Compare/Contrast Matrix
According to page 70 of Dr. Mimi Miller and Nancy Veatch in their 2011 book entitled Literacy in Context (LinC): Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students Grades 5-12, "The rationale behind the Compare/Contrast Matrix Graphic Organizer is to help students extract details from the text and organize them into a logical chart to use later when they are studying or writing an essay. This graphic organizer is best suited to text that is full of details and requires the student to learn many facts about different people, places, or events."
According to a 2015 article written by Alliene Turner entitled, How to Compare & Contrast Matrix Graphic Organizers, "information is often placed in tables with rows and columns." Whenever a teacher wants students to see similarities or differences between two or more items the use of a compare contrast matrix may be beneficial. It can be utilized in all grade levels as lower grades may prefer to use pictures while the upper grades may use the terms and actual definitions and descriptions to compare and contrast. Common Core Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch. |
Video Examples
This Compare and Contrast lesson uses the compare and contrast strategy to allow students to discover the similarities and differences between two portraits of the same individual. The teacher offers a lot of answer reinforcement and encourages students to share in the comparison and contrast.
|
In this lesson students compare and contrast bears from the country and the city. The students participate frequently in the lesson and fill out the visual as a class.
|
Miller and Veatch's 2011 Guide to:
Creating a Compare/Contrast Matrix
1. Select an appropriately leveled text that covers the content needing to be taught and follows the text structure of either being compare/contrast or so detail-rich that using the matrix will help organize the information.
2. Create a graphic organizer, similar to that shown in Figure 4.11, with headings for the major concepts on the vertical and horizontal axes.
3. After activating and/or building background knowledge, read the text with students using vocabulary and fluency modeling strategies, and think aloud often to record details from the text in the appropriate places on the matrix.
4. As with other graphic organizers, gradually allow students to work in small groups and partners with guided practice until they are prepared to complete such a matrix independently.
2. Create a graphic organizer, similar to that shown in Figure 4.11, with headings for the major concepts on the vertical and horizontal axes.
3. After activating and/or building background knowledge, read the text with students using vocabulary and fluency modeling strategies, and think aloud often to record details from the text in the appropriate places on the matrix.
4. As with other graphic organizers, gradually allow students to work in small groups and partners with guided practice until they are prepared to complete such a matrix independently.
Examples
MS Poetry Lesson
- Descriptive Observations and Inferences 5th Grade Expository Text - Focuses on comparing and contrasting text structures within expository texts. |
Resources
Balanced Literacy Diet, The. (2011) Compare and Contrast: Using a Venn Diagram. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2nnitOOZw
Manning, Emily. (2015). Exploring Compare and Contrast Structure in Expository Texts. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-compare-contrast-structure-54.html
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. (2011). Compare & contrast, lesson for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKc3r5fmCQY
Turner, Alliene. (2015). How to compare & contrast matrix graphic organizers. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_7659162_compare-contrast-matrix-graphic-organizers.html
Teacher Channel. (2015). Analyzing poetry: Imagery & emotion. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/elementary-student-poetry-lesson-nea
Balanced Literacy Diet, The. (2011) Compare and Contrast: Using a Venn Diagram. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2nnitOOZw
Manning, Emily. (2015). Exploring Compare and Contrast Structure in Expository Texts. Retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploring-compare-contrast-structure-54.html
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. (2011). Compare & contrast, lesson for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKc3r5fmCQY
Turner, Alliene. (2015). How to compare & contrast matrix graphic organizers. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_7659162_compare-contrast-matrix-graphic-organizers.html
Teacher Channel. (2015). Analyzing poetry: Imagery & emotion. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/elementary-student-poetry-lesson-nea