Compare Contrast Passages

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

• on the other hand, although

• and, so

• is a much healthier choice

How are Aedan and the narrator of passage 2 similar?

Passage 1

Mom said we were some of the lucky ones because we had food on our table and Daddy still had his job laying pavers. He had to go away a lot, but Mom said it was a blessing, because the MacAuley’s next door had nothing after the disease hit the potatoes and their daddy lost his job.

“Aedan, come on in for supper, your daddy’s home,” I heard my mom calling from the back door.

As I rounded the corner and slipped in the back door, I saw him standing there waiting for me, arms outstretched. I jumped into them, even though I was officially eleven, and he hugged me tight.

“I brought you something, birthday boy.” He handed me a small cloth bag and I peeked inside, “It’s sugar,” he said, beaming. “I thought your mom could bake you something special.”

I smiled up at him; we hadn’t had sugar in months.

Passage 2

“I want that one!” I told my mom, pointing to the colorful cake in the bakery window. It was my birthday and in keeping with my family’s tradition, I got to pick out a special meal and dessert to celebrate. Mom made steak and mashed potatoes, and the bright cake finished it out perfectly, with some ice cream, of course.

“Okay, sweetheart, but you only get one piece. There’s probably five cups of sugar in that thing,” my mom said, laughing.

• Both boys are excited to see their dads again.

• Both boys want a colorful birthday cake.

• Both boys are celebrating their birthdays.

• Both boys feel lucky to have sugar for a cake.

To examine two or more ideas in order to note SIMILARITIES.

• A. passage

• B. analyze

• C. compare

• D. differ

To examine ideas in order to note DIFFERENCES.

• A. summarize

• B. contrast

• C. differ

• D. compare

Two or more authors writing about the same topic but presenting the information differently in 2 passages is called...

• paired passages

• sequence

• narrative

• first person

True or False?

Paired passages have no similarities or connections.

• A. True

• B. False

Compare and Contrast

• A. the author explains how two or more things are alike and/or different

• B. the author explains how two or more things are alike and/or different

• C. the author tells about an event and what happens after or because of it

• D. the author provides events in order

Read each passage: "Capybara" The capybara is the world's largest rodents. Capybaras can weigh up to 145 pounds. They love the water and spend most of their time in swamps, ponds, and rivers. If you want to see a capybara in the wild, you will need to go to Central or South America. "Crocodiles and Alligators" Crocodiles and alligators look very much alike, but there are ways to tell them apart. The crocodile has a pointy snout, while the alligator’s snout is rounder. The crocodile weighs less than the alligator and can move faster. Both animals have an extra-long lower tooth. When the crocodile’s mouth is closed, you can see this long tooth. However, when the alligator’s mouth is closed, the tooth is hidden inside the mouth. "Crocodiles and Alligators" is written in which overall text structure?

• Cause and Effect

• Description

• Compare and Contrast

• Chronological Order/Sequence

What text structure compares similarities and differences?

• Cause and Effect

• Description

• Problem/Solution

• Compare/Contrast

Which of the following words signal a comparison in a passage?

• A) Similarly

• B) However

• C) Consequently

• D) Firstly