why compare and contrast is important
What steps do you notice them taking? Now Joanne asks students to use the criteria provided in the description organizer (see Figure 1.3) to describe each household. The paper should contain an introduction with a thesis statement, a body where the comparisons and contrasts are discussed, and a conclusion. 1. A compare-and-contrast essay, then, analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them,or both. Reflect on your own experiences with comparative thinking strategies. One way to analyze sources is through comparing and contrastin… Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. By comparison, you need to explore similarities between the two subjects and by contrast, point out the differences. Explore the research, principles, and classroom phases that make Compare & Contrast such an effective strategy. A classroom poster highlighting these four phases for students is included in this guide. You'll notice that the four principles of Compare & Contrast are closely aligned with the four classroom phases of Compare & Contrast. Learning to write an effective essay teaches you to investigate, interpret, and communicate information, which will … I gave her to understand that when I am taken from her she must look to meet with more humbling afflictions than she does now [when] she has a careful and tender father to provide for her. As you teach over the coming weeks, keep track of those times when you might have used Compare & Contrast. As you examine this work, ask yourself, What skills are students demonstrating in this work? You have likely compared and contrasted yourself to other colleagues. MISSION: ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Take note of these instances, and be ready to share them as you proceed through the following sections. To put emphasis on the similarities of something is the way how to write comparison essay. What problems can occur if such methods are not used? The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. . Joanne now moves her students into the comparison phase by having them work with partners to identify similarities and differences between the two households and then to record those similarities and differences using the Top Hat Organizer (see Figure 1.4). The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing. This content was COPIED from BrainMass.com - View the original, and get the already-completed solution here! Most comparison strategies ask students to focus their attention on critical attributes, which are the defining characteristics of the items under investigation. As much as compare and contrast essays are written a bit differently from other types of essays, there are certain aspects about them that are similar to the writing format of other essays. The thesis could lean more toward comparing, contrasting, or both. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online. The compare and contrast definition is a kind of essay that can compare or contrast anything. The more students are encouraged to think about details and specifics in their description, the easier and more sophisticated their comparisons will be. Comparing and contrasting is a primary tool for many workplace assessments. minimum 200 words with references included. 10.1: The Purpose of Comparison and Contrast in Writing, [ "article:topic", "authorname:akinonen", "license:ccbyncsa", "showtoc:no" ], https://human.libretexts.org/@app/auth/3/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fhuman.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FComposition%2FIntroductory_Composition%2FBook%253A_Rhetoric_and_Composition_(Bay_College)%2F10%253A_Comparison_and_Contrast%2F10.1%253A_The_Purpose_of_Comparison_and_Contrast_in_Writing, 10.2: The Structure of a Comparison and Contrast Essay, Amber Kinonen, Jennifer McCann, Todd McCann, & Erica Mead, information contact us at info@libretexts.org, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. Contrast is important because the meaningful essence of any thing is defined by its value, properties, or quality relative to something else. Compare & Contrast acts as a practical and easy-to-use introduction to higher-order thinking. Figure 1.1 includes a variety of student work samples that span a wide range of content areas and grade levels. If beginning with the comparison, then the contrast will get emphasis – the logical movement is from thinking about similarities to thinking about differences. Compare- contrast texts can be used to introduce and reinforce new and important vocabulary for young learners. Contrast is really important when you’re starting to learn how to paint. Phone
In their years of research into the defining characteristics of intelligent behavior and thought, Art Costa and Bena Kallick (2008, 2009) have identified 16 “habits of mind.” By nourishing these habits in our students, we give them the tools they need to use their minds well, thus increasing their chance for future success. .Hark! We all want our students to produce this kind of work—to be able to use comparative thinking independently to advance their own learning. Compare & Contrast improves comprehension by highlighting important details, making abstract ideas more concrete, and reducing the confusion between related concepts (think meiosis versus mitosis). Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. Electronic File Requests for Students with Print Disabilities. Similarly, to focus on comparison, choose two subjects that seem at first to be unrelated. You'll notice that we have added a section to the right for you to record your own thoughts on the lesson. It is important for people to read these articles in order to become self aware to the fact that most people do these conform and are compliant all the time in their everyday life. Comparing and contrasting is an important skill in academic writing. You may be wondering why we want to look so closely at comparative thinking. As you review this lesson, keep in mind the principles of Compare & Contrast, the role of the student, the role of the teacher, and the goals of the strategy. 2. . The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. 3. . Compare and contrast is one of my favorite literacy skills to teach early in the year because it is approachable for students and can be used in so many different ways. Leading your students through these four phases is essential for ensuring your students' effective use of the Compare & Contrast strategy in the classroom. Compare and contrast essay thesis. Compare- contrast texts can be used to introduce and reinforce new and important vocabulary for young learners. Have questions or comments? The ability to explain the importance of analyzing narratives and documents from different times and places to understand historical events. The first … Remember, the point of comparing and contrasting is to provide useful knowledge to the reader. The first passage you will read is taken from a 17th century father's diary, and the second passage comes from a 19th century song. For example, Red Delicious apples are sweet while Granny Smiths are tart and acidic. The purpose of conducting the comparison or contrast is not to state the obvious but rather to illuminate subtle differences or unexpected similarities. Compare and contrast is a rhetorical style that discusses the similarities and differences of two or more things: ideas, concepts, items, places, etc. The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. This includes identifying and describing how the ideas and details between passages are alike and/or different. How does their work compare with yours? Drawing distinctions between elements in a similar category will increase the audience’s understanding of that category, which is the purpose of the compare-and-contrast essay. Now that you have a better understanding of the four phases of the Compare & Contrast strategy, take a second look at the student work samples in Figure 1.1. Click here to let us know! Okay, I need to know the reasons how comparing and contrasting is an important method for writing an essay, I wrote down a few reasons why that technique is important but I need to know more...(I am having a presentation stating why this technique is important and I need more info), plz if u can help...I need to know why its important … What makes it so special? A subskill, needed to compare and contrast, would be Attributing. Now let's experience a lesson using the Compare & Contrast strategy. Have you ever noticed how some households are different from your own? That’s right: nothing has much meaning by itself, which is one reason why design is important. Writing clearly and concisely is one of the most important skills that you can learn and develop while you are still in school. 2. More recently, Marzano's research in The Art and Science of Teaching
including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system. It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Joanne has made sure that the activities and assessments in the lesson require students to practice the skills assessed by her state's standardized tests, including. 3. Use the space below to record your thoughts, then discuss your response with a partner. In order to make accurate evaluations about a given topic, you must first know the critical points of similarity and difference. The first type is general academic vocabulary. This also includes finding similar po Keeping that in mind, take a moment to answer the questions below: 1. Having a well-formulated thesis statement helps a student to develop a well-focused argumentative paper that gives the reader a roadmap about what … 3. By focusing student thinking on analyzing pairs of ideas, the Compare & Contrast strategy strengthens students' ability to remember key content. The answer lies in the research of renowned educators Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock (2001). Each of the four phases is represented by at least one piece of student work. The compare-and-contrast essay starts with a thesis that clearly states the two subjects that are to be compared, contrasted, or both and the reason for doing so. Thinking About Phase Two: Notice how much easier it was to conduct a comparison having already completed detailed descriptions of the readings. If you were writing an essay about the effects of smoking, would you be more likely to select a journal article written in 1912 or 2012? Take a moment to look back at the readings with the criteria from Figure 1.3 in mind. OrganizingThere are at least two ways to organize a compare/contrast essay. .Nay, do not close the shutters, child;For along the laneThe little window looks, and heCan see it shining plain;I've heard him say he loves to markThe cheerful firelight through the dark. By balancing the two sources, we can eventually understand… By compiling the available research on effective instruction, Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock found that strategies that engage students in comparative thinking had the greatest effect on student achievement, leading to an average percentile gain of 45 points (p. 7f). Good readers can identify the relationships between story elements by comparing and … Like other essay types, drafting a compare and contrast essay is based on some prewriting and writing … We also encourage you to be the student by completing the student activities throughout the lesson. We also acknowledge previous National Science Foundation support under grant numbers 1246120, 1525057, and 1413739. The Compare & Contrast strategy strengthens students' writing skills by providing a simple structure that helps them organize information and develop their ideas with greater clarity and precision. Each principle is tied closely to the difficulties students commonly encounter when they engage in comparative thinking. Students will compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two informational texts on a similar topic (RI.3.9). Comparison in writing discusses elements that are similar, while contrast in writing discusses elements that are different. Note that criteria are not perfectly synonymous with critical attributes. I wished her to live happily under God and abide by the laws governing her existence here. In this essay type, a writer selects two objects or subjects to draw a comparison or contrast between them. For example, if you wanted to focus on contrasting two subjects you would not pick apples and oranges; rather, you might choose to compare and contrast two types of oranges or two … Compare & Contrast helps teachers achieve five distinct instructional goals: GOAL #1: Strengthen Students' Memories. Joanne continues, “In this lesson, we are going to go back into the 17th and 19th centuries, where you will have the opportunity to visit two homes. It’s a skill we use daily and it’s an important one. It also focuses students' attention in preparation for the lesson ahead. GOAL #2: Develop Higher-Order Thinking Skills. This is part of a process we call “Do, Look, Learn.” Too often, we go through the motions of learning a new process or idea without reflecting on our own thinking. ... We were asked to compare and contrast the moral developments of each. Thinking About Phase Four: Remember the principle of “putting learning to work”? Can you determine which work samples were developed during which classroom phase? How comfortable are they with comparison? Alexandria, VA 22311-1714. Compare and contrast essay is an important academic paper in which students are asked to analyze two or more subjects with each other. Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with gained from books. It is important for people to read these articles in order to become self aware to the fact that most people do these conform and are compliant all the time in their everyday life. How did the strategy help Joanne to achieve her goals? By … Take a moment and jot down some ways in which households are similar and different from one another.”. Comparison and contrast could be used to evaluate companies, departments, or individuals. With this lesson, Joanne is looking to shift her students' attention from macrohistory to microhistory. To this end, Joanne has designed a lesson using Compare & Contrast based on two primary documents, one from a 17th century Puritan family and one about a 19th century industrial family. Keep an eye out for students who use comparative thinking in your classroom. Comparing and contrasting is also an evaluative tool. Think about today's society. This is usually not what college instructors are looking for in a paper—generally they want you to compare or contrast two or more things very directly, rather than just listing the traits the things have and leaving it up to the reader to reflect on how those traits are similar or different and why those similarities or differences matter. When investigating new information, it is extremely important to consider the source, or the origin from which something is obtained. A good knowledge of contrast in drawing helps significantly because you will have learned the value of light and dark. Why? Compare & Contrast helps teachers achieve five distinct instructional goals: By focusing student thinking on analyzing pairs of ideas, the Compare & Contrast strategy strengthens students' ability to remember key content. In your opinion, which source is more important? 2. Although comparative thinking is a natural operation of our minds and is essential to learning, most students have a difficult time making use of comparisons in school. Most kids can easily compare and contrast the obvious (i.e. [Writing] Both sources are important. Monday through Friday
With this anchor chart, we discussed the terms compare and contrast. and clap thy hands,For father on the threshold stands. The “hook and bridge” is meant to hook students into the lesson by creating bridges between students' prior knowledge or personal experiences and the content of the lesson. For example, if students are describing renewable energy and nonrenewable energy, we may want students to consider not only the critical attributes (e.g., the sources of the types of energy, how each type is used) but also the factors that put renewable and nonrenewable energy into a larger context (e.g., arguments for and against each type of energy). That’s right: nothing has much meaning by itself, which is one reason why design is important. What problems can occur if such methods are not used? The main purpose of writing a compare and contrast essay is obviously to analyze similarities and differences between the two objects or ideas. To better understand how to achieve success when asking your students to make comparisons, it is important to first understand your own attitude toward comparisons and how you use them in your classroom. ... We were asked to compare and contrast the moral developments of each. Without the … 1703 North Beauregard St.
Alexandria, VA 22311-1714. This is where comparing and contrasting comes in. Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with gained from books. For example, if you wanted to focus on contrasting two subjects you would not pick apples and oranges; rather, you might choose to compare and contrast two types of oranges or two types of apples to highlight subtle differences. Introduction. Comparative thinking is great for building connections between background knowledge and new concepts. Contrast is important because the meaningful essence of any thing is defined by its value, properties, or quality relative to something else. Using Compare & Contrast in the classroom will help students develop these habits of mind: thinking flexibly; thinking about thinking (metacognition); striving for accuracy; applying past knowledge to new situations; and thinking and communicating with clarity and precision. Figure 1.6 depicts how one student group completed the four phases of the lesson. the color of a coat), but kids have a harder time noticing more subtle differences, and an even harder time verbalizing similarities and differences. How did the phases of the strategy support the principles of the strategy? She uses the questions in Figure 1.5 to guide the discussion. Comparative thinking is one of our first and most natural forms of thought. The thesis of your comparison/contrast paper is very important: it can help you create a focused argument and give your reader a road map so she/he doesn’t get lost in the sea of points you are about to make. Then pick two more traits that you believe are unique to modern fathers. I hear his footsteps now,He's through the garden gate;Run, little Bess, and open the door,And do not let him wait;Shout, baby, shout! That is why the first and most important step of writing this type of essay is to select two subjects that are different enough to be compared and similar enough to be contrasted. Why is it important to use a structured, systematic method for designing networks? Experience a model lesson using the Compare & Contrast strategy. If the writer begins by contrasting the ideas (and then move toward a … discussing this balance. To learn more about project charter and several other project management aspects, the PMP Certification course will help you to understand the … Employee advancements, pay raises, hiring, and firing are typically conducted using comparison and contrast. 'Compare and contrast' is often used as a development strategy for essay assignments, but it's a helpful strategy for any important decisions you have to make. The key to a good compare-and-contrast essay is to choose two or more subjects that connect in a meaningful way. How is the Compare & Contrast strategy similar to what you already do with your students when you want them to engage in comparison? We can really understand only those things that are familiar to us or similar to things we already understand, so comparing and contrasting the unfamiliar with the familiar is one of the most important techniques … -You might compare and contrast kinds of food, for instance, to help someone understand which food need to be refrigerated and which can be stored in a cabinet or in a bowl on the counter. Compare and contrast the top-down network design method shown in Figure 1-1 with the PDIOO method shown in Figure 1-2. For this exercise, I have chosen to compare and contrast my thirteen year … Figure 1.2 shows the four principles and corresponding four phases of Compare & Contrast. Why? It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." A compare-and-contrast essay, then, analyzes two subjects by comparing them, contrasting them, or both.. Joanne introduces her application activity by saying, “You have seen how specific time periods affect the notion of family and the roles of fathers and daughters. We are always happy to help you with COMPARE AND CONTRAST ESSAY OUTLINE. For a comparison essay, you likely would not choose two apples or two oranges because they share so many of the same properties already. Imagine you are examining Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant, both Civil War generals. ! What are the steps you use in teaching students how to make comparisons? To prepare, you should do the following things before you move on: Copyright © 2010 by Silver Strong & Associates. 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. One of the important things when writing this essay is to develop a clear compare and contrast essay thesis statement. This section serves as an introductory tutorial on the Compare & Contrast strategy. For this phase, Joanne asks her students to discuss what they have learned as a result of their comparison and to form some conclusions. You'll notice that even at this early stage of the lesson, students are engaged in addressing state standards by analyzing primary documents from different time periods. It's also great to incorporate … 1 Answer to 1. Without the ability to make comparisons—to set one object or idea against another and take note of similarities and differences—much of what we call learning would quite literally be impossible. How do the criteria affect your thinking? These first two phases encourage students to use details and evidence from the readings to support their comparisons, and the Top Hat Organizer helps students give their thoughts a shape. As you “do” the lesson, “look” in on your own thought process to see what you can “learn” from your own experiences. Thinking About Phase Three: Guided by questions, students are forced to distill the evidence they have gathered from the passages and analyze the two readings in greater depth. Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month. No part of this publication—including the drawings, graphs, illustrations, or chapters, except for brief quotations in
Joanne begins her lesson by saying, “Stop and think about some families that you know. . In your opinion, which source is more important? [Writing] Both sources are important. To Evaluate--You might compare and contrast kinds of food to show why one kind of food or brand of food is better than another. All rights reserved. Critical attributes are always a good starting point for helping students to focus their attention on the essential information, but sometimes we want students to go beyond simply describing the items by these attributes. This rhetorical style is one that you’ll see often as a complete essay, but you may also use it quite a lot within paragraphs of any kind of essay in … A compare and contrast paper discusses the similarities and differences between two or more topics. The ability to compare and contrast is one of the first higher-order reading comprehension skills students are introduced to. By asking students to take a position and draw conclusions about the content, we enhance their retention and understanding. Using this skill requires possession of knowledge and understanding of the items being compared and contrasted.