1. Classroom Instruction that Works
by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock
STRATEGY ONE: Identifying Similarities and Differences
This presentation was created for the “Enhancing Effective Standards-based Instruction by Integrating Technology” project made possible by a grant from Senator John Pippy and the Commonwealth of Economic Development.

2. Understanding by Design
Prior to presenting content about strategy one, the UbD template components have been used on the following slides to provide the anticipatory set to this review of Marzano’s Chapter 2.

3. Established Goals for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Established Goals for this chapter and our project
Teachers will understand the mental operations of identifying similarities and differences related to the curricular content.
Teachers will develop instructional activities that engage students in identifying similarities and differences related to the curricular content.

4. Understandings for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Understandings for this chapter and our project
Teachers will understand that…
Identifying similarities and differences is a robust activity that enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.
Research indicates that there are four different forms of this activity that are highly effective.

5. Essential Questions for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Essential Questions for this chapter and our project
What are the similarities and differences relative to the content in my curriculum?
How can I get my students to recognize and understand them?

6. Key knowledge for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Key knowledge for this chapter and our project
Teachers will know…
Key terms – comparing, classifying, creating metaphors, creating analogies
Types of tasks that may be presented to students to help them identify similarities and differences.
The difference between teacher-directed and student-directed tasks

7. Key skills for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Key skills for this chapter and our project
Teachers will be able to…
Design instructional activities that call for students to identify similarities and differences within their planned instruction.
Analyze student work to determine whether or not students understand the similarities and differences relative to the lesson content.

8. Performance tasks for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Performance tasks for this chapter and our project
Teacher teams will design, implement, collect evidence, and reflect upon a lesson that utilizes the strategy “Identifying Similarities and Differences” within the project portfolio.

9. Other evidence for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Other evidence for this chapter and our project
Teacher teams will select one “self choice” item for each portfolio entry that reinforces the achievement of the desired results.

10. Self-Assessment & Reflection for this chapter and our project
Expectations
Self-Assessment & Reflection for this chapter and our project
Answer the reflection questions authored by Charlotte Danielson based on the implementation of the strategy “Identifying Similarities & Differences.”

11. It enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.
Identifying similarities and differences might be the “core” of all learning.
It enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.
-Marzano, 2001

12. How can we use this strategy to improve student achievement?

13. 4 highly effective “forms” to identify similarities and differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating metaphors
Creating analogies

14. 4 highly effective “forms” to identify similarities and differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating metaphors
Creating analogies

15. For example,
Compare the use of literary elements within and among texts including characters, setting, plot, theme, and point of view.
PA Standard: Reading, Writing, and Interpreting Literature 1.3.5
Comparing
The identification of important characteristics is the key to effective comparison.
It is these characteristics that are then used as the basis to identify similarities and differences Marzano,2001

16. Graphic Organizers for Comparing
Characteristics
Items to be compared
Similarities
Differences #1 #2 #3
Comparison Matrix
Venn Diagram
-most useful when comparing only two items
-more useful to provide a greater number of details

17. 4 highly effective “forms” to identify similarities and differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating metaphors
Creating analogies

18. For example,
Invertebrates
animals without a backbone or spinal column
Vertebrates
animals with a backbone or spinal column
Classifying
The process of grouping things that are alike into categories on the basis of their characteristics.
It is critical to identify the rules that govern class or category membership.
-Marzano,2001

19. Graphic Organizers for Classification
Place Categories in column headings
-most useful when all categories are equal in generality
-more useful when all categories are not equal in generality

20. 4 highly effective “forms” to identify similarities and differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating Metaphors
Creating analogies

21. Creating Metaphors
For example,
Love is a rose.
The two items in a metaphor are connected by an abstract or nonliteral relationship.
-Marzano,2001

22. Graphic Organizer for Metaphors
Literal Pattern 1
Element 1
Literal Pattern 2
Element 2
Abstract
It depicts that two elements have somewhat different literal patterns, but they share a common abstract pattern.

23. 4 highly effective “forms” to identify similarities and differences
Comparing
Classifying
Creating metaphors
Creating Analogies

24. Examples,
Carpenter is to hammer as painter is to brush.
Hot is to cold as night is to day.
Oxygen is to humans as carbon dioxide is to plants.
Core is to earth as nucleus is to atom.
Creating Analogies
Analogies help us to see how seemingly dissimilar things are similar.
They increase our understanding of new information.
-Marzano,2001

25. Graphic Organizers for Analogies
Is to
Relationship
Is to

26. Teacher vs. Student Directed Tasks
Each of the four forms of identifying similarities and differences may used in ways that are teacher directed or student directed.
Teacher-directed tasks are much more structured where the teacher provides more information to direct students in the task a certain way.
Student-directed tasks are less structured and require the students to conceptualize more of the task on their own.

27. Teacher vs. Student Directed Analogy
Student-directed analogy task
Robert Frost is to poetry As
_____ is to ______.
Teacher-directed analogy task
Eighty is to eight As
Dime is to ______.
See Marzano text for examples of teacher and student directed comparison, classification, and metaphor tasks.

28. In conclusion
“Identifying similarities and differences can play out in many ways in the classroom. Students can be engaged in tasks that involve comparisons, classifications, metaphors, and analogies. In addition, these tasks can be either more teacher directed or student directed.” -Marzano,2001