Batman comes out at night. He drives his Batmobile. He also glides in the air using his cape.
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DaNny R. Rivera (Nosey Costume); Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo (Glide, Two-Face); Collection Christophel/Alamy Stock Photo (Batmobile); Shutterstock.com (All other Images)
Which is More Amazing? Batman or Bats?
Batman is a superhero. Bats are super animals. What makes them so great?
By Katie Mach
From the October/November 2024 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will describe how Batman and bats are alike and different to practice comparing and contrasting.
Batman
Awake at Night
Dark Cave
Batmobile
Batman has a secret room. It is called the Batcave. That is where he makes his plans.
Here to Help
Batman protects people. He stops bad guys. Thanks, Batman!
Bats
Awake at Night
Most bats are awake at night. They are nocturnal. They fly in the night sky. They flap their wings.
Dark Caves
Some bats go into caves. That is where they sleep. They hang upside down!
Here to Help
Yum! Mosquitoes!
Bats help protect people. They eat bugs that bite us. Thanks, bats!
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More About the Article
English Language Arts Focus
Compare and contrast
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Implementation
- Whole group
Pairings and Text Connections
- From the Storyworks 1 archive: “Alike and Different: Which Is More Amazing, Spiderman or Spiders?” (October/November 2022)
- Suggested books: Bats by Gail Gibbons; Batman 5-Minute Stories by DC Comics
Before-Reading Resources
- Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) glides, protects, nocturnal
- Video: Skill Power: Compare and Contrast (5 minutes) This how-to video explains how and why we compare and contrast.
- Video: Night Flyer (5 minutes) Learn more about bats with this fascinating video.
Suggested Reading Focus
Compare and contrast (20 minutes)
- Tell students that they will be reading about Batman and bats. As they read, they should think about how Batman and bats are alike and different.
- Preview the parallel structure of the texts. What do children notice about these two pages? (They are set up similarly. Each section has a heading. All the headings are the same.)
- Read “Batman,” stopping at the end of each section to check comprehension. Then read “Bats,” again stopping at the end of each section to check comprehension.
- Next, read through the texts again. This time, read the texts under the same headings back-to-back so children can focus on comparing and contrasting. Then discuss what students learned about Batman and bats from the section.
- Compare the photos. What can children learn about Batman and bats by looking at the photos?
- Finally, ask students to turn and talk about how Batman and bats are alike and different. Volunteers can share their answers.
After-Reading Skills Practice
- Skills: Nouns and verbs; Compare/contrast (15 minutes)
Text-to-Speech