1. Identifying Similarities & Differences
Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement From Classroom Instruction that Works by R. Marzano, D. Pickering, J. Pollock Created by The School District of Lee County, CSDC in conjunction with Cindy Harrison, Adams 12 Five Star Schools
This training was written by staff in The Curriculum & Staff Development Center for The School District of Lee County with the assistance of Cindy Harrison, the Director of Staff Development for Adams 12 Five Star Schools in Colorado.
It is based on the work of Dr. Bob Marzano and McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education & Learning as presented by them and found in:
Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement by Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock
A Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works
by Marzano, Norford, Paynter, Pickering, and Gaddy
and
A Participant’s Manual for Classroom Instruction that Works
By McREL

2. Participant Outcomes Participants will:
Understand the purpose and importance of identifying similarities and differences
Determine ways to implement identifying similarities and differences in the classroom
Review examples of identifying similarities and differences activities
*Note – In the notes, BOLD words need to be read out loud.
In the notes, REGULAR typed notes are for your benefit.

3. Categories in Instructional Strategies That Affect Student Achievement
Category
Average Effect
Percentile
No. of ESs
Size (ES)
Gain
Identifying similarities and differences
1.61 45 31
Summarizing and note taking
1.00 34
179
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
0.80 29 21
Homework and practice
0.77 28
134
Nonlinguistic representations
0.75 27
246
Cooperative learning
0.73
122
Setting objectives and providing feedback
0.61 23
408
Generating and testing hypotheses 63
Questions, cues and advance organizers
0.59 22
1,251
Read for 1st session only - In the early 1970’s, educational researchers began studying the effects of instruction on student learning.
With the assistance of Dr. Bob Marzano, McREL (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning) analyzed selected research studies on instructional strategies that could be used in K-12 classrooms.
What they found was that 9 instructional strategies produced the highest yielding gains in student achievement.
While these findings are significant, it is important to remember that these are not the only instructional strategies that should be used and that no instructional strategy works equally well in all situations.
Notice that summarizing and note taking shows a 34% increase in scores with students who used this strategy.
Read for 2nd session only – In the 1st session you saw this chart on what research says regarding different strategy types used with students. Notice that summarizing and note taking shows a 34% increase in scores with students who used this strategy.
Additional notes if needed:
(ES) or effect size expresses the increase or decrease in achievement of an experimental group (the group exposed to a specific instructional technique). These are measured in standard deviations (remember from stats classes 1 standard deviation above or below the mean is about 34% of your population).
Percentile Gain were configured by McREL using a statistical conversion table.
No. of ESs were the number of experimental studies that were examined for each strategy

4. Identifying Similarities & Differences
Reading with a Purpose
Reading for
Academics
Reading for
Pleasure
Have participants identify similarities and differences using the Venn diagram for Reading for Pleasure vs. Reading for Academics.
Form groups of 2-3 people. Work for 5 minutes using chart paper. Post around the room at the end.
Example:
Pleasure Similarities Academics
You select Varied Topics Selection made for you
Read longer Learn Take notes
Read faster Comprehension Read slower
Passive reading Use strategies Active reading

5. Generalizations based on research:
Research and Theory about Identifying Similarities & Differences
Generalizations based on research:
Presenting explicit guidance in identifying similarities & differences enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Asking students to independently identify similarities & differences enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Representing similarities & differences in graphic or symbolic form enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Identification of similarities & differences can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
Review slide.

6. Research and Theory about Identifying Similarities & Differences
Generalization #1:
Presenting explicit guidance in identifying similarities & differences enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Teacher-directed
Directly present with steps and give the information to compare
Generalization #2:
Asking students to independently identify similarities & differences enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Student-directed
Students identify topics for comparison
Stimulates divergent thinking
Review slide. Only read the black text.

7. Research and Theory about Identifying Similarities & Differences
Generalization #3:
Representing similarities & differences in graphic or symbolic form enhances ability to understand and use knowledge.
Graphic/symbolic forms require students to deeply process information
Increases number of distinctions students find
Generalization #4:
Identification of similarities & differences can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
4 ways to identify similarities and differences
Comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies
Review slide. Only read the black text.
For # 4:
Identifying similarities and differences is explicit in the process of comparing and classifying.
Creating a metaphor involves identifying abstract similarities and differences between 2 elements.
Creating analogies involves identifying how two pairs of elements are similar.

8. Use comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies
Recommendations for Classroom Practice on Identifying Similarities & Differences
Use comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, and creating analogies
Give students a model
Use a familiar context to teach steps
Use graphic organizers
Guide students
Say:
The following are strategies you can use in your classroom to help your students learn to identify similarities and differences.

9. 4 basic processes should be taught
Recommendations for Classroom Practice on Identifying Similarities & Differences
4 basic processes should be taught
Comparing
The process of identifying and articulating similarities & differences among items.
Classifying
The process of grouping things into definable categories on the basis of their attributes.
Creating Metaphors
The process of identifying and articulating the underlying theme or general pattern in information.
Creating Analogies
The process of identifying relationships between pairs of concepts (e.g., relationships between relationships.
Say:
These are the four basic process on which you should focus. We will go into more detail on these four processes in the next few slides.

10. Recommendations for Classroom Practice on Identifying Similarities & Differences
Give students models of the 4 processes
Select items want to compare
Select characteristics of the items on which you want to base your comparison
Explain how the items are similar and different with respect to the characteristics you selected.
Steps for Comparing
Say:
Please go over these steps for comparing and think about ways you might use it in your classroom.

11. Example of Comparison
For use at the end of a unit on Renaissance poetry: Have students categorize poetry by theme: love, death, and time.
Love
Death
Time
Say:
If you want students to make rigorous comparisons, you will need to extensively model for them how to identify items and characteristics that are meaningful and interesting. You also need to provide them with feedback about how well they identify characteristics that are meaningful and interesting. If the items and characteristics are not meaningful, students will not make new distinctions or come to new conclusions about the targeted knowledge.
Make sure students understand that the purpose of doing the comparison is to extend and refine their understanding of the knowledge they are learning. Asking students to select different characteristics will help them move beyond the obvious.

12. Steps for Classifying Identify items
Describe key attributes of an important item and identify other items with same attributes
Create a category by specifying attribute
Select another item, describe key attributes, identify other items with same attributes
Create 2nd category by specifying attribute
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all classified
If necessary, combine or split categories
Say:
Please go over these steps for classifying and think about ways you might use it in your classroom.

13. Example of Classification
Say:
When students make comparisons it is important for them to focus on attributes that are important and meaningful to the content. These attributes help students make new connections or discoveries about the content. As students select subsequent attributes, it is important that they select attributes that are related to the first one. Students also need to understand the defining characteristics of the categories well enough to justify placement of the items.

14. Steps for Creating Metaphors
Identify important or basic elements.
Write basic information as a general pattern by:
Replacing works for specific things with words for more general things
Summarizing info when possible.
Find new information/situation to which the general pattern applies.
Say:
Please go over these steps for creating metaphors and think about ways you might use it in your classroom.

15. Example of Metaphor
Literal – Rose: The blossom is sweet to smell and pleasant to touch, but if you touch the thorns, they can stick you.
Abstract – Something is wonderful and you want to get near it, but if you get too close, you might get hurt.
Literal – Love: It makes you feel happy, but the person you love can hurt you.
Say:
Students need LOTS of practice with this and to get feedback.
Students often have questions about how general the language in the abstract patterns should be. The level of generality that is appropriate depends on the content and purpose of the assignment. You also may need to encourage students to make connections that are less obvious and more interesting as they apply a general pattern to the new information of situation.
DISCUSSION POINT: Remind participants that Metaphors and Similes both provide comparisons. Similes just do so using the word “like” or “as.”

16. Steps for Creating Analogies
Identify how the 2 elements in the first pair are related.
State the relationship in a general way.
Identify another pair of elements that share a similar relationship.
Say:
Please go over these steps for creating analogies and think about ways you might use it in your classroom.

17. Example of an Analogy Robert Frost Poetry is to Authors of a genre
Relationship:
Say:
Students often struggle with recognizing patterns in the analogies they come across. You can help them overcome this struggle by providing them with examples of relationships that are common in analogies. You can provide examples of similar concepts, dissimilar concepts, class membership, part to whole, change, function, quantity/size relationships, etc.
If you provide students with opportunities to examine the details of the relationships between the elements in each pair of an analogy, and the connection between the pairs, they are more likely to understand that analogies can reveal differences as well as similarities. You can help your students get more out of analogies by asking them to explain and defend the relationships linking the two pairs of the analogy.
Shakespeare
Plays
is to

18. Use a variety of graphic organizers Episode Pattern Organizer
Recommendations for Classroom Practice on Identifying Similarities & Differences
Use a variety of graphic organizers
Examples:
Venn Diagram
Concept Web
Organizational Chart
Comparison Matrix
T – Chart
Episode Pattern Organizer
Say:
We are all familiar with graphic organizers, this list may include some you may not have seen before. Blackline masters are included in your packet.

19. Classroom Practice on Identifying Similarities & Differences
Guide students as they engage in this process. Gradually give less structure and less guidance – scaffolding.
Teachers should initially structure tasks for students.
When introducing analogies to students, give students content-area analogies -- brain is to human as central processing unit is to computer.
After practice, give students incomplete analogies --one missing element.
Finally, give the first element of the pair of elements, and have students provide the second element.
Say:
When first learning, teacher should structure tasks for students. For example, when introducing analogies to students, you might give them complete content-area analogies like brain is to human and central processing unit is to computer. Or a simple example like down is to up as under is to over. Once students have some practice analyzing the relationship between the pairs you can give students incomplete analogies (e.g., one missing element). Eventually you can give them the first element of the pair of elements and ask them to provide the second element. The point is to provide “scaffolding” or guidance with the process until students understand it will enough to do it on their own.

20. What thoughts, questions, challenges, or ideas do you have?
Allow time for questions and discussions.