Concept Comparison

TheConceptComparison
Routine
The Content Enhancement Series
2015
California State University, Fullerton
Adrian Jung, Ph.D.
ContentEnhancement
A way of teaching an academically diverse
group of students in which:
Both group and individual needs are valued and
met;
The integrity of the content is maintained;
Comparison Overhead # 2
ContentEnhancement
A way of teaching an academically diverse
group of students in which:
Critical features of the content are selected and
transformed in a manner that promotes student
learning; and
Instruction is carried out in a partnership with
students.
Guidebooksinthe
ContentEnhancementSeries
Routines for planning and leading learning
Course Organizer Routine
Unit Organizer Routine
Lesson Organizer Routine
Guidebooksinthe
Routines for exploring text, topics, and
details
Clarifying Routine
Framing Routine
Survey Routine
The ORDER Routine
Guidebooksinthe
Routines for teaching concepts
Concept Anchoring Routine
Concept Comparison Routine
Concept Mastery Routine
Guidebooksinthe
Routines for enhancing performance
Quality Assignment Routine
Question Exploration Routine
Recall Enhancement Routine
Vocabulary LINCing Routine
Understandingthe
ChallengeofDiversity
Introduction of difficult but important
concepts requires creating connections to
background knowledge.
Increased student diversity results in varying

levels and types of background knowledge.
Understandingthe
ChallengeofDiversity
Students need new ways of thinking about
critical concepts and relationships between
concepts.
Teachers can take advantage of student

diversity by comparing concepts from
different perspectives.
Respondingtothe
Challenge
The Concept Comparison Routine helps
students to:
Focus on key concepts.
Focus attention on similarities and
differences between known concepts.
Understand the usefulness of higher-order
categories in understanding and learning.
Respondingtothe
Challenge
students to:
Develop ways to explain and summarize
similarities and differences between
concepts.
Remember a way to compare and contrast
known concepts.
Respondingtothe
Challenge
students to:
Interact with the teacher and other students
to explore and understand relationships
between concepts.
Record information for later studying and
use.
SupportingResearch
The Concept Comparison Routine was
studied in secondary content-area classes
(grades 7-11) characterized by diversity.
In each study, teachers learned the Concept
Comparison Routine easily, and student
learning gains were observed by both
teachers and researchers.
SupportingResearch
Students with LD and other low-achieving
students gained an average of 15 to 24
percentage points on tests or tasks that
required students to demonstrate
understanding of concept comparisons.
Teachers continued using the routine after
the studies were completed.
SupportingResearch
These results were achieved when teachers:
received 2-3 hours of instruction in the routine,
had opportunities to discuss the routine with
colleagues,
spent the necessary time to plan and use the routine
for more inclusive teaching,
taught students how to participate in and use the
routine, and
used the routine regularly over time.
TheComparisonTable
TeachingDevice
Is a visual device that:
is used under teacher guidance;
focuses careful attention on more than one
concept;
identifies relevant features of each concept;
TheComparisonTable
TeachingDevice
prompts analysis of similarities and
differences of relevant features;
helps students summarize relationships
between concepts;
helps identify higher-order categories related
to the relevant concepts;
TheComparisonTable
TeachingDevice
is designed to enhance student...

understanding of concept relationships,
remembering of ways to think about new, difficult
information,
responses to evaluation tasks and activities, and
belief in the value of the content.
Comparison Table
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
CommunicateTargetedConcepts
ObtaintheOverallConcepts
MakelistsofKnownCharacteristics
PindownLikeCharacteristics
AssembleLikeCategories
RecordUnlikeCharacteristics
IdentifyUnlikeCategories
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
Characteristics
Extensions
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Characteristics
Most fly
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Feathers
Backbone
Young hatch from eggs
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCategories
Concept
Mammals
UnlikeCharacteristics
UnlikeCategories
Most travel by foot

Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Hair
Backbone
Most young born live
LikeCharacteristics
Most fly
Feathers
Summary
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
Characteristics
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the table
LikeCategories
How body temperature

is regulated.
Where they live.
How their bodies are
supported.
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
Most travel by foot

Hair
UnlikeCategories
How they travel.

What covers their
bodies.
How young are born.
8 Summary
Birds and mammals are two vertebrates that are alike with regard to how their body temperature is
regulated, where the live and how their bodies are supported. They are different in terms of what
covers their bodies and how they travel from one place to another. They are also different in terms of
how their young are born.
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Characteristics
Concept
Mammals
Most fly
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Feathers
Backbone
1.
Characteristics
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Most travel by foot

Explore how many
Warm-blooded
heart chambers
Live worldwide
birds and mammals
Hair
have, and enter
Backbone
The Known Conceptsthe information on
the table
Represents the names of the

Known Concepts to be
explored in the lesson.
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Characteristics
Concept
Mammals
Characteristics
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Most fly
travel by
foot
Explore how many
2. TheMost
Overall
Concept
Warm-blooded
Warm-blooded
heart chambers
Live worldwide
Live worldwide
birds and mammals
Feathers
Hair
Represents
the name of thehave, and enter
Backbone
Backbone
the information on
larger
group
within
which
the
Young hatch from eggs Most young born live
the table
targeted concepts fit.
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Characteristics
Most fly
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Feathers
Backbone
Concept
Mammals
Characteristics
Most travel by foot

Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Hair
Backbone
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the
3. table
Characteristics
of Concepts
Describe the characteristics

or distinguishing traits of the
concepts to be explored
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Concept
Mammals
4. Like
Characteristics
Most fly
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Feathers
Backbone
C CommunicateTargetedConcepts
O ObtaintheOverallConcepts
M MakelistsofKnownCharacteristics
P PindownLikeCharacteristics
A AssembleLikeCategories
R RecordUnlikeCharacteristics
I IdentifyUnlikeCategories
N NailDownaSummary
Characteristics
G GoBeyondtheBasics
Characteristics
Extensions
qualities
attributes
Most travel byThose
foot
Exploreor
how
many
Warm-bloodedthat the targeted
heart chambers
concepts
Live worldwide
birds and mammals
have in common.
Hair
have, and enter
Backbone
the information on
the table
LikeCharacteristics
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone
LikeCategories
How body
temperature is
regulated.
Where they live.
supported.
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Concept
Mammals
5. Like Categories
3
Characteristics
Characteristics
Most flyThe larger groups

Most travel
or by foot
Warm-blooded
Warm-blooded
categories
to
which
the Like
Live worldwide
Live
worldwide
Feathers
Hair belong
Characteristics
Backbone
Backbone
LikeCharacteristics
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the table
LikeCategories
How body
temperature is
regulated.
Where they live.
supported.
6. Unlike Characteristics
4
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCategories
Characteristics
of the targeted
How body
temperature
concepts
thatisare related yet
regulated.
not Where
shared
they live.
5
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone

supported.
Most travel by foot

Most fly
Hair
Feathers
UnlikeCategories
How they travel.

What covers their
bodies.
How young are born.
Summary
covers their bodies and how they travel from one place to another. They are also different in terms
of how their young are born.
8
7. Unlike Categories
4
LikeCharacteristics
Warm-blooded
Larger groups or
categories to
Live worldwide
which the Unlike
Backbone
Characteristics belong.
Most travel by foot

Most fly
Hair
Feathers
LikeCategories
How body
temperature is
regulated.
Where they live.
supported.
7
UnlikeCategories
How they travel.

What covers their
bodies.
How young are born.
Summary
8
8. Summary
An understanding of the
similarities and differences
LikeCategories
between concepts that can
How body either:
LikeCharacteristics
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone
temperature is
regulated. explain how the concepts are
Where they live.
alike or different in terms of
named categories,
supported.
Most travel by foot

Most fly
Hair
Feathers
explain how the concepts are

alike or different in terms of both
How they travel.
characteristics and categories,
What covers or
their
7
UnlikeCategories
bodies.
How young are born.
raise questions or list insights

gained from the comparison.
Summary
8
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
9. Extensions
Concept
1
Birds
Concept
Mammals
An assignment on key
information
Characteristicsrelated to the
Characteristics
Most fly concepts Most
targeted
that travel by foot
Warm-blooded
Warm-blooded
prompts
further
exploration
Live worldwide
Live worldwide
Feathers
Hair
or
study.
3
Backbone
Backbone
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the table
TheComparing
LinkingSteps
Guide the teacher to:
present the Comparison Table effectively;
involve students in constructing and using
the Comparison Table;
investigate the relationship between
concepts; and
focus student attention on learning.
TheCOMPARINGLinkingSteps
Communicate Targeted Concepts.
Obtain the Overall Concept.
Make Lists of Known Characteristics.
Pin Down Like Characteristics.
Assemble Like Categories.
Record Unlike Characteristics.
Identify Unlike Categories.
Nail Down a Summary.
Go Beyond the Basics.
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Concept
Mammals
Characteristics
Most fly
Characteristics
Most travel by foot

Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Live worldwide
Feathers
Hair
These steps guide
the
teacher
during
the in-class,
Backbone
Backbone
interactive presentation
Young hatch
of from
the Comparison
eggs Most youngTable.
born live
The Linking StepsWarm-blooded
The teacher prepared a draft of the Comparison

Table in advance of the lesson, LikeCharacteristics
but the final
version is co-constructed withWarm-blooded
the students
Live worldwide
during class.
4
Backbone
These steps are cued by the acronym COMPARING.
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the table
LikeCategories
How body
temperature is
regulated.
Where they live.
supported.
TheCueDoReview
Sequence
The overall instructional process that guides use of the
Comparison Table and COMPARING Linking Steps.
This instructional process involves:

Cue
The teacher announces the Comparison
Table and explains its use and expectations
for student participation.
TheCueDoReview
Sequence

Do
The teacher and class collaboratively
construct the device using the COMPARING
Linking Steps that connect the content to the
needs and goals of students.
TheCueDoReview
Sequence

Review
Information presented in the Comparison
Table is reviewed and confirmed, and the
process of exploring similarities and
differences between concepts is reviewed.
QuestionstoAidthe
ConceptSelectionProcess
Abstractness
Which concepts are abstract and, therefore,
especially difficult to understand?
Organization
Which pairs or groups of concepts are critical to
the understanding of other concepts?
QuestionstoAidthe
Relevance
Which related concepts are so important that the
students must understand them and how they
are alike and different if they are to benefit from
the course?
Interest
Which concepts may not seem very interesting to
students and, therefore, require special
attention?
QuestionstoAidthe
Preparation
Which concepts are foundational for information
that will be covered later in the course (i.e., which
concepts prepare students for mastering
information)?
Complexity
Which concepts are difficult to understand
because of their complexity (e.g., which ones
have numerous characteristics)?
QuestionstoAidthe
Quantity
Where are so many concepts mentioned that
they must be organized and highlighted through
comparing and contrasting?
CheckingtheNamesof
theOverall&TargetedConcepts
Try to make a statement like:
By understanding the economic conditions in the
North in 1860 and the economic conditions in the
South in 1860 (concepts being compared), we
can understand the economic causes of
sectionalism in the U.S. (Overall Concept).
Fish and mammals (concepts being compared)
are two kinds of vertebrates (Overall Concept).
CheckingtheNamesof
theOverall&TargetedConcepts
Try to make a statement like:
Comedy and tragedy (concepts being
compared) are two forms of drama (Overall
Concept).
GetSet!
Choose lesson material (p. 28).
Introduce the Comparison Table (p. 28).
Describe how you will Cue the routine (p.
30).
Describe and model how you will Do the
routine (p. 31).
Explain how you will Review the information
on the Comparison Table (p. 34).
Explain how you will debrief (p. 35).
Go!
Use the routine explicitly (p. 36).
Build thinking skills (p. 36).
Build continuity (p. 36).
Evaluate your use of the routine (p. 37).
Be creative (p. 37).
Beware of pitfalls (p. 40).
Concept Comparison Table

Bigger Concept
Smaller Concept
Characteristics of this Concept
Smaller Concept
Characteristics that are Alike
Like
Categories
Characteristics that are Different
Different
Categories
Tell How the Concepts are Alike and Different
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
Concept
Characteristics
Extensions
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
Characteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
Summary
Multiple-Concept Comparison Table, p. 1

2
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
OverallConcept
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
Steps13oftheConceptComparisonRoutine
Steps1:communicationTargetedConcepts
Steps2:ObtaintheOverallConcept
Steps3:MakelistsofKnownCharacteristics

Concept
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Summary
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
Extensions
Steps49oftheConcept
ComparisonRoutine
Steps4:PindownLike
Characteristics
Steps5:AssembleLike
Categories
Steps6:RecordUnlike
Characteristics
Steps7:IdentifyUnlike
Categories
Steps8:NaildownaSummary
Steps9:GobeyondtheBasics
Comparison Table
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Concept
Characteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
OverallConcept
Characteristics
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
Summary
PresentationChecks
Is the Comparison Table large enough to see
from the back of the classroom?
Are all the words legible?
Are characteristics and categories presented
in a parallel fashion, e.g., all sentences or all
parallel phrases?
PresentationChecks
If phrases are used, is there a common stem
so students can reconstruct the meaning on
their own?
Have students been cued to take notes on
the Comparison Table?
Do students understand each part of the
Comparison Table?
PresentationChecks
Have you checked student understanding of
the higher-order categories on the
Comparison Table?
Have you checked for student understanding
of the process involved in developing the
Comparison Table?
PresentationChecks
Have you made sure students know how to
demonstrate understanding of the
comparisons?
Have you checked for student understanding
of the extensions?
Win!
STUDENTS WIN!
Check whether students are learning what
they are supposed to be learning.
Check whether students are personally
satisfied with what and how they are
learning.
Check whether students grades reflect how
much they have learned.
Win!
YOU WIN!
Select a growth target
Choose a way to learn
Choose a support system
Plan for confidence building
Debug
Maximize the challenge
Take ownership of the routine
Comparison Table
2
Concept
Characteristics
OverallConcept
Concept
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
Characteristics
LikeCharacteristics
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
Extensions
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
Summary
Comparison Table
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
9
Extensions
Concept
Characteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
OverallConcept
Characteristics
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
Summary
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
Concept
Characteristics
Extensions
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
Characteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
Summary

2
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
OverallConcept
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
Concept
Characteristics
Steps13oftheConceptComparisonRoutine
Steps1:communicationTargetedConcepts
Steps2:ObtaintheOverallConcept
Steps3:MakelistsofKnownCharacteristics

Concept
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Summary
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
Concept
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCharacteristics
LikeCategories
UnlikeCategories
Extensions
Steps49oftheConcept
ComparisonRoutine
Steps4:PindownLike
Characteristics
Steps5:AssembleLike
Categories
Steps6:RecordUnlike
Characteristics
Steps7:IdentifyUnlike
Categories
Steps8:NaildownaSummary
Steps9:GobeyondtheBasics
Concept Comparison Table

Bigger Concept
Smaller Concept
Smaller Concept
Characteristics that are Alike
Like
Categories
Characteristics that are Different
Different
Categories
Tell How the Concepts are Alike and Different
Comparison Table
2
OverallConcept
VERTEBRATES
1
Concept
Birds
Concept
Mammals
Characteristics
Most fly
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Feathers
Backbone
Most travel by foot

Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Hair
Backbone
LikeCharacteristics
Most fly
Feathers
NailDownaSummary
GoBeyondtheBasics
Characteristics
Warm-blooded
Live worldwide
Backbone
C
O
M
P
A
R
I
N
G
Most travel by foot

Hair
Extensions
Explore how many

heart chambers
birds and mammals
have, and enter
the information on
the table
LikeCategories
How body temperature

is regulated.
Where they live.
supported.
UnlikeCategories
How they travel.

What covers their
bodies.
How young are born.
8 Summary
covers their bodies and how they travel from one place to another. They are also different in terms of
how their young are born.

Concept Comparison

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TheConceptComparison

Increased student diversity results in varying

Teachers can take advantage of student

is designed to enhance student...

Most travel by foot

Explore how many

How body temperature

Most travel by foot

How they travel.

Most travel by foot

Represents the names of the

targeted concepts fit.

Most travel by foot

Explore how many

Describe the characteristics

Most flyThe larger groups

Explore how many

How their bodies are

Most travel by foot

How they travel.

Most travel by foot

How they travel.

Most travel by foot

explain how the concepts are

raise questions or list insights

Explore how many

Most travel by foot

The Linking StepsWarm-blooded

The teacher prepared a draft of the Comparison

These steps are cued by the acronym COMPARING.

Explore how many

This instructional process involves:

This instructional process involves:

This instructional process involves: