I started this lesson by reading the book, "I am the Dog, I am the Cat" by Donald Hall. This book shows all kinds of similarities of dogs and cats by having the dog and cat tell about themselves. (Example: “I am the dog. I like bones. I like to bury bones. As for eating, I can take it or leave it – but I like it when they feed me.”) The next page is the cat talking telling similar things about itself.
Next students put the information about dogs and cats into a Comparison Matrix, to show the specific similarities and differences. As teams, the students chose the items to compare.
Then we took this strategy to the Civil War. (We didn’t do this until we had completed our Civil War Unit) As teams, students choose things to compare. These are possibilities but I did not limit them to the following items.
North/South Northerner/Southerner
Slave/free black black child/white child
Rebel soldier/Union soldier slave/master
Lincoln/Davis Grant/Lee
They started by filling out a Venn Diagram, listing as many similarities and differences as possible. Then they took this to a Comparison Matrix choosing the specific items to be compared.
Finally they wrote a story modeled after the book, I am the Dog, I am the Cat.
Reflection: I really liked this activity and although I used it with the Civil War, it could be used in any unit where comparisons are valid. The students seemed to be able to do this quite well because we started whole class and I guided them through identifying the similarities and differences in the book we read. (The book is great for this) Most of the students are very familiar with Venn Diagrams but it helped to start with a Comparison Matrix whole class using the dog and cat book.
I saw some great work and some deep thinking in this activity. Most of the students really enjoyed learning about the Civil War, so they were excited to use their knowledge and make the comparisons. I think it helped to give them some choice on what they could write about. I also think that it helped them to work in groups, but I would love to take this to an individual project comparing something else. (next year)
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Nancy, I love this! I did something similar while teaching Heredity. The students each had two different animals within the same family. Then they looked for different characteristics, foods they eat, social behavior etc.. and wrote them down on their individual graphic organizers. Then, they compared and found their similarities and differences using a Venn Diagram. Next they wrote up what they would each say separately and together. Finally, they presented in front of the class. "I am the Polar Bear." "I am the black bear." "We are both bears." It's a lot of fun and the students love it!!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I too love this strategy. I did this compare/contract using the venn diagram with my 8th graders. I had finished reading aloud The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins to them. I then read the short story "The Lottery" by
ReplyDeleteShirley Jackson. We then did the venn diagram activity and most students were excellent at making the comparisons. This helped them realize what they understood and what they didn't. Some very excellent stories became from this activity.