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Arizona ELA Standard: 5.RI.5

Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, and problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?
Who has more power: the Queen Bee or the Hive?
Sometimes power is concentrated in one place. Other times it is spread out.
Gr 1-8
What’s In My Brain: Spain vs Germany
What’s In My Brain: Spain vs Germany
One column is an example. The other isn’t. Can your students figure out the hidden rule before the reveal?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
Think Like An Author: Hemingway vs Dickens
Think Like An Author: Hemingway vs Dickens
What if your students rewrote Dickens in the style of Hemingway and vice versa?
Gr 1-8
Not Like The Others: African Nations
Not Like The Others: African Nations
Four African nations. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Gr 1-8
Stories with the Same Problems and Solutions
Stories with the Same Problems and Solutions
Have you ever noticed that some stories have awfully similar problems? What if we looked for the most unusual way of solving a repeating problem?
Gr 1-6
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
Chess Variant: Monster Chess
What if you had really weak chess pieces, but you could always move twice?
Gr 1-8
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?
Gr 1-8
Analyze Paragraphs: Empire State Building
Analyze Paragraphs: Empire State Building
Three paragraphs about the Empire State Building. They all cover the same topic — so what makes each one different? Now combine them into one super-paragraph.
Gr 1-8
Paradox: Rebuilding A Ship
Paradox: Rebuilding A Ship
What if we completely rebuild something slowly? What if we completely rebuild it all at once? Is it still the same thing?
Gr 1-8
Thinking With Art: Head Down
Thinking With Art: Head Down
One artist, two paintings. Notice details, compare, synthesize, then find a parallel in another creator’s work.
Gr 1-8
Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters
Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters
Four natural disasters. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Gr 1-8
Order Can Be Natural or Constructed
Order Can Be Natural or Constructed
When is order natural and when is it designed by people?
Gr 1-8
What’s In My Brain: May vs May
What’s In My Brain: May vs May
The word “may” can be used for possibility or permission. It’s a modal auxiliary verb!
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8
Create A Civilization: A Change In Government
Create A Civilization: A Change In Government
It’s a great moment for your civilization! Power is moving from the hands of a few to a more democratic government.
Gr 1-8
Game: Order and Chaos
Game: Order and Chaos
Imagine Tic-Tac-Toe if both players could play as both Xs and Os!
Gr 1-8
Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?
Simple or Compound Sentences – What’s In My Brain?
Can your students spot simple sentences vs compound sentences?
Gr 1, 2, 3, 5, 7
What’s In My Brain – The Park vs The Museum
What’s In My Brain – The Park vs The Museum
We’re looking at the past progressive tense and the simple past tense.
Gr 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing
Upgrading Compare and Contrast Writing
Upgrade compare and contrast writing with just a couple of key words.
Gr 1-8
Building Creative Analogies
Building Creative Analogies
We’ll take two seemingly unrelated pieces of content (say volcanoes and the human body) and then build analogies to connect the two ideas. In the end, students can create a skit, comic, or story relating the two concepts.
Gr 1-8
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Add complexity by considering how multiple factors 🔄 Converge within one topic.
Gr 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Content Imperatives: Parallel
Content Imperatives: Parallel
Get students thinking broadly by exploring similarities across multiple topics. Combine with Depth and Complexity for bonus points!
Gr 1-8
Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends
Depth and Complexity: 📈 Trends
Has something been changing recently? What might be causing that? What are the effects?
Gr 2-8
Depth and Complexity: 📚 Across Disciplines
Depth and Complexity: 📚 Across Disciplines
No topic is an island! With the 📚 Across Disciplines prompt, students note connections within and across multiple fields.
Gr 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Depth and Complexity: ⏳ Change Over Time
Depth and Complexity: ⏳ Change Over Time
Want to get students thinking about how a topic has changed or might change in the future? The ⏳ Change Over Time thinking tool is just what you need!
Gr 2-8
Depth and Complexity: Patterns
Depth and Complexity: Patterns
Can your students spot anything that repeats? Or that has stopped repeating?
Gr 2-8
Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea
Better Stories Part 1: The Big Idea
We open our unit on narrative writing with a big idea: “structure increases creativity.” I show how this is true by bringing in examples from across all disciplines.
Gr 1-8