MAP 8th Grade Reading

A comprehensive course designed to prepare 8th graders for the MAP Reading assessment by building advanced reading comprehension, analysis, and real-world literacy skills.

Understanding Main Ideas and DetailsMaking InferencesInterpreting Literary Devices
Analyzing Author’s Purpose and PerspectiveEvaluating Arguments and EvidenceComparing and Contrasting Texts
Reading for InformationApplying Context CluesSynthesizing Information
Active Reading TechniquesTime Management for Reading Tests
Understanding Main I...Making InferencesInterpreting Literar...Analyzing Author’s P...Evaluating Arguments...Comparing and Contra...Reading for Informat...Applying Context Clu...Synthesizing Informa...Active Reading Techn...Time Management for ...
Advanced Topics

Comparing and Contrasting Texts

What Does It Mean to Compare and Contrast?

Comparing means finding similarities, while contrasting means spotting differences between texts, characters, or ideas.

How to Do It

  • Read both texts carefully.
  • List what’s alike and what’s different.
  • Look for words like "similarly," "however," or "on the other hand."

Why It Matters

This skill helps you understand themes, authors’ choices, and see bigger ideas across different readings.

Real-World Benefits

Comparing and contrasting helps you make decisions, like which phone or movie is better, and deepens your understanding of the world.

Examples

  • Two stories may have brave characters, but one faces a dragon and the other a bully.

  • Articles on climate change may agree on the problem but offer different solutions.

In a Nutshell

Comparing and contrasting reveals what texts have in common and what sets them apart.

Next
Reading for Information
Comparing and Contrasting Texts - MAP 8th Grade Reading Content | Practice Hub