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The purpose of this lesson is to help children use comparison and contrasting skills in order to improve critical thinking skills.
Our brains use comparing and contrasting skills to think critically. Comparing and contrasting helps us to see similarities and differences in things. These skills are important in helping us learn to read, make scientific observations, and make good decisions. When we can learn to compare and contrast, we are learning important skills that can help us be our best superstar selves.
Activity 1: (10 minutes) LESSON INTRODUCTION: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Review the Pyramid of Happiness poster. Review the fourth and fifth level of the pyramid and perform that action (strike a superhero pose and star-jump with arms and legs spread out wide). Make the connection that using comparing and contrasting skills helps us to develop critical thinking skills which leads to a happier and healthier life. This makes us the best version of ourselves! Remind students about the actions associated with each level of the pyramid.
Have a discussion:
When we can begin to see how things are similar we are comparing. When we can begin to see how things are different we are contrasting. Our brains use both of these skills to think about things. Comparing and contrasting is one of the amazing things our brains can do. It helps us sort, organize and remember things. It helps us learn to recognize shapes, letters and numbers. It helps us learn to read, do puzzles and explore. It helps us make sense of things.
Have all the children stand up. Choose a characteristic from the list below, or create your own. If the child identifies or is similar to that characteristic, then they stay put. If they are different, then they should move to the other side of the classroom. After each item, help the children compare and contrast the two groups by identifying things that are similar or different between the groups, and within the groups. How are we different even when we are similar? How are we similar even when we are different?
Activity 2: (15 minutes) COMPARE AND CONTRAST
What does it mean to compare and contrast? Comparing is when we find things that are similar or the same. Contrasting is when we find things that are different.
Using a copy of the Venn diagram, write “cereal” at the top of the page. Write the name of one cereal and attach a piece of cereal with glue in the circle on the left, and do the same with the other cereal in the circle on the right.
Give each child a Venn diagram and a small cup with 2 different kinds of cereal. Have them separate the cereal into 2 piles, putting all of one kind of cereal on the circle on the left, and all of the other kind in the circle on the right.
Ask the children how they sorted the cereal. What was the same or different about each cereal that helped them decide which cereal went into which circle? Write down the children’s ideas about what is the same about the two cereals in the middle of the Venn diagram, and what is different for each cereal in their respective circles.
Activity 3: (15 minutes) SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT-READ ALOUD
Read Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, or watch the read-aloud video by Megan Corlis. Have a discussion about things that were the same and things that were different in the book:
Activity 4: (15 minutes) COMPARE AND CONTRAST CARDS
Comparing and contrasting helps us determine what’s most important to us. This is called a priority. Our brains can create priorities when we know how to compare and contrast things.
Choose one of the Compare and Contrast cards. Have the class practice comparing the two items on the cards. Make a T-chart on the board or on a piece of paper. On one side of the T-chart, list things that are similar about the two items. On the other side of the list write things that are different about the two items. Review the list and have the children vote on which item they would choose. Remind the children that when we choose one thing over another, it is our priority. Would one item be a better choice all of the time, or would the things that are similar or different have a different priority at different times? Repeat with another card.
Activity 5: (10 minutes) COMPARE/CONTRAST SCAVENGER HUNT
Give each child a tool that they can use to carry items such as tongs, spoons, measuring cups, etc. On your command, students will go and find an item from one of the categories listed below. The children should use the tool to help them carry the item they find back to the group. Have them share the item they found with a partner. Have them identify all the things that are similar about the items, and all the things that are different. Invite each partnership to share about what they found and why they chose that particular item. Have them trade tools and repeat the activity with a new category and a new partner.
Find an item that is:
In addition to the items, have them compare the tools they are using. Which one is the best at carrying heavy objects? Which one is the easiest tool to use?
Extend the activity by having the children find objects that meet 2 different criteria such as round and furry, or blue and small or by having the children select random objects and sort them by size, color, texture, shape, etc.
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