Same Versus Different
Comparing things is a great way to learn how they are the same and how they are different. We can compare size, shape, texture, smell, taste, or any physical feature that can be put into words.
In Measuring Penny, the main character Lisa tells us that Penny is a Boston Terrier and that she is bigger than a Pug but smaller than a Cocker Spaniel. Boston Terriers, Pugs, and Cocker Spaniels are all dogs, which makes them all the same type of animal and definitely different than cats, horses, and cows. But how do you tell different types of dogs apart?
All dogs have four paws, a tail, a nose, ears, and fur. But some dogs are big and some dogs are small. Some have coarse hair and some have fluffy hair. Some have short, pointy ears and some have long, droopy ears. By comparing their features, we can tell how different dogs are similar and how they are different.
Differences help us tell things apart and similarities help us group things together. Let's practice distinguishing between objects that are the same and objects that are different.
Fruitful Questions
Compare an apple, a tomato, and a banana. How they are similar? How they are different? Can they all be put into the same group, or is one of them not like the others? Let's compare!
- Apples, tomatoes, and bananas are all fruits.
- Apples and tomatoes are round but bananas are tubular.
- Apples and tomatoes are red, but bananas are yellow.
- Apples and tomatoes have skins that can be eaten, but bananas need to be peeled.
Looks like the banana is the odd one out. Although all three are fruits, the apples and tomatoes have more in common with each other than with bananas.
Word Play
What are the similarities and differences between these three words: California, Canada, and Cuba? Let's compare!
- California, Canada, and Cuba all start with the letter C.
- California, Canada, and Cuba all end with the letter A.
- Canada and Cuba are the names of countries but California is the name of a state.
By comparing, we can see that the words Canada and Cuba have more in common with each other than with the word California.
On the Money!
Compare a quarter, a one dollar bill, and a one hundred dollar bill. Which one doesn't belong in the group? Let's compare!
- A quarter, dollar bill, and hundred dollar bill are all types of money.
- A quarter and a dollar bill both have George Washington on them but a hundred dollar bill has Benjamin Franklin on it.
- A dollar bill and a hundred dollar bill are both made of paper but a quarter is a coin and is made of metal.
There are many different ways of comparing these items so the answer you get depends on how you decide to compare them!
This activity was created by Lisamaria Martinez for Great Expectations.
