A note: For those who don't know, Common Core State Standards are the new guidelines for what students should learn and when. These standards will go into effect in most states of our nation in 2014.
Well, first graders aren't the only kids who must learn to compare and contrast. Second graders are learning the same lesson, but with more complexity. Ri.2.9, the second grade version, asks students to "Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic."
That's what Ms. Murphy's class did when looking at two of our most famous presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
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First they were presented with different written materials. Their job was to read them carefully and sort them into similarities and differences. They were supposed to pick the most important points. Sometimes what's more important is a matter of opinion, though.
The kids learned to present their findings by making their own Ven diagrams. Even knowing what a Ven diagram is and being able to use it yourself is a big step forward. That's what a year can do.
Here are some of the students' examples:
