Definitions
To look for similarities
Compare
Lauren's cousin, Mia was coming to stay with her family for a whole week. Lauren was worried. Even though they were the same age, Lauren felt like they did not have much in common. Lauren loved to play outside, while Mia would rather spend a day curled up with a book. Lauren stopped worrying when Mia walked through the door. She was carrying an armload of board games. Lauren loved playing games! Maybe it would be a fun week after all.
How are Lauren and Mia the same?
They are the same age.
They both loved playing board games.
Leah sat on her bed and looked around her new room. It was smaller than her room had been back in Tennessee. But Mom had painted the walls the same shade of lavender as her old room and Boo-Boo, her teddy bear, sat on her bed, just as he always had. She looked out her window at the yard below. It was strange being on the second floor. She had never lived in a two-story house before.
How is Leah's new bedroom the same as her old one?
It's the same color as her old room. Her teddy bear is still on her bed.
Compare and contrast the events of your day so far with the events of someone at your table.
Answers will vary.
Mrs. Jensen and Mrs. Linn both made chocolate cupcakes for the school bake sale. Mrs. Jensen made hers from scratch. She made five different colors of frosting. Each of Mrs. Jensen's cupcakes looked like a work of art. Mrs. Linn used a store-bought cake mix to make her cupcakes and she frosted them with icing from a can. Both women made two dozen cupcakes for the sale. When the sale was over, not one cupcake was left!
What signal word did the author use to show comparing?
both
To look for differences
Contrast
"Hurry up, Slow Poke," Logan called from further up the trail. Nolan took one last look at the ant hill he had been watching and rushed to catch up. He wondered why Logan always had to be in such a hurry. There was so much to see in the forest, and Logan was missing it all. It was hard to believe they were twins. They had the same dark hair, the same brown eyes, even their smiles were similar. But they had almost nothing in common At least they both liked hiking, even if Logan did like it at faster pace.
How are Logan and Nolan different?
Logan was always in a hurry.
Aubrey sat in the shade of the big oak tree eating her lunch. She wiggled her toes in the lush, green grass. She could see flowers starting to bloom next to the dog house by the porch. Aubrey thought about how different the yard had looked just a few months ago. The snow had been so deep that Rascal couldn't get into his house. Of course there hadn't been any leaves on the trees then, or flowers either.
How is Aubrey's yard different now than it was in winter?
In the winter there was snow.
No leaves or flowers in the winter.
Mom took Alisa to the library. While Mom looked for books about how to make furniture, Alisa picked out some fantasy and science fiction books. Then mom did some research on the computer while Alisa read a magazine. After that, they looked at the giant atlas together and talked about places they would like to travel to someday. When it was time to leave, they each had picked six books to check out.
What things did Alisa do at the that library that were different from what her mom did?
Mom: looked for books about furniture then researched on the computer
Alisa: looked for fantasy and science fiction books then read a magazine
Jake and Ethan both have a book report due on Friday. They both chose to read the same book and they both finished reading it last week. Jake worked on his book report a little bit each night. By Thursday night, he just had to finish up the conclusion. Ethan, however, waited until Thursday afternoon to even start. He had to stay up very late to get his report finished. Jake earned an A on his report, while Ethan got at C.
In what ways were Jake and Ethan's approaches to the report the same?
They read the same book and finished it last week - same due date.
What do these words signal:
both, similarly, too, like, also
compare
Gabby and Tyler went blueberry picking yesterday. Gabby worked quickly. She picked almost every berry she saw. Most of them went into her bucket, but every so often, she popped one in her mouth. It wasn't long before Gabby's bucket was full. Tyler was more selective. He picked only the plumpest, ripest berries. It took him a long time to fill his bucket. It didn't help that he ate some of the berries that he picked.
How are Gabby and Tyler the same in their berry picking styles?
They both ate some of the berries they had picked.
Deciduous trees, such as maple, oak, and elm trees, lose their leaves each autumn and grow new leaves in the spring. Evergreens, such as pine, fir, and redwood trees have needles instead of leaves. They do not lose their needles in the fall. Both deciduous and evergreen trees get energy from the sun. Trees provide homes and food for many kinds of animals, including humans!
How are deciduous trees and evergreen trees different?
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall.
Sasha floated on her back in the warm water. The smell of chlorine lingered in her nose and her ears rang with the voices of children echoing off the walls. They had planned to go to the beach today, but it had rained so they went to the pool instead. Sasha liked swimming in the pool, but she missed the smell of the ocean and the sound of the squawking seagulls. At least she still got to wear her new swimsuit and bring her beach ball.
How is swimming in the pool the same as swimming in the ocean?
She still got to wear her new swimsuit, bring her beach ball, and float in water.
Many people think that salamanders are a type of lizard because they both have long tails and short legs. However, a salamander is not a lizard at all! Salamanders are a type of amphibian, whereas lizards are a type of reptile. Lizards have dry scaly skin. By contrast, a salamander's skin is smooth and moist. Unlike a lizard, a salamander must spend most of its life in the water.
How are lizards and salamanders different?
A salamander is a amphibian while a lizard is a type of reptile.
Lizards have dry scaly skin but salamanders have smooth, moist skin.
A salamander must live in water.
What do these words signal:
although, but, on the other hand, unlike, however
contrast
Stacy and Tracy are best friends. They wear matching clothes to school every day. They read the same books, see the same movies, and watch the same TV shows. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, Stacy takes ballet class. She wanted Tracy to take the class with her, but Tracy does not like ballet. Tracy decided to join a soccer team instead.
In what ways are Stacy and Tracy the same? In what ways are they different?
Same: They wear matching clothes, read the same books, see the same movies, and watch the same TV shows.
Different: Stacy takes ballet, but Tracy joined soccer.
Peyton looked around her new classroom. There were windows on one wall and coat hooks on the other, just like in her classroom last year. The sink was in the back, too. But the desks were in groups of four or five. Last year the desks had always been in rows. Then she saw that the Book Nook had a lot of books, many more than were in last year's classroom library. It was going to be an interesting year!
How is Peyton's new classroom the same as her old one? How is it different?
Same: windows, coat hooks, sink in the back
Different: desks in groups of 4 or 5 instead of rows, more books
Caleb and Gavin went to the fair. They rode on the Ferris wheel and the bumper cars. Gavin wanted to go on the rollercoaster, but Caleb didn't want to wait in the long line. While Gavin waited in line, Caleb rode on the tea cups three times. Both boys got hot dogs and a sodas for lunch. Later, Caleb got some cotton candy for a snack. Gavin decided he would rather have a bag of popcorn.
What things did Caleb and Gavin do at the fair that were the same?
They rode the Ferris wheel, rode bumper cars, and ate hot dogs and sodas for lunch.
Coal is used to supply about half the electricity that is used in the United States. Coal must be burned to make electricity and burning coal causes pollution. Wind can also be used to make electricity. Unlike burning coal, using wind to make electricity does not cause pollution. In addition, someday we will run out of coal, but we will never run out of wind.
What signal words were used to contrast coal and wind? (You must name all of them to get the points.)
unlike and but
T or False you can compare and contrast a setting of the story or stories as well as characters.
True
Aaron has two puppies. Even though they are both beagles with brown and white fur, they have very different personalities. Rascal loves to run and play. He will chase anything that moves and will run away if he is not on a leash. Lulu would never run away. In fact, she always follows Aaron around the house. Lulu loves to be pet and scratched between her ears. Lulu also barks much less than Rascal does.
How are Rascal and Lulu the same? How are they different?
Same: Both beagles with brown and white fur.
Different: Rascal loves to run and play. Lulu would never run away and always follows Aaron. Lulu barks much less.
Emily and her sister Claire had to share their bedroom. Emily had divided the room in half with a piece of string. Each girl had a bed, a set of drawers, and a bookshelf. Emily kept her side of the room as neat as a pin. Her clothes were always folded and put away. She made her bed every day. Claire's side of the room was a mess! There were clothes and toys and books everywhere! She never made her bed.
How are Emily and Claire's sides of the bedroom the same? How are they different?
Same: a bed, a set of drawers, a bookshelf
Different: Emily was neat, while Claire's side was a mess.
Compare and contrast the plot of your two favorite movies.
Answers will vary.
A hamster or a gerbil can make a good pet. Both hamsters and gerbils are rodents. They need a clean cage, food, and water. Gerbils are social animals. If you want a gerbil as a pet, you should get two so that they can keep each other company. Hamsters are solitary animals. You can't put two hamsters in the same cage or they will fight. Also, unlike gerbils, hamsters are nocturnal, so they will sleep through most of the day.
How are hamsters and gerbils different? How are they the same?
Different: Gerbils are social and need to be bought in pairs. Hamsters like being alone and are nocturnal.
Same: make good pets, rodents, need a clean cage, food, and water