Compare and Contrast

Thousands of years ago the native people of North America had to build houses that fit their life. One kind of house was a tipi. The Plains people lived in tipis. Tipis were easy to put up and take down. In fact, it only took about half an hour to build a tipi. This was perfect for the Plains people who spent their time hunting and hunting animal. The Inuit, who lived in the cold Artic region, spent part of the year living in Igloos. Igloos were temporary homes like tipis. However, they were built for the cold winter months whereas a tipi could be used year round. Both tipis and igloos had one main room that the family lived in and were usually made for a single family. Tipis and igloos were made of very different materials. Igloos were made from blocks of snow stacked on top of each other, while tipis were made of buffalo hide, tree branches or grass. The shape of tipis and igloos were also different. Tipis were cone-shaped, using three or four poles for support, in contrast, igloos were dome-shaped.

How were tipis different from igloos?

• Tipis and igloos were dome-shaped

• Tipis were used by Native Americans, but igloos were used by the Native Inuit people.

• Tipis were used year round, but igloos were only used during the winter months.

• All of the above.

Refer to the passage about tipis and igloos. Choose how tipis and igloos are similar.

• Tipis and igloos had one main room that the family lived in and were usually made for a single family.

• Tipis and igloos were made of very different materials.

• Tipis were cone-shaped, using three or four poles for support, in contrast, igloos were dome-shaped.

• Tipis were easy to put up and take down.

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.

How do crocodiles and alligators look different?

• 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.

Refer to the article on crocodiles and alligators, choose how they are alike.

• An alligator, on the other hand, has a broad, blunt snout.

• They both bury their eggs in sand or mud until their babies hatch.

• They both live near swamps, lakes and rivers in the tropical areas.

• You can tell how alligators and crocodiles are alike by looking at their snouts.

The Twins Sarah and Ruth are twins. They were born on the same day and look alike. But Sarah and Ruth are very different people. Sarah is shy and quiet but Ruth is not shy and she 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 they are still 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

One difference between Sarah and Ruth is they...

• They share the same birthday.

• They have different kinds of pets.

• They like to play outside.

• They have have different kinds of birds

Spitting to Survive Spit keeps our mouths moist and softens our food when we chew. Without spit in our mouths, we would have a hard time talking. We would find it even harder to swallow. But for some animals, spit works better after it has left the mouth. Some animals are experts at surviving because they are expert spitters. Llamas are animals often found in petting zoos and farms. These animals seem to like their personal space. A llama that feels threatened or annoyed will spit slimy gobs at you to get you to leave it alone. Sometimes llamas even spit on each other to steal food! This trick usually works, because llama spit includes food from the llama’s stomach, and it can be quite smelly. When a llama spits on another animal, the animal usually loses its appetite and walks away, leaving its food behind. The archer fish is a very skilled spitter. This fish is like a submarine with a loaded weapon. It takes aim and spits jets of water at insects and other small creatures to knock them into the water. Then it gulps them down quickly. To create such a forceful stream of water, an archer fish closes its gills, and uses its tongue to form a tube in its mouth. Then the fish sticks its snout out of the water and aims. Aim! Launch! Lunch!

What is one way llamas and archer fish are alike?

• Both find it difficult to swallow without spit.

• Both spit to get food.

• Both live in the water.

• None of the above.

In contrast to archer fish, llamas...

• Use spit to knock small creatures into the water.

• Can have smelly spit.

• Spit powerful streams of water.

• None of the above.