Compare-
to examine the character or qualities of something, especially in order
to discover resemblances or differences. To compare is to use examples to
show how things are similar and different. It means to bring out both the
similarities and differences with emphasis on the
similarities. Compare lends itself to the flip-flop or block method of
organization. A longer response is usually required for questions asking
for comparison Useful
action verbs/phrases - How are they alike? How are they similar or the same?
Check for likeness. What do they have in common? Additional
synonyms for compare:. Liken, Judge, Equate, Bracket. Related
words- approach, equal, match, examine, inspect,
observe, scan, scrutinize, size (up); consider, contemplate, ponder, study,
weigh
TEACHING AND TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
TIPS:
1) Graphing- Graph data, compare it, and make
conclusions. You can create your graphs in Excel, as an insert in Word, or
with Tom Synder Software's Graph Club
(primary) or Graphmasters(4-8)
2) Make a Venn Diagram to compare ideas or objects at this web site.
3) Basketball and March Madness! OK, we couldn't resist. Since a synonym for compare is "to bracket" , thoughts naturally turn to the NCAA Basketball tournament. Students can write a paragraph comparing two teams and predict the winner of the match up. Full tournament bracket is here (click on a team name for a complete overview of the teams) . Work in a little bit of math by comparing team statistics available here. (Click on the top of the column for each type of data and it will be arranged in order ) Compare the odds of each team making it to each round here . For those of you who want to keep track of your predictions, click here for a printable bracket (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) If you don't have this program installed, click here for a different bracket.
4)Digital Photos- Have students take pictures of similar items, such as geometric shapes, mammals, other students. Insert two photos into a word processing document and have students compare the attributes.
5) Compare Artworks- Go to Chicago's Terra Museum of American Art and take the online tour comparing four different works of art. Compare their similarities and differences. Click here
6) Compare Countries - Use the CIA World Factbook to compare two different countries. Includes information about size, population, government, economics, and much more. Bookmark this site for future use!
7)Inspiration- Go to File>Template>Language Arts>Comparison. It is already set up to enter similarities and differences for two different subjects or ideas. Visually seeing the comparison is very effective for some learners. After filling out the form, click on "Outline" in the menu bar and you will have an organized list to print out , which students can use to help them organize their writing.
8) Online Dictionaries-
Look up the word on online dictionaries as a whole class activity to introduce and brainstorm ideas and activities about the word. Use th -Miriam Webster seems to be the easiest and most concise http://www.m-w.com/home.htm
-Your Dictionary.com at http://www.yourdictionary.com/ Similar to above
-Wordsmyth http://www.wordsmyth.net/live/home.php This one is interesting... when you click on the word to see the definitions, more sections automatically appear, which could give ideas for instruction or activities - such as synonyms, similar words, examples in a sentence, etc.
-One Look ( searches for the word in a multitude of different online dictionaries) http://www.onelook.com
For more ideas or help using any of these computer programs or websites, please contact your technology resource teachers: