GENERAL BACKGROUND

• Comparing and contrasting skill is important to be used in language lesson because it helps learners to have a better understanding of the information, to make good decisions and to solve problems. It analyses information and can be used in other higher order thinking skills such as classifying, evaluating, sequencing and identifying cause and effect.
• Learners can be taught the skills of comparing and contrasting two or more of the following topics:

1. Non-living things
2. Living things (plants, animals)
3. People and characters
4. Stories, articles
5. Ideas, ways, system

• Teacher may refer to DSKP English Language (Year 1 – 6) for more relevant topics.

STEPS OF TEACHING COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

There are four skillful steps to teach comparing and contrasting. They are shown as below:

Step 1: Examine the data or information i.e identifying the characteristics

Step 2: Identify the different characteristics

Step 3: Identify the similar characteristics

Step 4: Make a conclusion or a description 

Graphic organizer is used to help learners to help their comparing and contrasting skills such as tables as shown below’

EXAMPLES OF COMPARING AND CONTRASTING ACTIVITY

TASK: COMPARE AND CONTRAST A PING PONG BALL AND A TENNIS BALL

STEP 1: Examine the data or information i.e identify the characteristics of a ping pong ball and a tennis ball. Learners are required to work in pairs or small groups. They look at the two balls and discuss the characteristics of each ball. Learners need to base their answers on their observational skills, knowledge and experience.

STEP 2:  Identify the different characteristics of the two balls.

Learners in their same groups need to answer in complete sentences using the sentence structures given below:

The ping pong is or has……..

The tennis ball is or has …….. or

The ping pong ball is or has….but/while the tennis ball is or has….

STEP 3: Identify similar characteristics of the two balls. Learners are required /encouraged to answer in complete sentences using the sentence structure given below:

Both balls are or have…..

*** (Learners use graphic organizer to write down all the information from Step 1 till Step 3) Before learners move on to Step 4 they are also required to present in front of the class about the information they have during the discussion. They use the information in the graphic organizer to present to the class).

STEP 4: Make a conclusion. Learners are required to make a conclusion or a description from the different and similar characteristics identified. Learners may begin describing either the similar characteristics or the different characteristics first or vice versa.

Below is an example of a conclusion or a description:

Both the ping pong ball and the tennis ball are round in shape. They are used to play games. The ping pong ball is played on a table but the tennis ball is played on the ground. The ping pong ball is made of plastic and is smaller than the tennis ball. The tennis ball is made of rubber and has a hairy surface.

EXAMPLES OF ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES:

1. COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE CHARACTERS OF SANG  KANCIL AND THE CROCODILE IN THE STORY ‘ SANG KANCIL AND THE CROCODILE”
2. COMPARE AND CONTRAST A CITY AND A VILLAGE (SHOW PICTURES)
3. COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE WORK OF A POLICEMAN AND A FIREMAN. (SHOW PICTURES)

References:  Adaptation: Pusat Perkembangan Kurikulum: Developing Primary Learners’ Thinking Skils in the English Language Subject