Attribute Hunt Worksheet Attribute Lab
Lesson 1: Identifying Attributes & Adjectives
Vocabulary Focus
Attribute (Characteristic)
Descriptive Adjective
Comparison
Detective Name
Date
1
The Odd One Out
Look at the three images below. Circle the one that is the "Odd One Out" (doesn't belong). Then, explain why using descriptive adjectives.
🐘
African Elephant
Habitat: Savanna
🐋
Blue Whale
Habitat: Ocean
🦁
African Lion
Habitat: Savanna
Why is it the Odd One Out?
Example: The Blue Whale is different because it lives in the water. It is aquatic.
2
Attribute Analysis
Choose two objects or animals to compare. List their attributes (categories like size, color, or speed) and then use descriptive adjectives to describe them.
Attribute Subject A: __________ Subject B: __________ Size Color / Appearance Habitat / Location Diet / Energy Source Choose one...
3
The Adjective Toolbox
Think of academic adjectives for each category. These words will help you compare things more precisely!
Climate & Weather
Arid (Very dry)
Tropical
Population & Communities
Densely populated
Urban
Physical Appearance
Gigantic
Microscopic
Behavior & Function
Nocturnal
Aggressive
Case Study: The Two Habitats
Compare the Desert and the Rainforest . Use at least 4 adjectives from your toolbox above.
My Comparison Observations:
Attribute Lab Slides ESL Academic Skills
Attribute Lab
Lesson 1: The Building Blocks of Comparison
Observe
Identify
Describe
Hook Odd One Out!
🌵
Cactus
🌲
Pine Tree
🐪
Camel
Which one doesn't belong? Why?
Living Thing Habitat
Attribute
An attribute is a category or characteristic we use to describe something.
Examples
Sentence Frame
"One attribute of a desert is its arid climate."
The Adjective Toolbox
Science
• Aquatic
• Terrestrial
• Nocturnal
• Migratory
Social Studies
• Rural
• Urban
• Densely populated
• Industrial
Comparison
• Massive
• Tiny
• Similar
• Distinct
Lab Mission!
Open your Attribute Hunt Worksheet and become an Attribute Detective.
1. Pick 2 subjects
2. Find their attributes
3. Add adjectives
Attribute Detective Teacher Guide Teacher Facilitation Guide
Attribute Detectives (Lesson 1)
Duration
60 Min
Grade
3rd ESL
Learning Objective
Students will be able to identify specific categories for comparison (attributes) and apply descriptive academic adjectives to science and social studies content.
Key Vocabulary
Attribute Characteristic Academic Adjective Observe
Materials Needed
Attribute Lab Slides
Attribute Hunt Worksheets
Picture cards (Animals/Cities)
Instructional Pacing
10m
The Hook: Odd One Out
Display Slide 2. Allow students to talk in pairs first. Look for answers beyond "I don't like camels." Guide them toward physical attributes (e.g., "The camel is an animal, the others are plants").
Teacher Tip: Use the "I notice..." sentence frame to scaffold observations for lower-proficiency ESL students.
15m
Direct Instruction: What is an Attribute?
Use Slides 3 and 4 to define 'attribute'. Emphasize that an attribute is like a drawer (category) and the adjective is what you find inside the drawer (description).
Attribute: SizeAdjectives: Massive, tiny, average.
Attribute: ClimateAdjectives: Tropical, arid, freezing.
25m
Guided & Independent Practice
Students work on the Attribute Hunt Worksheet. Walk around and encourage students to use the "Adjective Toolbox" on the back of the sheet.
10m
Wrap Up: Share Out
Students share one attribute of their "Case Study" habitats. Preview the next lesson: "How do we compare these using -er and -est?"
Differentiation Strategies
For Emerging ESL (Level 1-2):
Provide a word bank with pictures for adjectives.
Focus on concrete attributes: color, size, shape.
For Bridging ESL (Level 4-5):
Require abstract attributes: population, climate, function.
Encourage compound adjectives (e.g., cold-blooded).
Comparison Clash Slides ESL Academic Skills
Comparison Clash
Lesson 2: Mastering the -er and -est
Today's Goal
Construct sentences to rank and compare items using correct grammar.
Game Time Creature Clash!
🐆
Cheetah
Speed 70 mph
Weight 110 lbs
🐘
Elephant
Speed 25 mph
Weight 12,000 lbs
Who is faster ? Who is heavier ?
Grammar Rules
Short Words
Comparing 2 Things
Fast + er
Comparing 3+ Things
Fast + est
Long Words
Comparing 2 Things
More beautiful
Comparing 3+ Things
Most beautiful
How to say it...
Level 1: Comparison
"The cheetah is faster than the elephant."
Level 2: Superlative
"The blue whale is the heaviest animal in the world."
Clash Challenge!
Use your Clash Cards to battle your partner. You must speak in full sentences to win the round!
WINNING SENTENCE:
"My animal is _________er than yours because..."
Creature Clash Cards Creature Clash
Game Deck & Activity Sheet
Mission
Compare stats to win the round!
How to Play
1 Cut out the cards below and deal them to players.
2 Choose a stat (Speed, Weight, etc.) and read it aloud.
3 Win the round by using a full comparison sentence .
Cheetah 🐆
Speed: 70 mph
Weight: 110 lbs
Lifespan: 12 years
"The fastest land animal on Earth."
Elephant 🐘
Speed: 25 mph
Weight: 12,000 lbs
Lifespan: 70 years
"Extremely heavy and very intelligent."
Tortoise 🐢
Speed: 0.2 mph
Weight: 500 lbs
Lifespan: 150 years
"Lives longer than almost any animal."
Hummingbird 🐦
Speed: 30 mph
Weight: 0.01 lbs
Lifespan: 5 years
"Tiny but exceptionally fast wings."
Battle Log
Record your winning sentences here!
Comparison Rules Reference The Rule Book
How to build Comparison Sentences
1
Short Words (1 Syllable)
Compare 2 Things
Adjective + er
"The cheetah is fast-er than the elephant."
Compare 3+ Things
Adjective + est
"The cheetah is the fast-est land animal."
2
Long Words (2+ Syllables)
Compare 2 Things
More + Adjective
"The city is more dangerous than the country."
Compare 3+ Things
Most + Adjective
"The city is the most crowded place."
The "Y" Trick
If a word ends in "Y" (like Happy or Heavy ), change the Y to an I before adding -er or -est!
Heavy Heavier
Heavy Heaviest
Sentence Surgery Slides ESL Academic Skills
Sentence Surgery
Lesson 3: Sticking Ideas Together with Contrast
Cut
Connect
Contrast
Hook Sentence Surgery!
We have two simple ideas. They are different . How can we stitch them into one smart sentence?
Sentence A
The desert is hot.
Sentence B
The arctic is cold.
SUTURE THEM!
"The desert is hot, but the arctic is cold."
The Surgeon's Kit
The "Middle" Stitches
but
Simple and direct.
however
Fancy and academic!
The "Starting" Stitches
Unlike
Used to compare people/things.
While
Used for continuous actions.
The Academic Stitch
Compound Contrast
Unlike cities, rural areas have very few people.
Complex Contrast
Tigers live in Asia. However, lions live in Africa.
Prepare for Surgery!
Grab your Surgery Kit Worksheet . You must combine the sentences without losing the meaning!
Match
Suture
Save
Surgery Kit Worksheet Surgery Kit
Lesson 3: Sentence Stitching Worksheet
Surgeon Name
Date
1
The Matching Room
Match the sentence pairs that show a contrast (a difference).
1. Cats have fur.
2. The sun is a star.
3. Apples are sweet.
A. Lemons are sour.
B. The moon is a satellite.
C. Birds have feathers.
2
The Suture Station
Use a connector from the Surgeon's Kit to combine these broken sentences.
but however unlike while
Subject A: Polar Bears live in the arctic. Subject B: Penguins live in the antarctic.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Subject A: Dogs are social animals. Subject B: Hamsters are solitary animals.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Subject A: Cities are very noisy. Subject B: Villages are very quiet.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Advanced Surgery
Write your own contrast sentence about two animals or two communities. Use "However" or "Unlike" .
Sentence Stitching Answer Key Answer Key & Teacher Resource
Sentence Surgery (Lesson 3)
Official Key
Matching Room Keys
1. Cats have fur. C. Birds have feathers.
2. The sun is a star. B. The moon is a satellite.
3. Apples are sweet. A. Lemons are sour.
Pedagogy Tip
The goal of "Sentence Surgery" is to move students from compound sentences (using but ) to complex sentences (using however or unlike ).
Remind students that however usually requires a period or semicolon before it, and a comma after it.
Suture Station: Sample Answers
Item 1: Polar Bears vs. Penguins
• Polar bears live in the arctic, but penguins live in the antarctic.
• While polar bears live in the arctic, penguins live in the antarctic.
• Polar bears live in the arctic. However, penguins live in the antarctic.
Item 2: Dogs vs. Hamsters
• Dogs are social animals. However, hamsters are solitary animals.
• Unlike dogs, hamsters are solitary animals.
Item 3: Cities vs. Villages
• Cities are very noisy, but villages are very quiet.
• Unlike noisy cities, villages are very quiet.
Contrast Signal Words Cheat Sheet
Contrast
However
In contrast
On the other hand
Conversely
Difference
Unlike
Different from
Opposed to
Dissimilar
Simultaneity
While
Whereas
Even though
Although
Mapping Masterminds Slides ESL Academic Skills
Mapping Masterminds
Lesson 4: Organizing Information for Analysis
Hook The Double Bubble
Urban
Many people, tall buildings, noisy
Both
Houses, stores, people living together
Rural
Few people, open space, quiet
How do we visualize similarities and differences?
The Master Tools
The T-Chart
Best for listing differences side-by-side.
Topic A
Topic B
The Venn Diagram
Best for showing what is the same and what is different .
Evidence Extraction
The Text
"While lions live in large groups called prides, tigers are solitary animals that prefer to hunt alone."
Identify Attribute
Social Behavior
Sort Evidence
Lions = Prides | Tigers = Solitary
Map Your Ideas!
Read your Dual-Subject Text and use the Discovery Organizer to map out what you find.
Think Like a Mastermind:
"Where does this detail belong? Left, Right, or Center?"
City vs Country Reading Passage Dual Discovery Text
The Great Divide: Cities and Rural Communities
Reading Level
3.5 - 4.0
Informational Text
Humans live in many different types of communities. Two of the most common types are urban communities (cities) and rural communities (the countryside). While they both provide places for people to live, they are very different in many ways.
Population and Buildings
Urban communities are densely populated , which means thousands of people live close together in a small space. Because there is not much land, buildings in the city are very tall. These are called skyscrapers. In contrast, rural communities are sparsely populated . Houses are far apart, and buildings are usually short.
Environment and Noise
The environment is another major difference. In a city, you will see many roads, cars, and lights. It is often very noisy due to the traffic. However, rural communities have lots of open space, farms, and trees. Unlike the noisy city, the countryside is quiet and peaceful.
Common Ground
Despite these differences, both communities share some similarities. Both urban and rural areas have stores where people buy food. They both have schools for children to learn. Most importantly, people in both types of communities work hard to take care of their families and their neighbors.
Evidence Check
Underline in the text:
A sentence showing a similarity .
A sentence showing a difference .
Mastermind Tip:
Look for signal words like "Both", "However", and "Unlike" to find your evidence quickly!
Dual Discovery Organizer Worksheet Discovery Organizer
Lesson 4: The Mapping Tool
Mastermind Name
Date
Topic A: __________
Same (Both)
Topic B: __________
Attribute Tags
Which attributes did you find evidence for? Check the boxes below.
Population
Environment
Noise Level
Buildings
Writing Workshop Slides Final Assessment
The Final Report
Synthesizing everything you've learned to write a professional comparative analysis.
The Report Structure
1
Introduction
Introduce the two topics and their big similarity.
2
Body Paragraph
The "Surgery" part. Use contrast words to show differences.
3
Conclusion
Which one is your final choice? Why?
Academic Checklist
Comparative Grammar (-er, -est)
Contrast Signal Words
Specific Attributes
Sample Sentence:
"Unlike cats, dogs are more social animals."
The Review Process
1
Swap your report with a Writing Partner .
2
Hunt for Adjectives and Contrast Words .
3
Give one Star (Something Good) and one Step (To Improve).
Write Your Report!
Use your Pet Pro-Con Report template. Help a family decide which pet is best for them!
Final Goal:
"Become an Expert Analyst!"
Pet Comparison Report Template Expert Analysis
Comparative Report: The Best Pet
Author Name
Date
The Scenario: A family wants a new pet. They cannot decide between a Dog and a Cat . Write a report comparing these two animals to help them decide.
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Start by naming both animals and one thing that is the same.
Paragraph 2: Detailed Comparison
Use attributes like Size , Energy , or Care . Use words like Unlike , However , and -er/-est .
Paragraph 3: The Final Decision
Which pet is the best? Why?
Peer Review Checklist
The Detective Work
I used at least 3 adjectives.
I used -er or -est correctly.
I used "However" or "Unlike".
Partner Feedback
⭐ One Star (Something Great)
👣 One Step (To Improve)
Expert Analyst Rubric Expert Analyst Rubric
Final Assessment: Comparative Writing
Total Score
/ 16
Criteria Level 4 (Expert) Level 2 (Developing) Score Attributes
Comparing specific categories.
| Includes 3 or more clear attributes (e.g., size, diet, habitat). | Includes only 1 attribute or general observations only. | / 4 |
|
Comparison Grammar
Using -er, -est, more, most.
| Correctly uses multiple comparative and superlative adjectives. | Mistakes in syllable rules (e.g., "more fast" instead of "faster"). | / 4 |
|
Contrast Signals
Using however, unlike, but.
| Uses 2 or more academic signals (However, Unlike, While). | Only uses "but" or no contrast signals at all. | / 4 |
|
Organization
Intro, Body, Conclusion.
| Follows the 3-paragraph structure perfectly. | Missing an introduction or a clear conclusion. | / 4 |
Teacher Feedback
"A true expert doesn't just see the difference—they explain it!"
Final Analyst Grade
A+
