csi_strategies.pub

Page 16 DVHS Continuous School Improvement Purpose: Improve Reading & Writing Skills GOAL #1/#2 Strategy: Core Six: Comparison/Contrast Phase One Phase one—Comparison/Contrast Description Organizer Template Phase Two Phase Two—Comparison/Contrast Top Hat Organizer Students often want to jump ahead to the comparison without fully understanding the two subjects they are comparing. Providing criteria slows them down and allows them to understand closely the subjects being compared. Provide clear criteria to focus student description. Remind students that their job is to describe each item separately according to the criteria you provide, not to compare them. For example: If students were asked to compare volume (subject 1) and surface area (subject 2), they would first begin by describing each concept according to topics (criteria). The criteria you provide might be: Definition, How it ’ s calculated, How it ’ s expressed (units), When it ’ s used, What it describes (provide examples).