Comparing: is the process of identifying similarities and differences between or amongthings or ideas.

Classifying: is the process of grouping things that are alike into categories on the basisof their characteristics.

Creating metaphors: is the process of identifying a general or basic pattern in a specifictopic and then finding another topic that appears to be quite different but that has the samegeneral pattern.

Creating analogies: is the process of identifying relationships between pairs of concepts– inother words, identifying relationships between relationships.

TONY TRUONG KLPM

Teacher-Directed Task: Teachers choose elements/items of interest and ask students to categorize/compare them based on characteristics or relationship of the items.

Student-Directed Tasks: Students choose the elements/items of interest and categorize/compare them based on characteristics or relationship of the items.

Type of organizers used for the tasks:Comparison:

Venn Diagram and Comparison Matrix

Classifying:Venn Diagram, Table, and Bubble Chart

Metaphors:Comparison of two elements

Analogies:Fill in the blanks of the elements

Classifying

Comparison

TONY TRUONG KLPM

Metaphors

Analogies

TONY TRUONG KLPM

Statistics and Usefulness in a Math/Science Setting1. Presenting students with explicit guidance

in identifying similarities and differencesenhances students’ understanding of andability to use knowledge.

2. Asking students to independently identifysimilarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

3. Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbols form enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

4. Identification of similarities and differencescan be accomplished in a variety of ways.The identification of similarities and differencesis a highly robust activity.

TONY TRUONG KLPM