Quote of the Day
Do the best that you can,
in the place that you are,
and be kind.
- Helen Nearing
Effective Teaching Strategies
Exploring Similarities and Differences
Windham Middle School
December 3, 2008
Jane Cook
EASTCONN Staff Development Specialist
Windham Middle School Literacy & Technology Coach
janecook@earthlink.net
Parts of the presentation are adapted from a PowerPoint presentation by Scott King-Owen
http://www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/instruction/ssflpe/CITWhandouts/Teaching%20Similarities%20and%20Differences.ppt
and a PowerPoint presentation by Rebecca Pilver, EASTCONN Staff Development Specialist
Warm Up
What do we have in common?
With a partner, you have 2 minutes to find 4 things that
you have in common - the 4 things have to be hidden
(not obvious). Write them down.
Now, get with another partner. Find 4 things that you
have in common. Again the 4 things must be hidden
(not obvious). Write them down.
Now, join into a group of 4 and compare the
commonalities and find things that are unique about
each of you. Find 2 things that each of you have that is
unique to only you.
What did you learn? How could you use this activity with
your students? What purpose would it serve?
Objectives
To understand how Effective Teaching
Strategies connect to Data Teams and the
DDDM process
To explore the Effective Teaching Strategy
(ETS) known as Similarities and Differences
To practice using the Similarities and
Differences strategy and plan ways to apply this
ETS in your teaching
Review of Effective Teaching
Strategies Marzano, et al, 2001
1. Similarities and Differences
Summarizing and Note Taking
Effort and Recognition
Homework and Practice
Nonlinguistic Representation
Cooperative Learning
Setting Objectives & Providing
Feedback
Generating & Testing Hypotheses
Cues, Questions and Advance
Organizers
Why Are These “Effective” Strategies?
Category: Achievement Gain
(Percentiles)
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences * 45
2. Summarizing and Note Taking 34
3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition 29
4. Homework and Practice 28
5. Nonlinguistic Representations * 27
6. Cooperative Learning 27
7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback * 23
8. Generating and Testing Hypothesis 23
9. Questions, Cues and Advance Organizers 22
10. Non-fiction Writing
NOTE: This strategy was identified after Marzano’s book was published
* Indicates district-wide focus 2008-09 Classroom Instruction that Works
Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, Jane Pollock 6
How do we use ETS in Data
Driven Decision Making?
Let’s try an example:
Team collected and charted data: They found
through their pretest data that students are scoring
far below their peers on problem solving.
Team wrote a SMART Goal: Currently 50% of our
grade 5 students are scoring below proficient on
math word problem solving as measured by the
pretest. By the end of the 3-week instructional unit,
75% will score proficient or higher on math word
problem solving as measured by the post test.
Data Team Thinking
Analyze “Why?” and Select Instructional Strategies
Why is this? What can we try? (ETS)
Students know how; Homework and Practice
they are not fluent or Problem a Day in class for guided practice/
automatic Homework targeted to provide independent practice
Students don’t know Nonlinguistic Representation & Similarities and
the process Differences
Problem solving chart/Comparison matrix
Problems are various Providing Feedback
Looking at Student Work
They don’t know the Vocabulary Instruction
vocabulary Variety of ETS strategies, e.g., Nonlinguistic
Representations, Similarities and Differences, etc.
Similarities and Differences
Read the description of Similarities and
Differences.
Turn to a partner and briefly discuss why
similarities and differences are considered
the “core of all learning.”
Similarities and Differences
Let’s play the Similarities and Differences
online evolution game at:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/art
icle/0_0_0/similarity_hs_01
With a partner, discuss how such an
activity might support a student’s learning.
4 Types of
Similarities and Differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating Metaphors
Creating Analogies
4 Door Shutter Fold Foldable
Fold a piece of paper in half widthwise (like a
hamburger).
Open it up and fold each half in half so they meet in the
center – You now have a 2 Door Shutter Foldable
Fold the 2 Door Shutter in half widthwise (like a
hamburger).
Open it back up and cut or tear the shutters on the fold
line so you have 4 doors instead of 2.
Write Comparing, Classifying, Metaphors and Analogies
on the four shutters (tabs).
Use this 4 Door Shutter Fold Foldable to take notes
today.
Comparing
Turn to your neighbor/s and compare a
“table” to a “chair”.
What steps did you go through in order to
compare?
What did comparing require of you?
Comparing – Steps in the Process
1. Select the items
2. Describe the items (visually or linguistically)
3. Select the characteristic(s) of the items that
are most important for comparison
4. Explain how the items are similar and different
according to the selected characteristic(s)
OR PUT ANOTHER WAY…
Graphic Organizers for
Comparing
Comparison Matrix
Venn Diagram
Double Bubble
Others?
A Comparison Matrix is…
• A table that is used to describe items (things, people,
places, events, ideas, etc.) and to compare their
characteristics
• An effective analytic tool to simplify the process of
analysis.
• An organized way of thinking that allows users to
compare multiple characteristics of two or more items
If students haven't worked with a Comparison Matrix
before, the structure of the matrix should be as
unsophisticated as possible.
As students become more knowledgeable, you can add
more characteristics for a deeper comparison.
A Simple Comparison Matrix
How are they alike? How are they different?
Directions: Place a 'X' in the box to indicate if an item possesses that characteristic.
A Complex Comparison Matrix
Characteristics Item #1 Item #2
Similarities
Differences
Similarities
Differences
Similarities
Differences
Similarities
Differences
Here’s an example of a completed matrix:
http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_plastics/hands_on_plastics2/activities/abrasion_results.asp
Real World Applications of a
Comparison Matrix
Low Cost Laptop Cheat Sheet
Laptop Display Size
Price Processor Storage Webcam
What real world Name /Resolution
applications can you Asus EeePC $299 800 MHz 2GB 7 inches/ No
2G Intel SS 800 x 480
think of for a Surf Celer D
Comparison Matrix? (700) on-M
ULV
Turn to a partner 353
and discuss this. Asus EeePC $349.99 900 MHz 4GB 7 inches/ No
4G Intel SS 800 x 480
Surf Celer D
Any ideas? (701) on-M
ULV
353
Asus EeePC $399.99 900 MHz 4GB 7 inches/ 0.3 mega
How about this? 4G Intel
Celer
SS
D
800 x 480 pixels
on-M
ULV
353
Asus EeePC $499.99 900 MHz 8GB 7 inches/ 0.3 mega
8G Intel SS 800 x 480 pixels
Celer D
on-M
ULV
Venn Diagram
A Venn Diagram is a graphic organizer that uses circles to represent sets (or
items), with the position and overlap of the circles indicating the relationships
between the sets (or items). It was named after John Venn (1834–1923), British
logician. Venn Diagrams show how items relate to each other. Most of the "action"
is in the overlapping areas.
Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/venn-diagram
How to make a Three-Tab Venn
Diagram Book Foldable®*
1. Fold a piece of (8 ½ x 11”) paper in
half vertically (like a hotdog). If using
notebook paper, fold only to the margin.
2. With the paper horizontal and the fold
of the hotdog up, fold the right side
toward the center, trying to cover one
half of the paper. (Make a mark here,
but do not crease the paper.) Or, to
reinforce math skills, have the students
determine what the measurements
would be for dividing the page into 3
equal parts using a ruler.
3. Fold the left side over the right side to
make a book with three folds.
4. Open the folded book. Place your
hands between the two thicknesses of
paper and cut up or tear the two valleys A GetReal! Project
on one side only. This will form three http://getreal.wikispaces.com/
tabs.
5. Draw overlapping circles on the three *Foldables are 3D Graphic Organizers created
tabs to make a Venn Diagram. by Dinah Zike. www.dinah.com
Double Bubble
A 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
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
Create a Double Bubble
Middle Meatloaf
School
Sample Completed Double Bubble
Comparing
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.
Comparing Teaching Tips
Students can expand their creative thinking if you ask
them to compare two objects which seem very
dissimilar.(How is the President similar to and different from
a restaurant chef?)
How you use it depends on your purpose. For
example, if you wish for students to focus on specific
similarities and differences, the activity will be more
teacher-directed. If you wish to stimulate divergent
thinking, the activity would be more student-directed.
Other Ideas?
In small groups or with a partner, talk about
what you will be teaching in the next few
weeks and discuss:
How can you use comparing in your
classroom to teach the concepts that you
want your students to learn?
Jot down some ideas on your 4 Door
Foldable.
Classification
Classifying refers to sorting objects into
categories based on shared
characteristics.
Classifying depends on identifying the
similarities and differences between the
objects.
Share: When have you used classifying
as an instructional strategy?
Classification Activity
Sort the words on the next slide into
categories.
Discuss: What steps did you take to sort
the words? What did classifying require of
you?
tuna shark eagle whale
ostrich bat dog alligator
salmon dolphin penguin flying
squirrel
person sheep monkey robin
More Classifying Ideas
Ask students to classify objects in teacher directed
groups and then ask them to form new groups and
create new classifications.
Use classifying to preview, assess and tap into prior
knowledge before a unit.
Use classifying for vocabulary development.
Why is classification effective?
Look at the following letters for 10 seconds:
XIBMSATMTVPHDX
What do you remember?
How many letters did you remember?
All 14
Between 8 and 14
Less than 8
What strategy did you use to remember
the letters?
Look at them again.
XIBMSATMTVPHDX
Now what do you remember?
How many letters did you remember this time?
All 14
Between 8 and 14
Less than 8
Why did you remember more the second time?
What strategy did you use to remember the
letters?
Other Ideas?
In small groups or with a partner, talk about
what you will be teaching in the next few
weeks and discuss:
How can you use classifying in your
classroom to teach the concepts that you
want your students to learn?
Jot down some ideas on your 4 Door
Foldable.
What is a Metaphor?
Comparison involving similarity
metaphor simile
A similarity A similarity
between two between two
objects at an objects at an
abstract level. abstract level
using “like” or
Life is a “as.”
rollercoaster
Life is like a
rollercoaster
A simile is a type of metaphor because it is a comparison, but not all
metaphors are similes.
A Rose is…
Rose: The blossom is beautiful and
sweet to smell, but if you touch the thorns,
they can stick you.
Something is beautiful but it can
sometimes hurt! OUCH!
Love: Love makes you feel wonderful,
but you can get hurt.
Love is a rose.
Metaphors: Choose one of the
following and create a metaphor.
The water cycle is…
Writing a paragraph is….
Poetry is…
Differentiating instruction is…
Reading is….
Why are metaphors effective?
Think about when someone you were
learning from used a metaphor in their
teaching. Why was it effective?
Metaphor Teaching Tips
Use metaphors in your teaching to help connect to
background knowledge.
Give students open-ended metaphors to encourage
creative thinking.
Give students completed metaphors to explain and
evaluate.
Other Ideas?
In small groups or with a partner, talk about
what you will be teaching in the next few
weeks and discuss:
How can you use metaphors in your
classroom to teach the concepts that you
want your students to learn?
Jot down some ideas on your 4 Door
Foldable.
Analogy
An Analogy is a comparison between
related pairs.
A is to B as C is to D
A as C as
B D
Brace Map
A Sample Miller Analogy Test Item
PLANE : AIR :: CAR :
(a. motorcycle, b. engine, c. land, d. atmosphere)
Or put another way:
PLANE CAR
as
AIR
Who thinks the answer is…
a. motorcycle
b. engine
c. land
d. atmosphere
Turn to a partner and explain why you chose the letter that
you did.
The Answer
In this type of analogy, one term causes,
creates, provides, requires, uses, or in
some other way relies on the other term.
For this particular item, one term in each
pair of terms “travels on” the other. A
plane travels on air, just as a car travels
on land. PLANE CAR
as
AIR c. LAND
Source: http://pearsonassess.com/NR/rdonlyres/1A2076F6-2608-421F-8ECA-
EA884EBB9288/0/NAGAPPresentation2008.pdf
Create an Analogy
“I Have a Dream” was to the Civil Rights
Movement as
_____________ to _________________.
(historical event (movement)
or document)
In small groups, complete the analogy using another historical event or
document in the first blank and a movement in the second blank.
Analogy Teaching Tips
During Instructional Delivery:
-Use an analogous situation to explain difficult concepts using
more familiar terms. This helps students connect the known to
the unknown.
Ask students to generate analogies:
-Give them a partial analogy and ask them to generate another pair
-Ask them to come up with the analogy on their own
-Put word pairs into an envelope and ask students to randomly construct
analogies
-Ask students to defend their reasoning orally and in writing
Other Ideas?
In small groups or with a partner, talk about
what you will be teaching in the next few
weeks and discuss:
How can you use metaphors in your
classroom to teach the concepts that you
want your students to learn?
Jot down some ideas on your 4 Door
Foldable.
EDUCATION HUMOR – WORST
ANALOGIES USED IN ESSAYS
The following are from the winners of the "worst analogies
ever written in a high school essay" contest from
http://www.adprima.com/humor.htm:
Mary was as interested in Joey as she was in a two-day
old tuna sandwich left on the kitchen table, hidden by a
dishcloth. This perplexed Joey.
Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.
Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers
raced across the grassy field toward each other like two
freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m.
traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at
a speed of 35 mph.
Next Steps: Application to Data
Teams
At future meetings, brainstorm more ideas for
using comparing, classifying, analogies, and
metaphors across the curriculum.
Discuss with your Data Team members how
Similarities and Differences could be applied in
your classrooms.
Plan at least one lesson that incorporates
Similarities and Differences with your students.
For Next Time
Bring a sample of some student work
which used one of the types of
Similarities and Differences.
Thank You!