Using Comparisons

For this week's reading (chapters 7 and 13), I must spend a little time here and talk about using comparisons to help students distinguish differences. As we grow older, instructors like to use graphic organizers such as the venn diagram to help illustrate the similarities and differences between two concepts or ideas. However, even for adults, I believe one of the best ways to learn about these similarities and differences is through the actual object(s).

The Velveteen Rabbit

Versus a real rabbit (which happens to be mine.) =]

In one of Koch's stories, the teacher wanted her students to learn more about living things and non-living things, so she read to them a story about a velveteen rabbit who magically became a real rabbit. She then brings out her own stuffed rabbit and asks students what's the difference between her stuffed rabbit and a real one. Students plunge into their prior knowledge about a real rabbit and throws out what they've noticed that were different, essentially, creating a verbal venn diagram. The fact that the teacher brought a stuffed rabbit for her class to see helped students identify the similarities and differences, a more effective method of classifying living and non-living things than just reading a textbook or facts on a piece of paper. 

She furthers this lesson with a real plant and a fake plant so students could, again, see, feel, and even smell the differences between the two. These inquiries leave the teacher with an idea of what students already know and what she could further develop with her lessons - a great way to pre-evaluate and pre-assess. (Chapter 13 talks more in depth about different forms of science assessments.)