Use Your Noggin: Compare and Contrast Task Card Game

Comparing and contrasting is an important skill that spans a variety of subjects. The Common Core Standards lists comparing and contrasting 29 times within grades K-12. Teaching developing readers and writers the skill of comparing and contrasting is very important. Why not make it fun? This picture driven game will provide your students with the higher-level thinking practice they need to develop strong comparing and contrasting paragraphs. Students will produce both comparing and contrasting phrases to describe the pictures provided on each task card. Then they will practice writing these phrases into fully descriptive comparing and contrasting paragraphs that SHOW not tell.

****Note: Pictures included in this product were chosen specifically for use with comparing and contrasting practice. This game may be used for developmentally ready students in 1st grade. Please view preview if considering purchasing for 1st grade students. ********

There are many other teaching options for this game such as visualizing, reading fluency, and descriptive writing. The beauty of it is it fits most any age and most any reading level, grades 1-5, since students are either challenging themselves or placed with classmates of similar abilities to compete. Scaffold the directions or use of certain cards according to students' reading abilities.

Game Options:
-Use as a center for individual practice
-Play in pairs to challenge readers
-Play as a group or a class to increase the level of challenge

This game supports:
-Higher-level thinking skills
-Inferencing
-Vocabulary Development
-Creativity
-Writing Fluency
-Reading Fluency
-Visualizing
-Speaking Skills

Options Available:
-Print as 4x6 task cards
-Print as 5x7 task cards
-Print as full size pages
-Laminate for repeated use
-Use digitally within Apps or Google learning tools for paperless version
-Play together using document camera/Smartboard/projector/Apple TV