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Compare/Contrast graphic organizers
Compare/Contrast graphic organizers depict basic relationships between two or
three major concepts are designed to help the learner understand similarities
and/or differences between them. There is a wide variety of formats for depicting
compare/contrast relationships. This book features Venn Diagrams, Main Idea
Comparison Frames, Semantic Features Analysis Charts, Induction Matrixes and
Synetic Charts. Since graphs and charts are an excellent way to depict
compare/contrast relationships when quantity is of concern, these have been
included as well.
Using Venn
Diagrams to
depict compare/
contrast
relationships
Venn diagrams are excellent
devices for helping students
distinguish between shared
and non-shared, inclusive
versus unique, and so forth
characteristics of two or three
concepts. They work best when two concepts are compared (e.g., the two circle
Venn diagram).
While other compare/contrast graphics very effectively address the comparison
of hierarchic information (e.g., the comparing of main ideas and supporting
details of two or three concepts), Venn diagrams are not the best devices for this
type of information. Venns work best when the information is discrete, but not
hierarchically structured.
When students are constructing Venn diagrams, they often focus initially on
differences between two concepts, and indicate them first on the Venn diagram.
Differences between two concepts tend to be very specific. When these are
exhausted, they usually then turn to analyzing similarities. Often, more general
features are identified in this category. For example, in the Venn diagram
illustrated below comparing endocrine and exocrine systems, the differences
listed were very specific. The similarities listed, on the other hand, tended to be
much more general statements (e.g., they are both types of glands, they both
secrete substances necessary for organs to function, etc.).
Biology example
The Venn Diagram could be used to facilitate understanding of similarities and
differences between different species
Bats
Birds
Feathers
Fur & leather
“see” via sonic
waves
Wings
Mouth with teeth
Fly
Awake at night
Eat insects
Sleep hanging
upside down
Babies born
alive
Claws
Eyes/Ears
“see” via eyes
Beaks
Awake during
daylight
Sleep sitting
up
Babies
from eggs
Additional science example
Ice floes
Icebergs
Begin on land as
glacier formed from
snowflakes
Very slow formation
Take hundreds or thousands
of years to form
Begin in water
Top of ocean freezes makes a layer of ice
Relatively quick
formation
Float in ocean
May have boulders, rocks &
gravel frozen in them
100% ice
Made of ice
Breaks apart and
refreezes together
Different colors
Chunks break off & fall
into water
Edge: usually eroded
Polar regions
Edge: crisp sharp.
jagged
Floats on top of water
Evaporate & melt
Bulk is below water
Roll over
unexpectedly
Moves by wind &
ocean currents
Moves by wind only
You may find that Venns also work well when sophisticated learners are
comparing three concepts (e.g., using the three-circle Venn diagram), but not as
well for less sophisticated learners, as the three-circle Venn can be very
confusing . Rarely do four circle Venns work for all learners.
What is this whole thing
What is this whole thing
about?
about?
Main ideas
Main ideas
Detail
Detail
s
s
Detail
Detail
s
s
What is important to understand about
What is important to understand about
this?
this?
Compare &
contrast
Frames
Two Concept
Comparison
Frame
Language Arts
The Two -concept Comparison Frame could be used to teach vocabulary by
comparing use of terms in different contexts....
Vocabulary from Dragon Wings San Francisco Earthquakes
1906 Earthquake
(described in Dragon Wings)
1991 Earthquake
(your personal experience)
Categories
foreshadowing
desolation
pandemonium
refuge
So what? What is important to understand about this?
© 2001 Masterminds, LLC graphicorganizers.com
Comparison (synthesis) Frame
The Comparison Frame can also be presented in a manner that requires
students to understand the “bigger picture” as related to each specific main idea
on the frame. The middle section of the graphic below, titled “So What?” requires
that the information be synthesized.
Categories
This about comparing...
Conclusion
So what? What is important to understand about this?
© 2001 Masterminds, LLC graphicorganizers.com
Three Concept Comparison Frame
Comparison Frames can be used effectively to compare three concepts. Other
than the overall synthesis at the bottom of the form (“So What? What’s important
to understand about this”), this graphic does not, however, provide space for
synthesizing conclusions for each main idea being compared.
Health Science example
The Three-concept Comparison Frame is used here to analyze three forms of
disease.
What is this whole thing about?
Types of Diseases
Bacterial
Viral Infection
Infection
Main ideas
Details
Details
Cancer
Details
How caught
How spreads
Deadliness
Treatment
approaches
How prevented
Impact of diet
& exercise
So what? What is important to understand about
this?
Using Induction
Matrixes to depict
compare/contrast
relationships
Topics
Categories of Information
To compare multiple concepts
along several dimension, you can
also use an Induction Matrix. Here,
the overall topic and components
of the topic are listed on one side
of the matrix, and the dimensions
for comparison are listed on the perpendicular side.
Note that both parallel and vertical columns end with a space labeled “So What?”
These allow students to draw conclusions, summarize, or synthesize information
in each category.
Health Science example
The Induction Matrix could be used to compare multiple topics and facilitate
students forming conclusions. In this example, students and the teacher coconstruct the graphic by filling in each of the various boxes as the different
factors that affect the cardio-respiratory system are examined.
Relationship of Cardio-Respiratory Risk factors
CAN YOU
CONTROL
THIS?
AGE
NO
EFFECT ON
CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM?
Older you get
the weaker
your system
EFFECT ON
RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM
Older you get,
the weaker
your system
SO WHAT?
Risk increases with age
Men =poor
Women = better
GENDER
NO
HEREDITY
NO
+/-
DIET
YES
+/-
STRESS
YES
Negative
impact
Negative
impact
Too much stress can lead to
heart disease
SMOKING
YES
Negative
impact
Negative
impact
Smoking is extremely hazardous
to C-R system
EXERCISE
YES
Positive
impact
Positive
impact
+/-
Risk of C-R disease increases if
there is a family history
Diet high in saturated fats & salt
increases the risk of heart disease
Great way to minimize negative
risk factors & maintain a healthy
C-R system
Features
Categories/Topics
Using
Semantic
Features
Analysis grids
to depict
compare &
contrast
relationships
The Semantic Features Analysis Grid can be used to facilitate an understanding
of the common traits or features shared by a group of concepts as well as how
they differ among these features.
The example below illustrates how a Semantic Features Analysis grid was
completed during a study about Ancient Egypt.
el
s
m wh
or ee
e
th ls
an
4
m
w
ot
he
or
el
di
s
es
e
ga l f
so ue
l l
p e in e
o p fu
le e l
po
w
ha
er
nd
le
ba
pa
rs
ss
en
ge
us
rs
ed
on
la
nd
The example below illustrates the application of a features analysis grid about
vehicles.
s
ur
fo
o
tw
VEHICLES
car
w
t
a
Fe
he
e
ur
bicycle
motorcycle
pickup truck
transfer truck
train
skateboard
row boat
sailboat
motorboat
airplane
= feature always present
= feature sometimes present
pa
ct
s
re
m
gu
et
la
ab
te
ol
s
im
is
g
m
pa
ro
&
w
ct
t
s
gr
h
im
ab
ow
pa
so
th
ct
rp
s
ti
re
sp fluid on
o
ba of n
im nd
u
la
pa s t
nc trie
ct o s
nt
e
s
t
s
&
se res
io
im
x
s
n
ua
pa
s
lc
ct
s
ta
ha
re
rg
ra
pr
et
ct
od
s
er
uc
is
ta fat
tic
tio
rg
tis
s
et
n
su
s
p
e
r
liv
oc
ta
er
rg
es
et
se
s
s
he
ta
a
rg
rt
et
/
b
lo
ta s th
od
rg
et yro
id
s
k
id
ta
ne
rg
et
y
s
ta
ut
rg
er
et
us
s
o
ta
rg var
y
et
&
s
bo
m
sk
am
n
el
e
et
s
m
ar
ta al m
y
rg
et usc
s
le
i
m
m
m
os
un
tb
e
od
tis
y
su
tis
es
su
es
Anatomy Science example
A Features Analysis Grid can be used to facilitate an understanding of the unique
and shared functions of various tissues
s
re
u
at
im
Endocrine Fe
GLANDS
Pituitary
Thyroid
Thymus
Adrenal
Pancreas
Ovaries
Testis
How
is like
Feature
Feature
is like
because
is like
because
is like
because
is like
because
So what? What is important to understand about this?
Using ‘Is
Like’
Synetics to
depict
compare &
contrast
relationships
Political Science example
The Is Like Synetic could be used to help students recognize similarities in
different forms of governments...
How
is like
feudalism
communism
Feature
Feature
serf
king owns all
land, homes,
business in
kingdom
kingdom
attained by
inheriting it or
winning war
is
like
collective
farm worker
because
is
like
government
owns all land,
houses, etc.
because
is
like
power
attained by
overthrowing
old leadership
because
must give to government what you grow -can’t sell it on your own - no choice but to
work on the farms -- can only leave with
permission of government leaders
common people can’t own land, homes,
etc. -its ‘lent’ to them by gov & can be
taken away if someone does something
that displeases the people with the power
‘might makes right’ ....who ever is the
strongest rules
Changes in leadership often involves
violence
So what? What is important to understand about this?
In both feudalism & communism, people in power use their power to keep it.
Common people have few, if any rights and little ability to control what happens to
them (no freedom!). All the power is centered at the top, so must be careful not to
displease people in power or else ...
A
B
C
D
E
Using Bar Graphs
to depict
compare &
contrast
relationships
Bar Graphs always either
compare quantities of
something across two or more
dimensions within the same
time span (e.g., compare wheat production of U.S., Canada, Russia, and China
during 2001) or compare changes in quantities of something within a single
dimension across different time spans (e.g., wheat production in Canada during
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). MAKES SENSE HOME GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS HOME