Compare/Contrast

Select the word that means

to explain how something is different from something else

• compare

• contrast

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Select the word that means

to explain how something is similar to something else

• compare

• contrast

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Read the following passages

Ballet began as a social dance. That means that it started as a way for people to spend time with one another and connect, not perform for an audience. Some of the first ballet dancers were upper class French people who lived in the 1500s and who danced ballets to entertain themselves and their friends.

​

Salsa is a type of dance that began in New York City in the 1970s. Salsa began as a social dance. Salsa comes from some Cuban dances like the cha-cha and also uses movements from Afro-Caribbean dances. Salsa is danced to Salsa music.

​

According to the text above, how are ballet and salsa similar?

• They both came from Cuban dances.

• They both began as social dances.

• They are both styles of dance that began in the 1500s.

• They are both danced only by upper class French people.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Essay prompts often ask you to compare and contrast two or more items. Before you start writing, remember to pre-write, or organize your ideas and make a plan for the essay.

Which of the following contrasts Earth and Mars?

• Mars is often called “the red planet” because the soil on mars contains rust. This dust enters Mars’ atmosphere, making the whole planet appear red.

• Mars is home to the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. It is 88,000 feet high and is no longer active.

• A year on Mars is twice as long as a year on Earth. This means that a summer on Mars lasts twice as long as the season does on planet Earth.

• A day on both Mars and Earth lasts about 24 hours. In addition, both of their atmospheres contain carbon dioxide gas.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Read the following passage.

It’s easy to confuse plateaus, mesas and buttes because they are all similar landforms. Plateaus, mesas and buttes are all broad, high landforms with steep sides and flat tops. However, mesas are smaller than plateaus. Buttes are smaller than mesas. The largest plateau in the world is the Tibetan Plateau. It has an area of 965,000 square miles.

In the passage above, what is the purpose of the sentence "Plateaus, mesas and buttes are all broad, high landforms with steep sides and flat tops"?

• It contrasts plateaus, mesas and buttes.

• It provides an example of how plateaus, mesas and buttes are similar.

• It explains why mesas have been studied more than plateaus.

• It gives an example of a specific plateau.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Sometimes a writing prompt may not contain the words “compare and contrast.” However, it may still be asking you to analyze how things are similar and different.

Read the following writing prompts. Which one is most likely asking you to compare and contrast?

• Summarize the plot of the book The Life of Frederick Douglass.

• Would you rather meet Abraham Lincoln or Frederick Douglass? Why?

• Explain why Frederick Douglass’s contributions were important.

• Describe major events in the life of Thomas Jefferson.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Read the following passage.

Both goats and cows are domesticated animals. This means that they have provided food and have worked for humans for thousands of years. However, goats are much smaller than cows. A goat is about one-sixth the size of a cow, which means it is easier to move from place to place and to handle. Both goats and cows produce milk that humans can drink. But dairy goats have a longer productive life than cows. They are productive for 8-10 years, as opposed to cows, which have 4-6 years of productive life.

In the above passage, how does the author organize her argument?

• She describes all the similarities between goats and cows. Then, she describes all the differences.

• She provides all the information about goats. Then, she provides all the information about cows.

• She explains one point of similarity or difference between goats and cows. Then, she moves onto the next point of similarity or difference between them.

• She describes the history of goats becoming domesticated. Then, she describes the history of cows becoming domesticated.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

In which of the following situations could you compare and contrast?

• You are voting for class president, and there are three students running.

• You are writing an essay about which time period you’d rather live in: the 1980s or the 1880s.

• You are deciding what the major differences are between the first and last Harry Potter books.

• All of the above

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Kelvin is writing about the Greek myths that he recently read. He describes how they each focus on a hero’s quest and how each hero is different. Kelvin is ________.

• comparing Greek myths but not contrasting them

• comparing Greek myths with Roman myths

• comparing and contrasting Greek myths

• not comparing or contrasting

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Which of the following statements contrasts mammals and reptiles?

• Humans are mammals.

• Both mammals and reptiles are vertebrates.

• Mammals are warm blooded while reptiles are cold blooded.

• Mammals and reptiles can live in the same habitat.