Activity Description
Title: Fiction - - Compare-Contrast Themes/Topics/Events in Texts fr Different Cultures
This ACTIVITY has a set of teaching-learning strategies proven to increase student mastery of the critical compare and contrast standard - - seeing likenesses and differences in the story elements of two texts from different cultures. The focus is to help students see how to make parallel comparisons - - not merely call out brainstormed details. It wraps together prior Grade 4 standards involving explicit details, point of view, and illustrations. Students display these comparisons in graphics that are lead-ups to the Venn Diagram. The details of these comparisons are also the basis for Quick-Writes. This Activity provides sample graphic displays and texts for students to practice and self-correct. [ At Grades K-5, each Activity attaches student-sized texts, templates, and test items that teachers can quickly print and use immediately in class.]
Enabling Skills: For this Activity, students should bring (a) the ability to see likenesses and differences between texts; and (b) the awareness of literary elements from the prior RL standards, 1-7 (characters, setting details, plot events, language). There is no RL X.8 standard.
Direct Instruction: Suggested teaching strategies are given that model for students what they need to do to begin their journey toward mastery. These strategies include keeping the points of comparisons parallel - - not just random brainstorms. Simple fairy tales are provided - - with blank graphics - - for authentic practice, requiring students to do the comparing and demonstrate they can construct meaning for themselves.
Quick-Writes: Standards-based writing prompts are provided that require students to document that they have internalized the core ideas of the standard(s) and can show independent mastery. In this Activity, the Quick-Writes ask students to (a) identify their “take aways” from texts; (b) the advice they would give to a character; (c) a lesson to be learned from the text; (d) a written description of how two texts are alike and different, and (e) how could each text be extended.
High-Stakes Look-Alike Assessments: At Grades 3-8, the Activities include two tests - - one for practice - - followed by classroom analysis of errors made - - and the second test to determine mastery. The test items are constructed to look exactly like those items students will encounter on their High-Stakes Tests, including the “matrix.” This test item format poses the two titles across the top, plus a column that says BOTH, and it lists mixed details from the texts down the left side. Students are asked to check ( P ) which detail is found in which story - - or in both stories.
CUSTOMER: Thanks for considering this Activity as part of your approach to your state’s ELA standards. If you have any comments as to how it worked - - or didn’t! - - we’d welcome them! See the contact information to send us feedback. - - the EdFOCUS Team
This teaching activity comes with one hour of online instruction and guidance from a trained EdFOCUS professional. You will be contacted shortly after purchase with more details.