Similars, similes and the like.

Similes, metaphors.  Stuff like that.  We call them similars because that doesn’t sound so fancy.  And similars are not fancy.  Finding similarities is one of the main tricks your brain uses to make sense out of the world.  It runs by itself.  You don’t have to work at it.   But you can add some extra tricks if you want to get more out of you brain. 

 

 

 

Getting your brain to turn tricks, metaphorically speaking.   The tricky part of similes and metaphors is that they are so easy to find.  You don’t really learn how to find them.  It just happens. 

Well, your hair just happens, too.  But sometimes you want to take control of it.  You want to use your hair for your purposes.  If you want to use similes for your purposes, you want to take control of those brain modules that tell you how things are alike. 

The first step in hair control is realizing that you can do it.  When you were little, your mother controlled you hair.  Later, you realized that you could do it yourself.  And get it more to your liking. 

The first step in using similes is to realize that people use them intentionally.  That clues you in to the idea of looking for them in the assigned readings.  It also clues you in to the idea that you can make them up yourself.

Your Networker

 

Similars, Team study
And team study for parents

Quest questions
What is the most important thing or event in the topic?
Does it have any parts or steps? 
Does it have a beginning?
Is there a result or outcome?
What other things have similar parts, steps, beginnings, or results?

Semi-Structured Brainstorming
Use the Quest Questions to make the Semi-Structure.

Web Work.  Run a search with several common words that describe the topic.  Leave out technical terms that belong specifically to the topic.

 

The Thinkerer 10/28/2008
Copyright (c) D. F. Dansereau & S. H. Evans

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