Analogy Assessment
At a Glance
- Time: 2-3 minutes
- Prep: None
- Group: Individual
- Setting: Any
- Subjects: Universal
- Energy: Medium
Purpose
Assess conceptual understanding by having students compare today's concept to something familiar, revealing depth through quality of analogical reasoning and ability to transfer knowledge.
How It Works
- Present prompt (30 sec) - "Today's concept (mitosis) is like _____ because _____"
- Create analogies (2 min) - Students write comparison to familiar concept with justification
- Share and evaluate (1 min) - Share 2-3; discuss what makes analogies strong
What to Say
Opening: "Complete this: 'Mitosis is like _____ because _____.' Choose something familiar—sports, cooking, technology, anything. But explain WHY the comparison works."
During: "What familiar thing works the same way?... What's the key similarity?... Why is that comparison accurate?"
Closing: "Best analogy: 'Mitosis is like photocopying because it creates identical copies through a systematic process.' The specific parallels show deep understanding."
Why It Works
Quality analogies require understanding relationships and structures, not just surface features. Students who grasp concepts deeply can map them onto familiar domains. Weak analogies expose superficial understanding.
Research Connection: Analogical reasoning supports learning transfer and reveals conceptual understanding (Gentner, 1983; Holyoak & Thagard, 1995).
Teacher Tip
Push for precise analogies. "Mitosis is like copying" is okay. "Mitosis is like a factory assembly line that produces identical products through sequential quality-checked steps" reveals sophisticated understanding.
Variations
Direction: Concept to familiar (mitosis is like ) or familiar to concept ( is like mitosis) • Specificity: Single-sentence or multi-point comparison table • Ages: K-5: simple analogies with teacher examples; 6-12: complex justified analogies; College: multi-level structural mappings
Online
Students type analogies in chat. Use word cloud to identify common comparison domains. Discuss best examples.
Troubleshooting
Superficial analogies: "Don't just name something—explain the SPECIFIC ways they're similar."
Extension
Reverse: Give students an analogy and ask them to explain how it maps onto the concept, identifying where analogy breaks down.
Related: Speed Analogies, Visual Metaphors