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The ability to compare and contrast works effectively has always been a staple of academic argument. Initially, most students learn to compare and contrast in the style of a Venn diagram (see the preceding chapter on argument), isolating similarities and differences in two ideas, texts, or objects. But a sophisticated comparison requires more nuance; it demands that we organize and look for subtleties in differences and qualify similarities. As a result, strong compare/contrast exercises can prompt very deep thinking and lively discussion.

Underlying Skills:

 Recognize similarities and differences. Sometimes, similarities and differences are obvious to students (how one school dress code differs from another), but content-specific comparisons may require discussion and practice (how does the process of passing a law differ in the United States and United Kingdom?).

 Organize. Is it better to present one side and then the other or to examine each point through multiple lenses? What about how to organize similarities or difference into categories and groups? Students need guidance and practice in organizational decisions.

 Transition smoothly. A balanced compare/contrast paper or presentation requires the careful use of transitional words and phrases.

Compare/Contrast: identify similarities or differences between two or more items in order to understand how they are alike, equal, or analogous to each other

Core Connections

 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take (R9)

 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style (RL5)

 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (RL7)

 Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities (NGSS, MS-LS4–3)