Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Week 23 Comparing and contrasting

Recently, we have been comparing and contrasting stories like Cendrillon and Cinderella. Good readers are always on the lookout for similarities and differences. Good writers try to include details that will "show" those similarities and differences.

This week, compare and contrast two similar, yet different, places (such as your room and your sister's). Write three sentences that show (not tell) the important similarities between them. Then write three more sentences that explain (more showing) ways they are different. Use good descriptive adjectives and details that make a picture in our minds. Help us "see" the similarities and differences.

Below is a sample (Note: This example uses shoes instead of places. Don't write about shoes! :-)

Tennis shoes and dressy sandals are found in my closet. They both wrap themselves around my feet and protect my tender soles. I can coordinate them with various other items in my wardrobe - a green hoody and peach scarf with my tennies and a sparkly dress and earrings with my sandals. Occasionally, either set might wander away on some younger feet. (My daughters like to borrow my shoes!)

I think the similarites end there, however. There are many more ways my footcoverings are different.

Tennis shoes become old friends who know all my favorite haunts. They love to run, jump and play. They don't mind a muddy puddle now and then. In fact, a bit of dust and a few smudges merely add to their charm. On the other hand, dress sandals are like prim and proper acquaintances who carry me to fancy dinners or the opera. Their high heels lift me above my everyday self. They step gingerly over grimy patches of slush and are careful to always stay on the sidewalk. They truly distain blemishes on their polished exterior.

Yes, tennis shoes and dress sandals are part of the same family tree. But I think they must be very distant cousins!

Remember...

  • Be sure to save your writing in a word processing program.
  • Read it over to yourself aloud, to make sure it makes sense. Check for good descriptive details.
  • Make any editing changes needed (correct spelling, capitalization and end punctuation).
  • Then copy and paste it into the comment section.
  • Don't forget to include your first name and code, so that you get credit for your effort!


12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mme Powell,
Here is my blog assignment:
My house and my grandma's house are the same and different at the same time. Some of the ways they are the same is: they are both cozy. Some ways they are cozy are: They both have red velvet blankets spread across the couch, the TV is still playing even if no one is in the room, the whole downstairs basement belongs to the kids/grandchildren and everyone has a smile the size of those fake cherry lips on there face and sometimes little play characters are scattered across the floor. But my faVORITE PART OF THE TWO HOuses is the porch connected to the house. The porch is relaxing, after along day of school or maybe reading a book. The best part is till last, [here is the best part!!!] the porches have sliding glass doors that lead to a glorious backyard. It may have John deer trucks for the summer or sleds for the winter.

Some ways they are different are: At my house there is a huge island that has stacks and stacks of paper and homework and everything else on it. Also at my house, when you look into a room you will find clothes buried into the floor, chapter books and picture books and webkinz pets and gum packs and if you're lucky, you may even find some Halloween candy under the dusty bed!!!

At my grandma's house things aren't as wild and disorganized. my grandma cleans the whole house till it is SPOTLESS!!!! All the beds are made, books are put away, the kitchen looks like a brand new one compared to mine, all the pens are properly put back into the pen cup and all the prettyful pictures are put back in the right box. [compaRed to my house which has some in the office, some in the porch and maybe some is C. C.'s room. I love these 2 places!!! Sylvie J 24

Anonymous said...

Skiing and Snowboarding

Although similar sports there are some differences. Skiing is about speed while keeping under control. Snow boarding is a sport of being high up in the air and landing tricks.

Skiing is similar to snowboarding. In both you can do freestyle tricks. Skiing is mostly about getting better at speed. Snowboarding is about landing tricks. Snowboarders mainly tend to hurt their wrists. In Skiing there are mainly leg injuries.
KEVIN SW6

Anonymous said...

Comparing SV pool to the VV pool

There are 2 middle schools in Edina, South View (SV) and Valley View (VV), and they both have swimming pools. As you enter both pool areas, you are greeted with Edina written on the wall and a list of the years that Edina has won the State Championship. They both have score boards. The SV pool has the same green, white and red lane lines as the VV pool.

The SV pool is bigger and has a diving well. SV is modern which you can tell from the glass on the stairs and the locker rooms which allow the coach a better view to make sure there are no fights. The name of the VV pools something in French.

Ben F J7

Anonymous said...

Dear Mme Powell,
My house and my friend Karl’s house look sort of similar on the outside but they are different on the inside! Both of our houses are made of dusty red bricks. Each house holds a family. We each have a younger sister and both are named Elizabeth! But that’s where the similarities end. Karl’s sister is only five seconds younger. But my sister is 23 months younger than me. My family has five members: mom, dad, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and me Andy. They have four people in their family: Karl, Elizabeth, Karl’s dad and Karl’s mom. While we have one unnamed fish, our neighbors have three pets whose names are Sam and Buck (dogs) and Moses the cat. We have a cramped kitchen with lots of drawers and pots and pans. They have a roomy kitchen and I rarely see dishes lying around. Mom makes our dinner and we eat it at the table. But at Karl’s house his dad cooks and they dine at an island. One more thing that is the same at both houses is scrumptious food for dinner!
Andy J16

Anonymous said...

Duke compared to Goldy


Duke and Goldy are both really playful and wonderful dogs. They can run faster than my older brother who has a 7:02 mile. They love to swim through the snow as if it were water.
They both also can jump 4 feet high which is almost as tall as me.
But Goldy is the only one who can catch a tennis ball. If Duke tried it would hit him in the face. But Duke is the only one who can climb the play set. If Goldy tried shed fall on her face. Duke can hunt and Goldy can’t. If Goldy tried hunting even the best hunter in the world would go home with nothing. They are both very special dogs and I like them the way they are.
katiej4

Anonymous said...

I am lucky to have a number of sport jerseys, mainly hockey jerseys and soccer jerseys.

My hockey jersey is big because it needs to cover all my gear. I wear 21 on this jersey proudly because my favorite players Thomas Pohl and Johnny Pohl don it also. During the winter, you will see me wearing my black or white uniform with the Edina hornet shooting pucks in some local ice arena.

As winter starts winding down, spring is coming around the corner and my soccer uniform is starting to see the light. This jersey is smaller in comparison to my hockey jersey. 44 is my number in soccer because it was assigned to me. My teammates and I meet at a grassy soccer field to practice shooting, dribbling our Puma size 4-soccer balls.

I wear both jerseys in representing Edina sports teams. I am happy to be able to wear both jerseys. Thomas 21j

Anonymous said...

My Sisters Room and My Room


Both our rooms are on the upper level of the house and we also share one bathroom. Both of the rooms have wood floors and closets. Both my sister and I have TV’s and radios. And both of the rooms have two windows.


My sister’s room is smaller than mine. I have two beds and she has one bed. My room has just been painted and hers needs to be done this summer. My sister has a giant hole in the wall from a plumbing leak, and I do have any holes in my walls. Also in my room I have two colors and she only has one color.

Braxton #18 SW

Anonymous said...

I am going to compare and contrast soccer and hockey. They have some similarities. They are both sports. Soccer and hockey both use knee pads. The object of the game is to shoot the puck or soccer ball into the net to score. Soccer and hockey are both fun.

Now I’m going to do the differences. Soccer uses a big black and white ball. In hockey we use a small little black puck that’s made out of rubber. In soccer the nets are bigger, in hockey the nets are smaller. You use a very cool stick to get the puck in the net. You use your fantastic feet for soccer. For hockey you wear sharp skates and soccer you wear pointed cleats.

Garrett w SW#23

Anonymous said...

Disney world compared to Washington D.C. In washington D.C and in Disney World it is always HOT! Washington D.C is in Virgina, and Disney world is Florda. Sabrina (one of my best friends)lives in Washington D.C. Micky, Minnie, Pluto, ect. live in Disney ect. There both in the U.S.A. They both are states. Virgina has are state capital, were Florda can got hit by hurracaines.There both fun, and Disney world has rides, and Washington D.C has monumants.

Sarah sw2

Anonymous said...

Dear Ms. Powell,
This week I thought I would compare and contrast my old school (L’etoile du Nord) and my new school (Normandale).
Here are the similarities between my old school and Normandale. My old school and Normandale are both French Immersion schools. They both have fun fundraisers. At my old school, the big fundraiser was called Les Jardins des Enfants. At Normandale, there is the Poisson d’avril. Both schools have wonderful teachers. It’s a coincidence that two of my favorite teachers from my old school came to teach at Normandale. When I see them, I remember fun memories of my old school.
Here are the differences between my old school and Normandale. My old school is smaller than Normandale. My old school has about 300 students. Normandale is twice as big because it has around 600 students. At my old school, you can start orchestra or band in Kindergarten. I started playing violin in first grade. But I had to miss a subject every time I went to orchestra. Usually it was math, which is my favorite subject. At Normandale, you have to wait to start orchestra and band until the fifth grade. Also, I think at Normandale, you don’t have to miss a subject when you go to orchestra or band. At my old school, the only music class you could take was orchestra and band. But at Normandale, everyone takes music class where you get to play the recorder. I love to play the recorder. Every night, I play the recorder and everybody gets annoyed.
Both schools are very different, but I like them the way they are. Even though I miss my old school, I like Normandale a lot and I’m glad I’m here.

Anonymous said...

My house and my grandma’s house are both wonderful houses. Here are some similarities: they both keep you warm on chilly days. I can run speedy quick around the house so I won’t get tagged, or crouch down real small so no one could find me (I was playing hide and go seek.). They both have cozy beds that I can sleep in at night. These are some differences: My grandma’s house has a pool in the back yard, and its water is not to cold and not to hot, it’s just right! If you look out grams’s window you will see palm trees and if you look out a window here in Minnesota, you won’t see any palm trees. My house and my grams’s house are two great places that I love!

Estee #25 SW

Anonymous said...

my house and my narbors house are the same in many diffrint wais but at the same time very very diffrint we both have wood houses and thne wood is blched but they have diffrint color blche they have a more brown. We have a bigger house and they have less windows.They do not have as many slding doors as usnow you see some wais that there diffrint and alike.

nick j2#