Comparing and Contrasting

Seeing how things are alike and different

When you read about things, it is good to think about how they are alike and how they are

different. Doing this

allows you to compare and

contrast things.

When you tell about how two or more things are alikealike you

compare..

When you tell about how two or more things are differentdifferent you

contrast..

A Venn Diagram is a great tool to use to compare and contrast two

or more things.

alike

thing 1

different

thing 2

different

Let’s Practice….

Read the following passages. Think about the things that are being talked about.

Ask yourself:

How are they alike?How are they alike?

andand

How are they different?How are they different?

Cheetahs are members of the cat family. With its long muscular legs, the cheetah is built for speed. Cheetahs can run at speeds of up to 70 miles an hour for short distances. Cheetahs do not roar like some cats. Instead, they hiss, purr, and growl. Cheetahs are usually solitary animals.

Lions are another member of the cat family. Lions tend to live in packs called prides. The pride may have as many as forty lions in it. A lion can run at speeds of about 36 miles per hour. A lion’s roar is so loud that it can be heard about five miles away.

According to the passage, what do both lions and cheetahs have in common?

1. They hunt in packs.

2. They are cats.

3. They protect their young.

4. They are yellow.

According to the passage, which is a difference between lions and cheetahs?

1. speed

2. habitat

3. diet

4. life span

cats

cheetah

runs up to 70 mph

solitary

can’t roar

lion

runs up to 36 mph

lives in a pride

roars

George Washington was the first president of the United States. Washington was born in the state of Virginia in 1732. Washington’s family owned a large farm with many slaves. When he died, Washington owned over 200 slaves.

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. He was born on a farm in the state of Kentucky. He worked as a lawyer, a store clerk, and a congressman before he became president. Lincoln freed the slaves during the Civil War.

According to the passage, what was a difference between the two men?

1. their age when they died

2. where they were born

3. how many times they were president

4. what they did before becoming president

Besides being president, what was a similarity between these two men?

1. their father’s died when they were young

2. both loved learning

3. both had something to do with slavery

4. both had jobs before they became president

president

born on a farm

Washington

1st president

owned slaves

born in Virginia

Lincoln

16th president

freed slaves

born in Kentucky

Clara Barton was born in 1821. She was an American who worked as a nurse during the Civil War. She traveled to some of the worst battlefields in the country to help take care of the injured. In 1881, Barton founded the American Red Cross.

Florence Nightingale was born in England in 1820. Nightingale worked as a nurse during the Crimean War. Nightingale worked hard to ensure that injured soldiers were clean and well-fed while they in the hospital during the War. Nightingale’s birthday is celebrated as International Nurse’s Day.

According to the passage, what did the two women have in common?

1. Both were nurses during a war.

2. Both worked in hospitals.

3. Both founded an organization.

4. Both had their birthdays made into holidays.

According to the passage, what is a difference between these two women?

1. They were born in different centuries.

2. They had different jobs.

3. They spoke different languages.

4. They were born in different countries.

nurses during a

war

Clara Barton

American

founded the American Red Cross

worked on a battlefield

Florence Nightingale

British

worked in a hospital