Albertson, B. 2005

COMPARISON LESSON PLAN ► Rationale: When asked to compare, most students describe or list similarities and/or differences. However, the verb compare requires much more than mere listing or describing. In “real life,” no one ever “lists” or “describes” similarities and differences unless there is some point or reason for comparing the items in question: at the grocery store we compare ingredients, price, and other factors for choosing between brands; at Circuit City, we compare IBM and Macintosh computer platforms to decide which is most appropriate for our needs; we buy Consumer Reports to help us choose the best digital camera for our use; etc. Yet in the classroom, students get the message that listing similarities and differences is a worthwhile endeavor in and of itself. For example, traditional Venn Diagrams encourage students to end the comparison after filling in the circles, an exercise that invites a mere listing of similarities and differences. We frequently do not move students beyond this literal level listing/describing to an evaluation – the “so what?” & “who cares?” stage. This lesson, which can be adapted for almost any level, suggests ways to help students compare more meaningfully.

► Materials

o Passage that invites comparison (DOE Item Sampler passages such as “Unhealthy Habits” – grade 5 – or “Cinderella” – grade 10). Download Item Sampler passages, items and benchmarks at

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/AAB/DSTP_ELA_Reading_2005.html o Graphic Organizer that requires more than listing or description of

similarities and differences

Albertson, B. 2005

► Procedures (Intermediate Version*):

1) Have students read the passage “Unhealthy Habits.” 2) Ask students what the word “compare” means and record their

definitions on the board. Using prepared diagrams, either on the board or on chart paper, have students help you fill in a traditional Venn diagram based on the question asking students to compare health habits of the 18th century with health habits of today.

3) Ask students to answer the question (alone or in pairs) about comparing the health habits of the 21st century with those described in the passage.

4) When students have finished, collect papers and put them aside. 5) Then have students help you fill in a graphic organizer such as the

one provided with this lesson. They will need some help with the center column (“with regard to…”), and they will need help with the questions at the end (patterns and significance cues). Use the cloze-type sentences provided in this lesson as models to guide their thinking. When both charts are completed, ask them which chart provides the most information (or, better yet, ask them to compare the two charts!). [They may very well note that the Venn diagram is “easier” to complete. That’s okay, as it’s a valid point, but also help them realize that the additional information in the 3-column GO helps them better understand the comparison.]

6) Return their answers and ask them to make any revisions necessary based on the additional information or more in-depth understanding they’ve developed about the comparison. When finished, share answers and discuss revisions (hopefully) based on evaluative statements added.

7) Ask students to reconsider their original definition of “comparison.” The old definition, which was most likely something like “give the similarities and differences,” should be revised to say something like “analyze the similarities and differences” or “compare features to help decide which is better (or similar judgment).”

Albertson, B. 2005

► Follow-up or reinforcement activities:

1) Ask students to compare two items of interest to them (compare lunch menu for today with lunch menu for yesterday, for example). When they get to “differences,” be sure to have them articulate what feature they are comparing (for example: “desserts” when comparing yesterday’s menu’s “ice cream sandwiches” vs. today’s menu’s “jello;” or “main dish” when comparing yesterday’s menu’s “tacos” with today’s menu’s “chicken fingers.”) When finished “comparing” the items, have students generate a thesis statement (“Even though both meals have a similar number of choices, I like today’s menu better than yesterday’s.”)

2) When reading literature, have students compare characters (the simplest literary element to compare). Again, teach them to select the important components for comparison. It’s okay to say that one character has blonde hair and another has dark hair, but when completing the sentences at the end of the chart, they will be looking at significant similarities or differences (“Even though both characters came from similar backgrounds, character A worked harder to overcome his/her problems” or “Even though both characters were likeable, I think character B would make the best friend because…..”).

* This lesson can easily be adapted to secondary level. Use “Cinderella” Item Sampler passage to model: Compare any two (or more) Cinderella versions. The “so what?” “who cares” statements will most likely deal with some observation about the what different cultures value. For example, if comparing the French version with the Japanese versions, students will (should) see that although the stories have many similarities, what is valued – or what “saves” – the Cinderella character in the non-Western versions is her wit and not necessarily her beauty.

Albertson, B. 2005

Sample Materials From the Grade 5 Item Sampler passage: “Unhealthy Habits”

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/AAB/Grade%205%20Reading%20-%20Unhealthy%20Habits.pdf

EXTENDED RESPONSE [Extending Meaning: Apply information to real life situations] Compare how the health habits of the 18th century are alike and how they are different from the health habits of today. Use information from the article in your answer.

Score Description

4 Response is a thorough and insightful explanation of the significant similarities and differences between modern and 18th century health habits, supported by sufficient, specific, relevant details from the passage.

3 Response is an adequate explanation of the similarities and differences supported by some details from the passage.

2 Response is a limited explanation of the similarities and differences with mostly general references to the passage OR an adequate explanation of only similarities OR only differences.

1 Response is an attempted explanation with vague references to the passage OR a limited explanation of only similarities OR only differences.

0 Response is totally incorrect or irrelevant for this question

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Albertson, B. 2005

Sample Materials From the Grade 5 Item Sampler passage: “Unhealthy Habits”

http://www.doe.k12.de.us/AAB/Grade%205%20Reading%20-%20Unhealthy%20Habits.pdf

Unhealthy Habits by Bobbie Kalman

The people of the eighteenth century had different ideas about hygiene than we do. Some people washed their hands and face, but most people bathed only a few times each year. Those who cleaned themselves often were considered very strange by eighteenth century standards.

Bathing was difficult because there was no running water, and water had to be heated over the fire. Even if people could have bathed, they would not have done so because they believed that bathing robbed their skin of important oils that protected them from diseases.

Teeth trouble In the eighteenth century people worked hard at having

a white smile. They used a variety of ingredients to cleantheir teeth. Acid, gunpowder, and sticks made from sea coral all had harmful effects. They wore away the enamel on teeth, causing them to decay and fall out. When peoplelost all their teeth, they replaced them with false teeth madeof porcelain or ivory. Cork balls, called plumpers, were placed in the mouth to "plump up" the hollow cheeks caused by missing back teeth.

Body odors Lower-class people hardly ever changed or washed their

clothes. Most of them only had one outfit for working and one for Sunday. Wealthy people didn't bathe much either, but their clothes were cleaner because they owned more outfits. As you can imagine, people must not have smelled very sweet, but they were used to body odor. Wealthy men and women sprinkled themselves with lavender water or wore small bouquets of flowers called nosegays to put a sweet smell near their nose.

Cosmetics Upper-class men and women wore makeup. Makeup

was used to look good, but it had another purpose. People used it to cover smallpox scars on their face. Smallpox was a serious disease that left many people with scar-covered skin. In order to hide these scars, people coated their face with white lead powder. Lead is extremely dangerous to one's health and caused sickness and even death. Another way to hide smallpox scars was to stick tiny silk or leather patches over them.

People wearing plumpers often spoke with a lisp, whichbecame fashionable.

Smallpox patches came in many interesting shapes.

Albertson, B. 2005

Consider the traditional graphic organizer for comparison: Traditional Venn Diagram (completed based on “Unhealthy Habits”)

The above diagram is a very thorough and complete listing of similarities and differences. But does it mean anything? Without some encouragement to go beyond a listing, the point of the comparison is lost!

Modern Day:

use deodorant; bathe daily; “healthy” make-up; toothpaste;

18th Century :

used coral/acid for toothpaste; lead make-up; patches; plumpers; didn’t bathe; covered smell w/flowers

Both:

care about smell & teeth; want to cover blemishes or care about looking good

Albertson, B. 2005

Consider this graphic organizer:

COMPARE/CONTRAST ORGANIZER (completed based on “Unhealthy Habits”)

Modern Health Habits

18th Century Health Habits

HOW ALIKE???

Bathed, were concerned about their teeth & smiles, cared about how they smelled, wanted to look “nice,” use false teeth, both wore make-up/cover-up

HOW DIFFERENT???

Modern With Regard to…

18th Century

Understand that bathing was healthy

Bathing

Thought bathing was harmful (robbed the body of essential ?)

Use toothpaste to clean teeth

Teeth Used harmful substances like coral and acid to clean teeth

Use deodorant Body Odor Used “nose gays” to cover-up bad smells

To cover minor blemishes or improve beauty and maybe scars

Make-up/Cover-up To cover scars (from small pox) using patches or lead-based (poison) make-up

Patterns of similarities/differences: There were as many similarities as differences (or about the same number). Differences really affected health! Most of the differences are a result of better health education and/or scientific discoveries

Significance of patterns and/or comparison (potential thesis): “The health habits of the 18th century were actually harmful to the health of the people.” OR “Our beauty habits today are healthier because of more scientific knowledge” OR “21st century scientific discoveries have given us better health habits” Even “I’m glad I live in the 21st century” is a move toward evaluation.

This GO goes beyond a mere listing and helps students learn how to develop a thesis from the comparison.

Albertson, B. 2005

APPENDIX for comparison lesson plan – sample responses to Unhealthy Habits comparison question [All spelling and punctuation are as they were

in the original]. See additional answers at http://www.doe.k12.de.us/AAB/Grade%205%20Reading%20-%20Unhealthy%20Habits.pdf

Example of an adequate description or listing of similarities and differences (score point 3)

There is things that are alike from the 18th century and the 20th. Like now and then we both used something to make us smell better, But there is a difference. We use perfum and they use flowers. We also both use make up but then it was to cover up scars and now it is just for style. An other thing is that we both take a bath/shower only we take ours at least once every day. They only take theirs a couple times every year. One more thing they would use gunpowder to make their teeth whiter and now we go to the dentist to get are teeth cleaned. So these are some of our simalaritys and differentces.

Example of an adequate comparison (attempts to explain the significance – the “so what?” – of the similarities and/or differences) (score point 4)

In the 18th century people wore make-up to cover scares and bad apearences. However today I think people use it for styleish reasons. We shower daily but those who even just washed their hands and face in the 18th century were considered strange. We also use perfume and deoderant. One couldn’t find hot running water either. You’d have to put it over a fire to heat. In the old days people thought Acid and gunpowder cleaned their teeth, even though it only made their teeth fall out. But today we use toothpaste and floss. Because of their hollow cheeks one would place so called “plumpers” cork balls in their mouth. Back then people didn’t notice all the harmfull things that they did to their selfs. Today people care more about their health and show it.

Example of an adequate comparison (attempts an evaluation of the comparison): (score point 4)

The 18 century and 21 are alike in ways and different in ways. In the 21 century we took baths but they took less baths few a year but in this century we take baths more. Back then they use acid, gunpowder, and sticks made from sea coral for teeth. Now we use tooth paste. The same thing in this year of the 21 century we wear make up but they use white lead powder to hide small pox scars. One thing thats different from then and now most of them only had one outfit. They hardly washed their clothes. I’m glad things changed in the 21 century.

Albertson, B. 2005

COMPARE/CONTRAST ORGANIZER

HOW ALIKE??? ________ _____________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

HOW DIFFERENT??? With Regard to

Patterns of similarities/differences: _________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Significance of patterns and/or comparison (potential thesis): __________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Albertson, B. 2005

WHAT DOES A GOOD THESIS LOOK LIKE FOR COMPARISON PAPERS?

Consider the following sample theses: ______ and ______ are alike in some ways and different in others. ______ and ______ have more similarities than differences (or more differences than similarities). Although _____ and _____ have more similarities than differences, ________________________________________________________________________________. ☺ [A thesis statement such the one above moves toward evaluation – the ultimate point of comparison]

Albertson, B. 2005

► Understanding by Design “Enduring Understandings”:

1. Different readers may respond to the same text in different ways. The better responses are those that provide greater insight into the text and/or the issues raised.

2. Just because you read the text doesn’t mean you understood it. 3. Sometimes the author makes his/her meaning plain; often however, a reader must dig

beneath the “surface” of the text to find the meaning. 4. Everyone is entitled to an opinion about what a text means, but the text supports some

interpretations more than others. 5. Different types of texts (e.g., narrative, mystery, biography, expository, persuasive) have

different structures. Understanding a text’s structure helps a reader better understand its meaning.

6. The impact of a text on a reader is influenced by the reader’s experience. 7. The reader’s interaction with text changes with time and experience.

► Grade Level Expectations - “Comparison” is mentioned repeatedly throughout the GLEs. The most explicit of these references is as follows: Performance Indicator [2.4g (2-8) 2.3g (9-12)]: Students will be able to demonstrate an overall understanding of printed texts by (g) comparing information between and within texts. Prior to grade 5, students are asked to “describe similarities and differences.” However, by the end of Grade 5, using 5th grade or higher texts, students are asked to • Compare relevant similarities and/or differences in ideas, viewpoints, or characters within a single text • Compare relevant similarities and/or differences in ideas, viewpoints, purposes, plots, settings, or

characters in one text with those in another • Describe changes in characters (e.g., change in attitude, situation) For Grade 10 students: • Compare relevant similarities and/or differences in ideas, viewpoints, or characters within a single text • Compare subtle but relevant similarities and/or differences in ideas, viewpoints, purposes, plots,

settings, or characters presented in two or more texts Analyze subtle changes in characters (e.g., change in attitude, situation) Similar distinctions are described in other GLEs, such as the following example: Performance Indicator: [4.2c (4-10) 4.2e2 (6-10)] Using literature appropriate for age, stage, and interests, students will be able to respond to literary text using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by (c) interpreting the impact of author’s decisions such as word choice, style, content, and literary elements and (e2) understanding […] the author’s intent in choosing a particular genre . Note how the grade level expectation changes as students move up in grades: Grade 5 • Describe how the author’s writing style influences the reader Grade 7 • Compare styles among texts to determine effects of author’s choices