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Diagram Similarities and Differences (Analogical Reasoning)

Tags

^21st Century Skills MS/HS/College Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Verbal Reasoning Verbal Memory Abstract Reasoning

Diagram Similarities and Differences (Analogical Reasoning)

If your student struggles to make connections, draw conclusions or logically organize ideas; good for students with stronger visual memory

Teach It!

  1. Objective: Students will use a 2x2 matrix or Venn diagram to visualize ideas and help them make connections.
  2. Teacher Takeaways: The 2x2 matrix and the Venn Diagram are two common approaches to categorize and simplify complex information so students can better understand how concepts are similar and how they are different.
  3. 2x2 Matrix to more easily distinguish differences: a) Create a square with four equal size boxes. b) Label the two axes on the two key criteria by which you will compare and contrast the information. c) Plot the information in the four quadrants. Example: For an earth science matrix about landmasses and water bodies, one axis could be land/water while the other axis could be large/small.
  4. Venn Diagram to highlight common features: a) Create two or three circles with some amount of overlap. b) Label each circle in bold/distinct color. c) Plot items with common features in the intersection and distinct features outside the intersection.
  5. Mindprint-reviewed app: Venn Diagram is a free app for creating Venn diagrams with neat pictures and allows students to move items around as they think about the best categorization.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

The act of categorizing and plotting can force students to think through the material and help them better understand relative relationships. For students with better visual memory, the matrix can help them with recall. If you have strong visual memory, these can be a particularly effective techniques to help you remember, compare and contrast a lot of information