Formulate Activities that Allow Your Students to Identify Similarities and Differences
To allow ELL students to learn content at a deeper level, we recommend implementing learning activities that ask students to identify similarities and differences between what they’ve learned before and what they learn now. This kind of activity will activate students’ prior knowledge, allowing them to make connections with their previous learning experiences. According to Hill and Flynn (2006), there are four different forms of identifying similarities and differences. We added instructional examples to give a better understanding of what these forms would look like in an actual Gr.6 Science class:
For more examples of the four different forms of identifying similarities and differences, check out this video (Jenkins, 2016).
- Comparing (E.g., Identify differences between Earth and Mars)
- Classifying (E.g., Sort planets by size – from smallest to largest)
- Creating analogies (E.g., Compare Earth and Mars; find similarities between the two planets)
- Creating metaphors (E.g., Earth is the only living planet in the Universe. Do you agree or disagree?)
For more examples of the four different forms of identifying similarities and differences, check out this video (Jenkins, 2016).
Hill and Flynn (2006) also articulate, “when students are asked to identify similarities and differences in order to gain insights, see distinctions, and change perspectives, the task becomes more academic in nature.” In other words, teachers don’t need to stress about introducing key vocabulary or teaching specific grammar rules because students will unconsciously pick up the knowledge through this activity. The following are the strategies suggested by Hill and Flynn (2006), which should be facilitated during activities for identifying similarities and differences:
To help ELL students make connections and construct meanings, teachers should try to utilize models that do not require language use. Because the focus of this learning activity lies within learning content at a deeper level, we recommend utilizing visual contents (e.g., symbols, photos, charts, etc.) as a major resource when formulating activities for identifying similarities and differences.
- Represent what you say with visuals
- Use short, simple sentences with clear articulation
- Include gestures and facial expressions
- Use high-frequency vocabulary (and remember that nouns are better than pronouns)
- Reduce idiomatic expressions
To help ELL students make connections and construct meanings, teachers should try to utilize models that do not require language use. Because the focus of this learning activity lies within learning content at a deeper level, we recommend utilizing visual contents (e.g., symbols, photos, charts, etc.) as a major resource when formulating activities for identifying similarities and differences.
References
Hill, J. D., & Flynn, K. M. (2006). Classroom instruction that works with English language learners. Alexandria: ASCD.
Jenkins, Hannah. (2016, February 11). Identifying similarities and differences [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oziV0Bvc_JY
Hill, J. D., & Flynn, K. M. (2006). Classroom instruction that works with English language learners. Alexandria: ASCD.
Jenkins, Hannah. (2016, February 11). Identifying similarities and differences [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oziV0Bvc_JY