Hey there! Today, we’re going to learn about something super fun called comparing and contrasting. It’s like being a detective and finding out how things are the same and how they are different. Ready to dive in?
Imagine you have two balls in front of you. One is a baseball, and the other is a tennis ball. What do you notice about them? Let’s see:
When we look for things that are the same, we are comparing. It’s like finding twins!
Now, let’s find out how these balls are different:
When we look for differences, we are contrasting. It’s like finding out what makes each one special!
Have you ever read two stories that reminded you of each other? Let’s try comparing and contrasting two stories: “Roller Coaster” and “The Performance.”
Gene and Hunter are in a long line for a roller coaster. Hunter is excited, but Gene is nervous. She pretends to be excited, but inside, she’s scared. She hopes she will be okay after the ride.
Jake and Rashad are about to perform in front of a big crowd. Rashad is nervous, and Jake is worried too. They think about backing out but decide to be brave because they want to win a prize to buy a studio.
Let’s find out how these stories are similar:
Now, let’s see how these stories are different:
Now that you know how to compare and contrast, you can try it with other stories or objects. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at it. Soon, you’ll be a pro at finding similarities and differences!
Hope you had fun learning with us! Keep exploring and discovering new things every day!
Compare and Contrast Nature Walk: Take a walk in your neighborhood or a nearby park with an adult. Find two different types of leaves or flowers. Look closely at them and write down or draw what you notice. How are they the same? How are they different? Share your findings with a friend or family member.
Story Detective: Choose two of your favorite storybooks. With the help of an adult, read them again and think about the main characters. How are the characters similar? How are they different? Draw a picture of each character and write one sentence about how they are alike and one sentence about how they are different.
Compare and Contrast Snack Time: During snack time, pick two different snacks, like an apple and a banana. Use your senses to compare and contrast them. How do they look, taste, and feel? Make a simple chart with two columns: one for similarities and one for differences. Share your chart with your family and see if they agree with your observations.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Laughs.
Comparing stories.
What do you notice about these two objects? Take a moment to name some of the things that they have in common.
Did you say that they are both round? What about that they are both used for sports? They also both have similar patterns on them. They are about the same size too.
When we compare two objects to each other, we are making comparisons. That simply means we are looking for ways that they are similar or the same.
This time, as you look at the two balls, list some of the ways they are different.
Did you say that they are different colors? What about that they are used for different sports—one for baseball and the other for tennis? How about their texture? The tennis ball is a bit rough while the baseball is mostly smooth.
The opposite of comparing is called contrasting. That’s when we look for the differences between objects.
When you look for the similarities and the differences between the tennis ball and the baseball, you used a method called comparing and contrasting. The term “compare and contrast” simply means to look for similarities and differences between two or more objects.
Do you have a best friend? What are some of the similarities that you and your best friend share? If you and your best friend are both girls, both have brown hair, and are both five feet tall, those are all similarities that most people can see.
But what about similarities that people can’t see? Those could be things like you both love funny movies, you both love ice cream, and you both love puppies.
When we make comparisons between things, we are looking for things that we can physically see, like both of you having brown hair, as well as things we can’t see, like both of you loving ice cream.
Have you ever read a story that reminds you of another story you’ve read? If so, did you make some comparisons in your mind about the two? Our minds love making comparisons. When things are similar, they feel familiar to us.
If you aren’t sure what it means to compare similar stories, it’s okay; you’re about to learn. It’s actually pretty simple. In fact, sometimes we might not even realize we’re doing it.
For example, if you’ve read the story “Cinderella” and also the story “Snow White,” you might have realized that there are a lot of similarities between them. For example, both girls have stepmoms who were cruel, both of their fathers passed away, and both girls end up falling in love with a prince.
That’s how easy it is to compare similar stories. Now that you know how it’s done, let’s give you a chance to try it out.
As you listen to these two stories, look for similarities and differences between the characters, settings, and main ideas.
Story 1 is called “Roller Coaster.” Gene and Hunter were standing in a long line, hopping excitedly. Well, Hunter was hopping excitedly; Gene was only pretending to be excited to hide how nervous she was. Hunter pointed to the sky where, above them, people were screaming.
“Wow, they must be going a hundred miles per hour! I can’t wait to ride that!”
Yeah, Gene said quietly. She felt faint. She didn’t want to let her best friend down, but she was really scared.
“I wish this long line would move faster,” Hunter said eagerly.
“I wish it would go on forever,” thought Gene.
Another whooshing sound, as well as more screams, echoed loudly overhead. Gene swallowed. Today she would go on her first roller coaster ride ever. She just hoped she was alive at the end of it.
Ready for story two? This one is called “The Performance.”
Jake and Rashad stood in the crowded auditorium.
“I didn’t know so many people were going to be watching us,” whispered Rashad.
“I know,” Jake whispered back. “I thought the auditions would happen behind the curtain or something.”
“We could back out,” Rashad suggested hopefully.
Jake shook his head. “No, we have to do it. Everyone says we’re so good.”
Rashad tried to put aside his stage fright. “But we’ve only performed for small groups and for family and friends, and this—this might be on TV.”
Jake’s stomach twisted in worry at what Rashad had said.
“We can leave if you want,” he said.
“Honestly, I kind of want to, but I also keep thinking that this might be our one shot to win ten thousand dollars,” Jake continued, “and we could use that money as a down payment for our very own studio.”
Rashad nodded. “Man, that would be so awesome.”
Jake was right; they had to do this. They were both scared to sing in front of hundreds of people, but they were more afraid of missing out on this once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Okay, are you ready to compare and contrast these two stories?
Let’s start with the characters. What similarities did you notice between the characters in both stories?
How about we start with this simple comparison: were the two characters in both stories friends? And were people in both stories scared?
What are some other comparisons that you thought of? Did both stories have characters who were doing something they had never done before? Jake and Rashad had never performed for a large audience, and Gene and Hunter hadn’t been on the roller coaster before.
But were the characters in both stories brave too? Did any of the characters in either story decide to back out of their situation? They didn’t, did they? Even though they were scared, they decided to be brave and face their fears. Overcoming fear and being brave even when you don’t want to be could also be the main idea of both stories.
Sometimes the similarities in a story might not be obvious. That’s when different clues in each story can help you find the similarities between them.
As we compare the settings of both stories, listen for clues that could help you see how they are similar. The setting is where the story takes place.
In “The Performance,” did you get the feeling that the auditorium was really crowded? What about in “Roller Coaster”? Our amusement parks are usually pretty crowded too.
Even though neither story said it was crowded, they both gave us clues that it was. Like in “The Performance,” when Rashad said that he didn’t know so many people were going to be watching them, and when he also said that they were used to performing for small crowds. Those clues let us know that there were probably a lot of people there.
In “Roller Coaster,” Hunter wishes the line would move faster, and he also says that it’s long. That lets us know that there are probably a lot of people waiting in it.
So a crowded place is something both stories have in common. Also, the characters in both stories are waiting in line for their turn.
Now let’s look at some of the differences in the two stories, or how they contrast. In “The Performance,” both characters were nervous, but in “Roller Coaster,” it was Gene who was scared.
In “The Performance,” the boys were trying to win money to buy a studio, but in “Roller Coaster,” Gene was trying to survive.
Great job comparing and contrasting those two stories! Remember, the more you practice comparing similar stories, the better you will get at it, and soon you will be a pro in no time.
Hope you had fun learning with us! Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
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