---
title: Using Key Words to Compare and Contrast
description: Students will practice using key words to signal compare and contrast.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/compare_and_contrast-001.png
---
**Subject: ESL/ELL (English Language Learning)**
**Lesson Length: 30 - 45 mins**
**Topic: Compare and Contrast**
**Grade Level: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6**
**Standards / Framework: **
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.9](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.9](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [WIDA: STANDARD 2](https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf)
**Brief Description:** Students will practice using key words to signal compare and contrast.
**Know Before You Start:** This lesson is intended to help students use key words when speaking and writing to express their ideas on how two things are similar or different.
**Hook:**
- Read and discuss the sample comic.
- Discuss how in English, you can use certain words to compare people, things, or ideas to show how they are similar or the same.
- In addition, you can use certain words to contrast, or tell how people, things, or ideas are different.
- Create a T-chart of words that signal compare and contrast, e.g., also, like, too, same, similar, both; but, differ, however, unlike, while.
**Activity:**
- Write down topic pairs on index cards and have students choose a pair, e.g., whales and sharks, dogs and cats, two favorite movies, two favorite video games.
- Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a comic that compares and contrasts their topic pair.
- Display sentence frames and/or signal words for students to use in their comic.
**Closure:**
- Have students present their comics to the whole group or in pairs.
**Differentiation:**
- Allow students to use speech-to-text as needed.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Allow students to work in pairs as needed.
- Print out the comic and have students highlight the signal words they used.
- Adapt sentence frames to match student language level.
- Allow students to come up with their own topic pair.
**Resources:**
- Comic to print or display: [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/qculcab).
- [T-Chart](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/Printables/Graphic%20Organizers_02.pdf).
**Suggested Content:**
- [ Cinderella Around The World ](https://content.pixton.com/cinderella-around-the-world)
- [ Ancient Rome ](https://content.pixton.com/ancient-rome)
- [ Ancient Greece ](https://content.pixton.com/ancient-greece)
- [ Airport ](https://content.pixton.com/airport)
**Suggested Story Starters:**
- [ Compare Historical Places: Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/compare-historical-places)
Assign Activity
## Related Ideas
[](https://ideas.pixton.com/dare-to-compare)
### [Dare to Compare: Comparing Fractions](https://ideas.pixton.com/dare-to-compare)
In this lesson, students will work in pairs to explain how to create common denominators and compare fractions. Students will show the calculations used to create common denominators on a separate worksheet.
[](https://ideas.pixton.com/cultural-comparisons)
### [Cultural Comparisons](https://ideas.pixton.com/cultural-comparisons)
Students will compare the cultures studied and their own.
[](https://ideas.pixton.com/handling-conflict)
### [Handling Conflict](https://ideas.pixton.com/handling-conflict)
Students will read a conflict comic and discuss conflict resolution.