Literature examples of Comparison think-sheets. Story TitleAuthor Event Synectics © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com Name: An event that happened

Literature examples of Comparison think-sheets

Character SyneticsStory Title Author© 2002 Edwin Ellis GraphicOrganizers.com

Characterfrom Story

IS LIKE (or NOT LIKE)this real-life person In these ways ...

How they treat others or are treated by others

Possible ways they are alike to consider ...What they like (or don’t like)

How others treat them Where they live

Cultural backgrounds Family related thingsAppearance

Good or bad experiences

You may address some of these ways they are alike of think of other ways Problems or challenges they faceHow they act

Story Title Author

Event Synectics© 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Name:

An event that happened in the story Is similar to this real-life event … Because …

Another event that happened in the story Is similar to this real-life event … Because …

Event Synetics © 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

An event that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life event ... In these ways ...

Another event that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life event ... In these ways ...

Hansel & Grethel

Hansel sticks a bone out of his cell & makes the witch think it’s his finger

Pretending to be sickso you don’t have todo your chores

Tricks someone so you can avoid doing something you don’t want to do

Hansel gets the witch to look in the oven so he can push her in

The Minute Men hiding in the woodswaiting to ambush the British when they get closer

Both get a stronger enemy to move to a place where you can beat them

folk tale so author is unknown

Event Syntectics

Experience Synectics© 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Name:

Story Title Author

Something that happened in the story Is similar to this real-life experience … Because …

Something that happened in the story Is similar to this real-life experience … Because …

Experience Synetic © 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Something that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life experience... In these ways ...

Something else that happened in the story ... Is similar to this real-life experience ... In these ways ...

Gingerbread Man

Gingerbread Man bragging about how fast he is

Ronnie Smith trash-talking during a basketball game

Bragging about self while putting others down

Wolf tricking Gingerbread Man to ride on his head when crossing the river

Other team getting a bunch of fouls trying to show Ronnie he’s not so tough

Tricking others so you can beat (or eat!) them

Experience Syntectics

In these ways …

Characters Synectics© 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Name:

Character from the story

Is like (not like) this real-life person

Possible ways to consider how they are alike or not alike …Appearance What they like (or don’t like) How they treat othersProblems or challenges they face Cultural background Good/bad experiencesHow others treat them How they act How they live

You may address some of the ways listed above or think of other ways they are alike or not alike …

Story Title Author

Character SyneticsStory Title Author© 2002 Edwin Ellis GraphicOrganizers.com

Characterfrom Story

IS LIKE (or NOT LIKE)this real-life person

Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter

In these ways ...

Peter Rabbit

Flopsy

Mopsy

Cot ton-tail

Mrs. RabbitOld

Mr. McGregor

like me We both like to explore and take chances. We both get in trouble a lot.

like Marie Both are kind of “goodie-goodie.”

not likeKana

Cottontail seems like an air-head. Kana’s pretty smart

like Fred Both just seem to follow along and do what ever everyone else is doing

not likemy mom

Mrs. Rabbit worries a lot. My mom never worries about me.

like & unlike Gramps

Gramps likes to work in his garden too, but he’s always nice.

How they treat others or are treated by others

Possible ways they are alike to consider ...What they like (or don’t like)

How others treat them

Where they live

Cultural backgrounds Family related things

Appearance


You may address some of these ways they are alike of think of other ways Problems or challenges they faceHow they act

Character Syntectics

Real-life Synectic (simple)© 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Name:

An event from the story

Is like (not like) this real-life event or experience

In these ways …

Story Title Author

Story Author

An event or experience that happened in the story...

Is similar to (or different from) this real-life event or experience...

In these ways...

Like real life (simple) © 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Wilfrid Gordon Mem Fox

Wilfrid worries about Miss Nancy losing her memory. He finds objects in his house to help her to remember events in her life.

My neighbor, Miss Rose, is an old person who gets me to help put her name on all her belongings. Then she tells me stories about her life.

Miss Nancy listens to Wilfrid’s secrets and Miss Rose listens to my secrets.

Miss Nancy shares stories with Wilfrid about her childhood, and Miss Rose shares stories with me about her childhood in Alabama.

McDonald Partridge

Story TitleCharacter Synectics© 2003Edwin EllisGraphicorganizers.com

Name:

Character from the story

Is like (not like) this real-life person

In these ways …

Possible ways to consider how they are alike or not alike …

Appearance What they like (or don’t like)

How they treat others Cultural background

How others treat them How they act

Good/bad experiences How they live

Problems or challenges they face

You may address some of the ways listed above or think of other ways they are alike or not alike …

Author

Character SyneticsStory Title Author

© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Characterfrom Story

In these ways...

IS LIKE (or NOT LIKE)this real-life person

How they treat others

Possible ways to consider how they are alike:

What they like (or don’t like)

How others treat them

Where they live What they do for fun or work

Cultural backgrounds

How they act

Appearance


You may address some of these ways they are alike or think of other ways.

Problems or challenges they face

Because of Winn Dixie Kate DiCamillo

India Opal BuloniMy neighbor, Lori Bishop

Lori and Opal are being raised by their fathers, and sometimes they seem to lack a mother’s touch. They do not seem to do girl things such as shopping, flirting with boys, or worrying about how they look.

Both Lori and Opal are pretty nice to everyone, even the nerdy types, or stuck up people like Amanda Wilkinson.They act a little tomboyish or like girls who seem a little mean or misunderstood.

Lori, Opal, and I live in a neighborhood that is not as nice as most of the people who live in the community.

Lori’s dad is a salesman and he has to make a sale in order to pay the bills. Opal’s dad is a preacher and he has to sell the idea of religion in order to pay their bills.

Lori and Opal are loved by their daddies. Their father’s would give up everything for their daughters.

Neither know a lot about their mothers, and their father’s are not willing to talk about them.

Character Syntectics

is about ...

So what? What is important to understand about this?

Categories

VS

2X3 Comparison© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Name

is about ...


Categories

VS


Name

Fantasy stories passes from generation to generation

FAIRY TALES

SNOW WHITE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Evil person

Caring friends

How heroine is saved

Evil witch who is mad because she wasn’t invited to princess’ first birthday party

Evil queen is jealous of Snow White’s beauty & wants to kill her so she will be the most beautiful

Woodsman fakes Snow’s murder.Seven dwarfs who live together invite her to live with them.

Fairies provide gifts in the hope that they will save Beauty from the witch’s evil spell.

Snow bites poison apple -she falls into endless sleep. Handsome prince kisses her to wake her up.

Beauty pricks finger and falls into endless sleep. Prince Charming kisses her to wake her up

Same basic plot - beautiful young woman attacked by evil older woman. Friends try to help, but eventually fail. Handsome kisses young woman to break the “big sleep” spell


Categories

VS

is about ...

© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.graphicorganizers.com


Categories

VS


The Red PonySymbols in Steinbeck’s The Red Pony

“Old green water tub” at the brush line

“great black kettle” at the cypress tree

Images evoked

Feelings which surface

“opposites & enemies”

opposing sides of nature

The water tub offers cool, refreshing water to drink

Solace is offered by the “singing water” & “purling stream” when Jody has been punished. The “biting acid of meanness” leaves him at the brush line.

Represents the good, peaceful side of Jody’s personality

Represents the nurturing side of nature. Represents life

The kettle is used for the scalding of pigs when they have been butchered.

The kettle and cypress tree are repulsive. Slaughtering pigs is fascinating, but it also made Jody’s heart beat so fast that it hurt him.

Represents the evil, turbulent side of Jody’s personality.

Represents adversarial side of nature. Represents death.

Steinbeck uses everyday objects as symbols that represent what he thinks are “basic truths” about life.

lesson by Gail Lewis

Comparing Stories© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Characters

Setting

Plot

Ending

Which story was best? Why?

Story #1 Story #2

Name

Characters

Setting

Plot

Ending


Story #1 Story #2

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

Mrs. Rabbit, Mr. McGregor,Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail,

Old Mr. Bunny, the cat,Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny

Mr. McGregor’s garden Tool shed near Mr. McGregor’s garden

Peter sneaks under fence into Mr. McG’s garden. He eats too much and can’t escape under the fence.

Peter has to take his fancy new clothes off to escape. Mr. McG puts his clothes on a scarecrow.

Benjamin & Peter hide under a basket from the cat, who sits on the basket for 5 HOURS!

Old Mr. Rabbit scares the cat away. Peter and Benjamin get spanked and are made to work in Mr. McG’s garden.

Tale of Peter Rabbit was best because it was more exciting. I liked the part about Peter having to leave his new clothes behind and Mr. McGregor putting them on a scarecrow. That was funny.


is about ...


Categories

VS


The Red PonySymbols in Steinbeck’s The Red Pony

“Old green water tub” at the brush line

“great black kettle” at the cypress tree

Images evoked

Feelings which surface

“opposites & enemies”

opposing sides of nature

The water tub offers cool, refreshing water to drink

Solace is offered by the “singing water” and “purling stream” when Jody has been punished. The “biting acid of meanness” leaves him at the brush line.

Represents the good, peaceful side of Jody’s personality

Represents the nurturing side of nature. Represents life

The kettle is used for the scalding of pigs when they have been butchered.

The kettle and cypress tree are repulsive. Slaughtering pigs is fascinating, but it also made Jody’s heart beat so fast that it hurt him.

Represents the evil, turbulent side of Jody’s personality.

Represents adversarial side of nature. Represents death.

Steinbeck uses everyday objects as symbols that represent what he thinks are “basic truths” about life.

lesson by Gail Lewis

Characters

Setting

Plot

Ending


Story #1 Story #2

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny

Mrs. Rabbit, Mr. McGregor,Peter, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail,

Old Mr. Bunny, the cat,Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny

Mr. McGregor’s garden Tool shed near Mr. McGregor’s garden

Peter sneaks under fence into Mr. McG’s garden. He eats too much and can’t escape under the fence.

Peter has to take his fancy new clothes off to escape. Mr. McG puts his clothes on a scarecrow.

Benjamin & Peter hide under a basket from the cat, who sits on the basket for 5 HOURS!

Old Mr. Rabbit scares the cat away. Peter and Benjamin get spanked and are made to work in Mr. McG’s garden.

Tale of Peter Rabbit was best because it was more exciting. I liked the part about Peter having to leave his new clothes behind and Mr. McGregor putting them on a scarecrow. That was funny.


2X3 Similarities and Differences© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com


CategoriesSimilarities

is about...

DifferencesDifferences

VS

Name




is about...


VS

Name Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare contrasts idealism (Benvolio) with realism (Mercutio).

A tragedy by William Shakespeare

BENVOLIO MERCUTIO

BACKGROUND

TREATMENT OF OTHERS

Calm, thoughtfullevelheaded, objective assessment of situations;tries to harmonize during fights

Benevolent; careful never to hurt people’s feelings

Romeo’s friends; from prestigious Verona familiesSingle men

Montague’s nephewSurvives the feud

Make fun of Romeo’s love moods

Loyal

Slain in middle of play

Mercurial, impulsivefiery, easily angered;subjective assessment of situations due to his temperament

Willingly provokes fights;sometimes hurts people with his sharp tongue.

PERSONALITY




is about...


VS

Name

2X4 Similarities & Differences© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com



is about...


VS

The Beales and Pickwells were similar in their beliefs about dignity and fairness toward others. Their attitudes and generosity gave them a sense of colorlessness regarding race.

Maniac Magee

Two families who represent the best of their race

The Beales The Pickwells

Race

Family structure

African-American East-Enders of Two Mill

Did not judge people by the color of their skin

White East-Enders of Two Mills

Treatment of others

mother, father, 2 daughters, 1 son

Close family ties - strong commitment to family

mother, father, 10 children, grandmother, grandfather

Welcomed Maniac into their home and treated him like a son

Although they did not have a lot of material wealth, they were willing to share with others

Welcomed Maniac and numerous strangers who were down on luck into their homes

Role in the story

The Beales' home was a place Maniac could always return to with no questions asked

These families represent humanity at its best, free from prejudice

The Pickwells never refused Maniac a meal, or questioned him

2X6 Similarities & Differences© 2002 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com



is about ...


VS

Annie and the Old One

a story about a Navajo girl and her grandmother

Annie Annie’s grandmother

Physical appearance

Characteristics

Weaving

Home

Stories

View of death

Young girl who kept her hair loose

Curious and full of questions

Lived in a hogan - home built logs, sticks and mud

Liked to listen to her grandmother’s stories

Did not know how to weave, but wanted to learn

Confused and fearful about death

Both are NavajoWore homemade clothes

Both are very spiritualBoth enjoy outdoors

Lived together Both helped at home

Stories were used to teach Navajo children

Weaving is an important activity of Navajo women

Both know death is real

An old woman who keeps her hair pulled back in a bun.

Wise and insightful

Viewed death as a natural past of the life cycle -- did not fear it

She could create beautiful baskets; she was an artist!

Told stories to teach her granddaughter important lessons about life

Even though Annie and her grandmother are very different in age and they are at different places in their life, they share many similarities.

Lived in a hogan - home built logs, sticks and mud

by Patricia Miles Martin

What is important to understand about this?

So what?Main ideas

What is this whole thing about?

SPARTA ATHENS

Different communities & life styles in Ancient Greece

Goals for Polis

Economics

Views on new ideas

How women treated

Government

Role of the arts

© 2002 Edwin S. Ellis graphicorganizers.com

Team-topic reading

• The following is a compare/contrast frame use during a 6th grade social studies class.

• The class was divided into groups of 4 students each.

• Although everyone read the same passage, each group was assigned a different topic (or main idea) about which to find essential information from that passage.

• Later, each group shared results with the class as the teacher modeled note taking

Features Analysis© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Topics/Categories

Features

= always

= sometimes

= never

+

Name

Features Analysis© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Topics/Categories

Features

Novel

Short Story

Poetry

Lyric

Drama

Tragedy

Comedy

Satire

Essay

Literary Forms

++

+

++

+

++

++

+

++

+

++

+

++

+ ++ +

++ +

++

+

+

+ +

= always

= sometimes

= never

+

Matrix© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com Name

Matrix© 2003 Edwin Ellis www.GraphicOrganizers.com

Shakespeare’s Plays

Plot structure

Idealismvs.

realism

Social message

Role offate

Role ofhero or heroine

Romeo and Juliet Macbeth Merchant of Venice

(comedy)(tragedy) (tragedy)CONCLUSIONS

Son and daughter of feuding families secretly marry; fate conspires against them

Macbeth kills Duncan, grows stronger & more ruthless; his wife, stronger in beginning, grows weaker

Parallel stories about love, father/daughter,father/son, lovers

Love triumphs in end

Benvolio vs. Mercutio not really evident Bassanio vs. Grantiano

Shakespeare mirrors this issue in some of his plays.

The three plots are exciting; Shakespeare knows how to keep his audience interested throughout his plays.

A senseless feud carried too far will destroy our what we love most- family members

Too much ambition is punished with death

There is merit in love and friendship. Vices (usury) should andwill be punished

All of Shakespeare’s plays contain social messages about how to (or not to) live life.

Romeo and Juliet are trapped in the middle of a family feud. They try to fight destiny, but it is too powerful.

Macbeth brings destruction to himself due to his overriding ambition.

The “good” characters achieve their goals in the end.

Males-noble qualities, at least at first. The heroines are determined and usually get what they want in the end.

Fate plays tricks on the protagonists. It’s too powerful for them to modify it. Some dreams are prophetic.

The hero shapes his destiny by forcing the prophecies to be fulfilled.

Fate is manifested via image of witches. There are prophecies and dreams.

Fate either helps or thwarts the hero’s/heroine’s plans

Story AuthorLike real life© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com

This event or experience in the story...

Because they both involve...

Is NOT like this real-life event or experience ...


Because this one involves...

Is LIKE this real-life event or experience...

Is different because this one involves...

Name

Story AuthorLike real-life© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com


Because they both involve...

Is NOT like this real-life event or experience...


Because this one involves...

Is LIKE this real-life event or experience...

Is different because this one involves...

You anticipate having a really good time and hearing great music. You’re NOT prepared to be disappointed , so if the concert is bad, it can ruin the whole experience.

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

Marlow's search for Kurtz

Search for a lost parent or child

Marlow's discovery of Kurtz

Going to a really bad concert

Both involve an incredible amount of hope that the search will be successful, as well as fear that the search will not be successful.

Both involve ever-growing expectations as clues slowly emerge from many sources.

Marlow anticipates finding Kurtz, but IS prepared to be disappointed, so he’s psyched up for it and ready to deal with the disappointment if it happens.

This part of the story...

Might SEEM LIKE this real-life event...

Because both...

However, they are actually quite DIFFERENT and shouldn’t be confused because:

Story AuthorSeems like real life, but...© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com


This event involves...

While this event involves...

Name

This part of the story...

Might SEEM LIKE this real-life event...

Because both...

However, they are actually quite DIFFERENT and shouldn’t be confused because:

Story AuthorSeems like real life, but...© 2003 Edwin Elliswww.GraphicOrganizers.com


This event involves...

While this event involves...

unknown (folk tale)Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack steals the goose that lays golden eggs, climbs down the beanstalk and cuts it down, killing the giant

Saddam sending Iranian troops to invade Kuwait to steal their treasure and oil wells

Involve greedy people willing to kill others in order to get treasure they want. Have no respect for others’ life or property.

One-on-one conflict. One person wins, the other loses, and nobody else is really affected (except maybe Jack’s mom).

Conflict affected tens of thousands of people. Many in Kuwait lost their homes and fortunes, thousands of Iranian soldiers were killed by U.S., and world peace was threatened.

Jack and Saddam displayed the same unethical behavior . Although Saddam’s adventure affected thousands of people, the Giant was probably no less concerned or less hurt as any individual from Kuwait!

Documents

Literature examples of Comparison think-sheets. Story TitleAuthor Event Synectics © 2003 Edwin Ellis Graphicorganizers.com Name: An event that happened