The students will write one idea on every sticky note individually.
- After 5-10 minutes of writing ideas on sticky notes the students will compare their sticky notes with the group.
- The group will put like ideas together and come up with the major areas they found.
- The group will label the cluster of like ideas with a title that represents all the sticky notes in that cluster.
- Then, the teacher will ask the groups to share the groups they came up with.
When/Examples:
- This is used to create ideas about a topic and then find similar and different ideas and group them accordingly.
- This could be used to describe something like the features of a bear.
Source:
Gregory, G. H. & Kuzmich, L. (2007). Teacher teams that get results: 61 strategies for sustaining and renewing professional learning communities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Instructional Strategies Online. (2009). Retrieved from http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/De/PD/instr/strats/formation/index.html.
Image from: http://earthtechling.com/2012/10/high-tech-sticky-notes-could-replace-expensive-medical-tests/
5. T-Chart
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Bellanca, J. A. (1990). The cooperative think tank: Graphic organizers to teach thinking in the cooperative classroom. Palatine, IL: Skylight.
Image from: http://littlegreenteacher.blogspot.com/2013/07/freebie-friday-t-chart-graphic-organiser.html
- This could take 5-15 minutes to complete.
- There is no special room arrangement required.
- The students only need the T-chart.
Process Directions:
- The teacher will handout the T-chart to the students.
- The teacher will tell the students what two topics they are looking at or what two areas they will be looking at about one topic. (For example, this could be used to compare reptiles and amphibians or give facts vs. opinions about reptiles).
- The students will write their topics in the top of the T-chart (the area that is a smaller rectangle shown in the picture).
- The students will write their information under each topic in the T-chart to compare the topic(s) they are looking at.
When/Examples:
- This is used to compare two topics.
- This could be used to compare one topic with the pros and cons.
- This could be used to compare fact and opinion on a topic history about what happened and what the views on the event are.
- This could be used with pictures to sort into two categories, see lesson section for an example.
Source:
Bellanca, J. A. (1990). The cooperative think tank: Graphic organizers to teach thinking in the cooperative classroom. Palatine, IL: Skylight.
Image from: http://littlegreenteacher.blogspot.com/2013/07/freebie-friday-t-chart-graphic-organiser.html
6. Analogies
Basics:
Process Directions:
When/Examples:
Source:
Plaister, T. (1981, February). Teaching vocabulary, listening comprehension and reading by means of analogies. Foreign Language Annals. 14(1), 25- 29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/63659169?accountid=13998
Image modified from: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/46522289/Analogy-graphic-organizer---Vocabulary-words
- This will take around 10-15 minutes.
- There is no special room arrangement needed.
- The students will need an analogy graphic organizer
Process Directions:
- The teacher will explain or review what analogies are. (They help us compare two items by using the features of those objects).
- The teacher will model an analogy using the graphic organizer and have the students help complete it
- The teacher will pass out the analogy graphic organizer (like the one in the picture).
- The students will create their own analogies following the teacher's model. They will need to compare two things and list the relationship between the two anologies.
When/Examples:
- This can be used to compare new vocabulary words to something familiar to give students a better understanding of the relationship between the new words.
- This could be used in science to compare an odemeter to a thermometer.
- This could be used in math to compare math concepts like 3 is to triangle as 5 is to pentagon.
- This could be used in history to compare facts like: Atlanta is to Georgia as Boston is to Massachusetts.
Source:
Plaister, T. (1981, February). Teaching vocabulary, listening comprehension and reading by means of analogies. Foreign Language Annals. 14(1), 25- 29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/63659169?accountid=13998
Image modified from: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/46522289/Analogy-graphic-organizer---Vocabulary-words