Comparing and Contrasting in Tops and Bottoms

Activity Overview

A fun way to get your students to connect with and understand the two main characters is to have them compare and contrast their qualities. Janet Stevens does a good job at describing many differences and some similarities between the characters, Hare and Bear.

Students can use the text to find character traits and physical traits of Bear and Hare. Students can work individually or in pairs to research and compile a list of evidence. Once students have traits for each character, they can compare/contrast. Students will describe the traits they compiled about Hare on one side and the traits they discovered of Bear on the other. The traits that they both share will go in the middle. Using the T-Chart layout, students can create a version of a Venn Diagram!

Bear: wealthy

Hare: poor

Bear: lazy

Hare: hard working

Bear: animals

Hare: live in the same area

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Template and Class Instructions

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Student Instructions

Create a storyboard comparing and contrasting two characters from Tops and Bottoms.

Use the template provided by your teacher.
List the traits that are similar between your chosen characters in the middle cell.
On the right side, describe the traits that make one character unique.
On the left side, describe the traits that make the other character unique.
Illustrate each cell with appropriate characters and scenes!

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 2-3

Difficulty Level 2 (Reinforcing / Developing)

Type of Assignment Individual or Partner

Type of Activity: Compare and Contrast with T-Charts

Common Core Standards

[ELA-Literacy/RL/2/6] Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud.
[ELA-Literacy/RL/3/3] Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

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Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Compare and Contrast

Create a storyboard that finds the similarities and differences between two things.

	Proficient	Emerging	Beginning
Similarities	Student identifies and explains many of the similarities between the two.	Student identifies and explains some of the similarities between the two.	Student identifies and explains few of the similarities between the two.
Differences	Student identifies and explains many of the differences between the two.	Student identifies and explains some of the differences between the two.	Student identifies and explains few of the differences between the two.
Images	Images are clear and creative.	Most images are easy to understand, but at least two images do not fit.	Images are not easy to understand.
Spelling and Grammar	Student makes few errors.	Student makes two or three errors in spelling and grammar.	Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar.