Compare, Contrast, and Classification

1. Compare, Contrast, and Classification Exploring ELA and Biology Connections

2. Different Types of Compare/Contrast and Classification… • Part of your job as a developing student is to learn the differing types of compare/contrast and classification skills necessary in life. Whether conducting informal compare/contrast and/or grouping tasks in your personal life or performing more formal compare/contrast or sorting activities for academic purposes, each distinct compare/contrast/classification task calls for particular strategies and rhythms. • Even when performing academic compare/contrasts and/or classifications, the nature of the process is shaped by each individual task (i.e. analyzing literary characters to understand similarities and differences and connecting literary characters to archetypal patterns greatly differs from the comparing, contrasting, and classifying of differing biological entities).

3. ELA Compare, Contrast, and Classification • When performing compare/contrast within an English Language Arts class it becomes imperative that you pay close attention to literary details – be an active investigator and not a passive reader. Carefully consider all features of the text-in-question and be sure to go beyond the literal and superficial – instead reach for deep insights and inferences. Use any appropriate graphic organizers if needed (i.e. Venn Diagram). • When analyzing and classifying literary features, one must first consider all needed information regarding both the literary excerpt and the associated category for classification. Thencarefully determine if the literary feature fully connects with the literary category.

4. Example ELA Compare, Contrast, and Classification • Compare/contrast the characters of Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird. Then determine the archetype with which both characters can connect. In order to effectively answer the question, you must first pull details from the text concerning the characters-in-question. In order to classify each character in terms of archetypal figures, you must utilize both what you know about the characters and the various associated archetypes. Bob Ewell Atticus Finch Loving father, hero of Maycomb, professional, modest, honest, hard-working… Single-parent, descended from established Maycomb family… Abusive father, disgrace of Maycomb, unemployed, dishonest, lazy… Hero, Trickster Father Shadow

5. Biology Compare, Contrast, and Classification • When performing compare/contrast within a Biology course it is imperative that you pay close attention to biological details – be an active investigator and not a passive biological observer. Carefully consider all features of the biological phenomenon or structure in-question and be sure to go beyond the superficial – instead reach for depth of hypothesis. Use any appropriate graphic organizers if needed (i.e. Venn Diagram). • When analyzing and classifying biological organisms and processes, one must first consider all needed information regarding both the scientific entity and the associated category for classification. Thencarefully determine if the biological phenomenon fully connects with the scientific category.

6. Example Biology Compare, Contrast, and Classification Like complex carbohydrates, proteins are biomolecules that serve many functions and can be chemically broken down and restructured. Both proteins and complex carbohydrates are which of the following? • Polymers of smaller subunits • Sequences of sugars • Lipids of large molecules • Nucleotides of DNA The first portion of the question provides you with important information regarding the commonality of complex carbohydrates and proteins. The second portion of the example above asks for both entities to be classified based on their commonalities. Using your prefix knowledge, you should know that poly means “many” and that polymers have many parts.