COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Which graphic organizer can be used for compare and contrast?

• Timeline

• Venn Diagram

• Flowchart

• T-Chart

Tara and Laura like to go hiking. While Laura loved to bring her dog and walk the trail, Tara loved to bike. Both girls really enjoyed finding natural waterfalls to swim in. Tana and Laura also really loved eating fresh fruit along the trails. Tana loved the hike up, while Laura loved the trek down. In what ways can you compare the two girls?

• Tana and Laura both liked to bring their dogs on the trail.

• Tana and Laura both liked finding natural waterfalls to swim in.

• Tana and Laura both were scared to eat fruit along the trial.

• Tana loved the hike up, while Laura loved the trek back down.

Stella was born in Poland. She lived with her family in a small house near the Oder River. Both Stella's parents are teachers. Stella's friend Tim was born in Mexico. He likes to play soccer. Tim lived in a big house by the Rio Grande River. Tim's parents are doctors.What is different about Stella and Tim?

• Their parents have different jobs.

• They both live by water.

• Stella likes Tim.

• Tim likes Stella

Rain forests are filled with trees and plants. They are home to millions of animals. There are two main types of rain forests: temperate and tropical. Some tropical rain forests are near the equator. They are in South America, Africa and Australia. Some temperate rain forests are along the west coast of the United States and Canada. There are more trees in tropical rain forests that in temperate ones. Both get over 80 inches of rain a year. However, in tropical rain forests it is almost always raining. Temperate rain forests have wet and dry seasons. The soil of a tropical rain forest is very old. Temperate rain forests have soil that has more nutrients in it. What characteristics do both forests share?

• They are both near the equator.

• It is always raining in both forests.

• They get over 80 inches of rain a year.

• They have wet and dry seasons.

Frogs and toads can live in the water and on the land. They both catch food with long, sticky tongues. They eat insects and small animals. You can tell them apart by their bodies. Frogs have long, strong back legs and thin, moist skin. Toads have shorter back legs and drier skin. Name something the same about the two animals.

• They only live in the water.

• They can both live on land or water.

• They both have long back legs.

• They both make great pets.

Ice-cream is a delicious frozen treat that comes in a many different colors and flavors. Two of my favorite flavors are strawberry and chocolate. Though both of these flavors are delicious, strawberry may contain pieces of fruit while chocolate usually will not. Even though more chocolate ice-cream is sold across the country annually than strawberry, each flavor tastes great inside of a milk shake. What two things are being compared and contrasted?

• chocolate and strawberry ice cream

• vanilla and chocolate ice cream

• pizza and chips

• soda and water

Crocodiles and alligators are large, frightful-looking reptiles. They are classified as reptiles because they have tough, scaly skin and are cold-blooded. This means their body temperatures become warmer as the air temperature rises and colder as the air temperature falls. Both crocodiles and alligators bury their eggs in sand or mud until their babies hatch. Very young crocodiles and alligators eat worms and insects. Adults eat mammals and are even known to attack humans. Crocodiles and alligators swim by sweeping their tails from side to side in the water. Because they need air to breathe, the tips of their noses and their eyes can always be seen outside of the water. How can you tell a crocodile apart from an alligator? The main difference is that a crocodile has a narrow snout that comes to a point at the tip, and the fourth lower tooth is always visible even when the crocodile's mouth is closed. An alligator, on the other hand, has a broad, blunt snout. Its fourth lower tooth cannot be seen when the alligator's mouth is closed. Another difference between crocodiles and alligators is their habitat. Crocodiles are found near swamps, lakes and rivers in the tropical areas of Africa, Australia, Asia, Madagascar, and South America. Alligators are only found in two freshwater locations: The American Alligator can be found in the southeastern United States from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. The Chinese Alligator lives in the Yangtze River Valley in China. In addition, alligators are less aggressive and move more slowly than crocodiles. They are also not as large. Crocodiles are known to have grown as long as 23 feet. Alligators grow to be about 15 feet long.

• Crocodiles swim by moving their tail from side to side, and alligators keep their tails still.

• An alligator’s fourth lower tooth is always visible.

• Crocodiles have narrow snouts, but alligators have broad snouts.

• Alligators are brown, but crocodiles are green.

Sarah and Ruth are twins. They were born on the same day and look alike. However, Sarah and Ruth are very different people. Sarah is shy and quiet but Ruth is outgoing and loves talking to people. Sarah’s favorite school class is math, but Ruth’s favorite class is reading. The twins each have a pet. Sarah has a cat named Sally and Ruth has a pet bird named Polly. There are also more differences in the twins. Sarah’s favorite color is pink and Ruth’s favorite color is blue. Ruth likes to eat vegetables, but Sarah doesn’t like many vegetables. Also, Ruth’s favorite drink is fruit juice while Sarah’s favorite drink is milk. The twins look alike, but they are different on the inside and are best friends. Sarah and Ruth love each other very much. Both Sarah and Ruth...

• look alike.

• are shy and quiet.

• love the color purple.

• enjoy celebrating their birthday.

There are some similarities between the T.Rex and the Gigantosaurus. Both were meat-eaters. Both were saurischians, or "lizard-hipped" dinosaurs, as contrasted with "bird-lipped" dinosaurs. Each dinosaur was the dominant predator of its time and place. What is something they have in common?

• They were both bird-lipped dinosaurs.

• They were both plant eaters.

• both were dominant predators of their time.

• They were both small dinosaurs.

Next time you are thirsty, try drinking a glass of water instead of a soda. Although both will quench your thirst, soda is full of sugar and chemicals. Water, on the other hand, is a much healthier choice. Water helps your digestive system to function properly and keeps you immune system strong so you won't get sick. Which key words tell you this is organized as compare contrast?

• water instead of soda

• and, so

• on the other hand, although

• is a much healthier choice