TEMSEffective Teaching Strategies

Similarities and DifferencesOctober 13th , 2010

Similarities and Differences:What the Research Says

Explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

Independently identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge. And . . .

Similarities and Differences:What the Research Says- Con’t

Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbolic form enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

The identification of similarities and differences is a highly robust activity.

Similarities and Differences

• Key premises– Basic to human thought– Core of all learning and thinking

• Explicitly guide students• Independent discovery• Graphic or symbolic form

Strategies Similarities and Differences

• Comparing• Classifying• Creating Metaphors• Creating Analogies

Teacher vs. Student Directed Tasks

• Each of the four forms of identifying similarities and differences may used in ways that are teacher directed or student directed.

• Teacher-directed tasks are much more structured where the teacher provides more information to direct students in the task a certain way.

• Student-directed tasks are less structured and require the students to conceptualize more of the task on their own.

Comparing

The identification of important characteristics is the key to

effective comparison.

It is these characteristics that are then used as the basis to

identify similarities and differences.

-Marzano,2001

Examples:

Compare the use of literary

elements within and among

texts including characters,

setting, plot, theme, and

point of view.

Compare the following

plane and solid geometric

figures: square, rectangle,

triangle, . . .

Comparing • Graphic Organizer Options:

– Venn Diagrams , one, two or three topics– Double Bubble- various forms– Comparison Matrix– Circle Map

• Possible uses for Organizers:– Examine Information– Important Details and Characteristics– Tools/Formats– Metaphor – direct comparison– Simile – indirect comparison

Graphic Organizers for Comparing

Venn Diagram

Characteristics Items to be compared

Similarities

Similarities

Similarities

Similarities

Differences

Differences

Differences

Differences

#1 #2 #3

Comparison Matrix

Comparing• Tools- Graphic Organizers- Non Linguistic

– Venn Diagrams- Social Studies, Language Arts, Science

ComparingVENN DIAGRAMS- Math

A study was made of 200 students to determine what TV shows they watch. 22 students don't watch these cartoons. 73 students watch only Tiny Toons. 136 students watch Tiny Toons. 14 students watch only Animaniacs and Pinky & the Brain. 31 students watch only Tiny Toons and Pinky & the Brain. 63 students watch Animaniacs. 135 students do not watch Pinky & the Brain (for some completely incomprehensible reason).

Comparing- Double BubbleA Double Bubble is a kind of thinking map/graphic organizer that can be used to compare similarities and differences. It has multiple bubbles that connect two items with their similarities and differences.

To download this graphic organizer, go to: http://freeteach.com/graphic_organizers/double_bubble

Comparing- Double Bubble Template

To use the Double Bubble Template:

1. Fill in the 2 large circles with the items you are comparing and contrasting.

2. In the shaded bubbles, write in the characteristics that the 2 items have in common.

3. Use the other circles to list characteristics that are unique to each item.

Source: http://www.cwhp.info/curriculum/sources2/graphic_organizers.pdf

Comparing- Double Bubble

ComparingSample Completed Double Bubble

Comparing Circle Map

Students may benefit from brainstorming about the topics to be compared by using a Circle Map. This allows them to focus on one object of comparison at a time.

Classifying The process of grouping things that are alike into categories on the basis of

their characteristics.

It is critical to identify the rules that govern class or category membership.

-Marzano,2001

For example,

Invertebrates

animals without a backbone or spinal column

Vertebrates

animals with a backbone or spinal column

Classifying

• Classifying refers to sorting objects into categories based on shared characteristics.

• Classifying depends on identifying the similarities and differences between the objects.

Classifying• Graphic Organizer Options:

– Tree Map (WIKI)– Columns/table

• Possible Uses for Organizers:– Organization of information into groups based on

categories– Do after comparing– Categories may be established and agreed upon or

individually created

Graphic Organizers for Classifying

-most useful when all categories are equal in generality -more useful when all categories are not equal in generality

Place Categories in column headings

Creating Metaphors

• Graphic Organizer Options:– Not commonly used

• When Organizer used:– Abstract comparison; indirect– Teacher directed-scaffolding– Student directed-extends concept

Creating Metaphors

The two items in a metaphor are connected by an abstract or

nonliteral relationship. -Marzano,2001

For example,

Love is a rose.

What is a Metaphor?Comparison involving similarity

A similarity between two objects at an abstract level.

Life is a rollercoaster

Metaphor Simile

A similarity between two objects at an abstract level using “like” or “as.”

Life is like a rollercoaster

A simile is a type of metaphor because it is a comparison, but not all metaphors are similes.

Graphic Organizer for Metaphors

Element 1 Literal Pattern 1 Abstract Element 2Literal

Pattern 2

It depicts that two elements have somewhat different literal patterns, but they share a common abstract pattern.

Creating Analogies

Analogies help us to see how seemingly dissimilar things are similar.

They increase our understanding of new information.

-Marzano,2001

Examples,

Carpenter is to hammer as painter is to brush.

Hot is to cold as night is to day.

Oxygen is to humans as carbon dioxide is to plants.

Core is to earth as nucleus is to atom.

Creating Analogies• Graphic Organizer Options:

– Brace map (WIKI)– Analogy organizer

• Possible Uses for Organizers:– Format: ____is to ____ as ____is to____– Relationships to relationships– Process – Pair 1 then Pair 2– Many types of analogies

Graphic Organizers for Analogies

Is to

Is to

Relationship

As

Creating Analogies

thermometer

distance

temperature

odometer

Relationship: measures incremental changes in something

is to

as is to

Creating Analogy

• An Analogy is a comparison between related pairs.

A is to B as C is to D

as as

Brace Map

A

B D

C

Teacher vs. Student Directed Analogy

Teacher-directed analogy task

Eighty is to eightAsDime is to ______.

• Student-directed analogy task

Robert Frost is to poetry

As_____ is to ______.

See Marzano text for examples of teacher and student directed comparison, classification, and metaphor tasks.

WEB sites for reference• Identifying Similarities and differences with

graphic organizers- non linguistic http://www.ntuaft.com/Departments/Research___Communication/PRC504/Research-Based%20Instructional%20Strategies/Identifying%20Similarities%20&%20Differences.htm

• Math http://www.math.tamu.edu/~kahlig/venn/venn.html

• Graphic Organizers http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/page8.php

Next Steps

• Meet October 22, Friday and October 25, Monday (please read Marzano)– Summarizing and Note Taking 10/22

– Non Linguistic Representation 10/25• Homework- try some non linguistic representations in

class, let’s discuss what we have had success or non success with

– Marzano pages