Reading Strategy: Compare and Contrast



Reading Strategy: Compare and Contrast

Subjects: Reading/American History

Grades 3rd-6th

Objectives and Goals:

• Children will compare and contrast their typical school day with the main character in the text;

• Children will gain an appreciation for the reasons why they attend school;

• Children will be familiarized with the reason for compulsory education;

• Children will be able to Compare and Contrast 17th - 19th century One-room Schoolhouses to today’s traditional classroom;

• Children will be introduced to new vocabulary words

Vocabulary words from Prior Knowledge Activity

✓ Slat

✓ Knickerbockers

✓ Suspenders

✓ Stalls

✓ Hickory stick

✓ Stove

✓ Compulsory education

✓ Pioneer days

✓ Frontier days

Vocabulary words/phrases from reading text

✓ paycheck

✓ bummer

✓ routine

✓ mechanical engineer

✓ designed robots

✓ bombs

✓ truant officer

✓ enforcing the law

✓ charitable work

✓ Blackfeet Reservation

✓ Foreign countries

✓ Presentations

✓ Faraway lands

✓ Stretching it a bit

Prior Knowledge Activity (15 minutes):

Students will be asked the following questions

✓ What were the schools like during the pioneer days?

✓ During the pioneer days were children allowed to miss any school because they had to work on the farm?

✓ Why do we go to school now?

✓ What would happen if you stayed home (and you were not sick) and did not go to school?

✓ Why do you think we take attendance every day at school?

✓ How many years do American kids go to school?

✓ What are the different schools that kids can go to for an education?

(e.g..Public school, private school, charter school, home school, military school, boarding school);

Review various forms of schooling and laws for attendance and education.

• Children will be shown pictures of one-room school houses.

Each child will be given an descriptive sheet that provides a historical fact depicting the One Room School life setting during the pioneer days; ie..

1) There were no grades when the One Room-School House

started. Kids learned at their own pace.

2) In the 1700’s the One Room-School House only had benches and a stove. Desks and blackboards would come later.

3) A One-Room School House had 1st graders up to 8th graders in 1 room.

4) Before coming to school each day children had to complete the following chores:

• Collect eggs

• Milk the cows

• Feed the animals

• Clean the stalls

• Cut firewood in winter

• Carry chopped wood, and

5) Boys and girls sat on either side of the classroom.

There are 27 descriptive sheets in total.

The over-all goal of this prior knowledge activity is to spark appreciation in our 21st century kids for our present day school. By comparing the responsibilities and limitations that were shouldered by the pioneer kids to obtain an education the students will gain an appreciation and respect for that time period in American history. They will see that the pioneer kids had major responsibilities which contributed to the well being of the family. In spite of having so few resources to attend school the pioneer kids were able to make a living and survive.

Hopefully an appreciation and respect will be given to the pioneer kids and “seeds” of gratefulness and the desire for our 21st century kids to do all that they can with the numerous resources we now have to be successful in school.

Read Text:

Follow-up Activity: Compare and Contrast using Text to Self

• Kids will jot down on their Text to Self graphic organizer (comparing and contrasting) Jared’s thoughts about going to school.

They will use the following text to compare with themselves:

1) What is Jared’s first reaction on Monday morning about getting up for school?

2) What did Jared’s dad say about his grades being like a paycheck?

3) What are some of the routine things Jared had to do in school everyday?

4) What were the professions shared at Jared’s school for Career Day.

5) Which profession did Jared remember the most? Why?

6) How did your class show your appreciation to the career visitors?

7) Did Jared’s opinion change about going to school after Career Day?

Closure (15 minutes)

• Children will be asked to share at least 4 of the 8 referenced text with the class.

• Expository writing assignment:

Scenario: The law about compulsory education in America has been repealed. Kids are not required to go to school. Write a short story (about 500 words) about a kid, your age, and describe what his day would be like not having to go to school. Be prepared to share your story with the class.

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