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| Overview |
 Together, students and teacher create the first half of a draft of a comparison and contrast essay. During the modeling, students observe what writers do when revising a draft as they reread and write. They will begin to explore the techniques that writers use, such as rearranging or clarifying words or sentences. Students then apply the techniques by continuing the draft independently.
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| From Theory to Practice |
When I model the writing process for my class, I can see the light bulb
moments in the students’ faces as they think of ways to apply what is being
demonstrated in their own writing. In her book Conversations, Regie Routman explains
why this modeling process is so successful: "It
has always been our job to teach directly and explicitly in response to students'
needs—carefully demonstrating, specifically showing how, clearly explaining.
Whatever we want our students to do well, we first have to show them how. Of
all the changes I have made in my teaching, adding explicit demonstration
to everything I teach has been the single most important factor in increasing
students' literacy" (24).
Further,
writing out loud with students gives me an opportunity to show my enjoyment
for the writing process. Students see that revision and editing are part of the fun, and that even
teachers don’t get it correct the first time. As an added bonus, students are frequently
more eager to share personal writings with me for feedback once they see
this process modeled.
Further Reading
Routman, Regie. 1999. Conversations: Strategies for Teaching, Learning,
and Evaluating. Heinneman.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- define the characteristics of a comparison/contrast essay.
- generate ideas for the group composition and their own essays as the process is modeled.
- develop a final copy of a comparison/contrast paper.
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
Preparation
- Set the projector up so that the teacher is facing the class and able to
type the text (or write easily on the overhead) and the class is able to
follow along.
- Familiarize yourself with the basic commands of the word processor on the computer that you're using.
- Test the Venn
Diagram Student Interactive, Comparison
and Contrast Guide, and Compare and Contrast Map on your
computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have
the Flash plug-in installed. You
can
download the plug-in from the technical
support page.
- Prior to this lesson, students should have learned how to write
introductions and conclusions. The ReadWriteThink lesson Leading
to Great Places in the Elementary Classroom can be a useful resource for exploring
introductory sentences.
Instruction and Activities
Session One
- Hold up or display two different objects for students to focus on as they
explore the meaning of the terms compare and contrast. You might
choose two different beverage options (juice versus milk), two candy bars (Milky
Way versus Reese's Cups), or two different television programs (SpongeBob
SquarePants
versus The Rugrats). Be sure to choose items which students are familiar
with so that the process of comparing the objects will be clearer to them.
- Make two columns on the board or chart paper and invite students to brainstorm
characteristics of first one of the objects (e.g., juice) and then the other
object (e.g., milk). Invite students to add and revise information as they
work, moving between the two columns.
- If students need help building the lists
of
characteristics,
ask leading questions such as "How do you decide which beverage you want
to drink?" or "How
do you decide which candy bar to buy?"
- Ask students to identify characteristics that are included in both of
the columns. Either mark these similarities using a different colored pen,
or create a new chart with the column headings of "Comparison" and "Contrast."
- Based on the information in the lists, lead a class discussion on the definitions
of the words compare and contrast.
Refer to examples on the charts to clarify the difference between the two terms.
- As a class, brainstorm other ways students compare and contrast in their
daily lives (sports teams, restaurants, toys, books, etc.). You can do this
by pairing students in groups or 2-4 having them compose a list as a group
and then as a coming together as a class to share ideas.
- From there, you will brainstorm and generate a class definition of compare
and contrast making sure they understand why comparing and contrasting
is important by using examples as needed.
Session Two
and Three
- Use the Comparison and Contrast Guide to review information from the first class session as needed.
- You can decide or allow the class to help you decide two things to compare
and contrast for the class essay.
- Use the "Graphic Organizer" tab on the Comparison
and Contrast Guide to introduce the 2-Circle Venn Diagram. Alternately,
you can use the Compare
and Contrast Chart Graphic Organizer if you prefer.
- Open the Venn
Diagram Student Interactive. Alternately, you can draw a simple
graphic organizer on the chalkboard of a Venn diagram (two overlapping circles).
- Label the circles and brainstorm as a class what is different
about your topics and drag the ideas to the appropriate circle and what
is the same about your topic and drag those ideas to the overlapping
part of the circles.
- Print out the Venn Diagram, and make copies for students to use in later
sessions.
- Use the "Organizing a Paper" tab on the Comparison and Contrast Guide and the Compare and Contrast Map to introduce the Similarities-to-Differences structure.
- Open a new word processor file, where you'll compose the first sections
of the essay as a group.
- Brainstorm
an interesting lead with the class. Have several people give ideas and
model for
the class how to rearrange ideas and thoughts to come up with the best
and most interesting
beginning
and continue writing as a class from there.
- Demonstrate cut, copy, and paste commands for your word processor software.
- As you write with your
class, feel free to delete ideas and change them as better ones
come up and reread what has been written before asking for the next idea to
be sure
that the thoughts flow nicely. Refer back to the Venn Diagram as necessary.
- Use the "Transitions" tab on the Comparison
and Contrast Guide to introduce the use of transitional words to increase
coherence.
- Save your class draft of the introduction and the section on similarities.
If possible, share the file with students, so that they can continue writing
the text in their
own
copy of the file. Alternately, print the file and makes copies for students.
- Ask the students to continue the essay using the beginning that you've
written together. They can
add the section on differences and the conclusion in class
or as homework.
- Use the Comparison
and Contrast Guide to review information as needed.
Use the "Checklist" tab to explain the requirements for the finished essay. If
desired, share the Comparison
and Contrast Rubric with students as well.
- Show students how to access the Comparison
and Contrast Guide so that they can refer to the resource as they like while
writing.
- If students work in class, circulate among students, giving ideas and help.
Extension Activities
- Write another comparison and contrast essay, using the whole-to-whole or
point-by-point organization explained in the "Organizing a Paper" tab
on the Comparison
and Contrast Guide.
- Have students write a compare and contrast
essay in a different content area. See the list below for a sampling
of topics that can be compared.
- History
- historical figures, maps of different time periods, states, time periods, books on the same historical subject
- Science
- scientists, weather patterns, plants in habitats
- Art
- paintings, artists' lives, different techniques
- Reading
- two different authors, two stories by the same author, books on the same
topic by different authors, a book and the movie made from it
Web Resources
- Learning
Tip #26: Comparison Strategies Support Reading, Writing, and Learning
http://www.kidbibs.com/learningtips/lt26.htm
- This site provides a number of resources appropriate for teaching comparison-contrast
in the elementary classroom, including picture books which explore the topic.
Note that the site includes links purchase the books on Amazon.com.
- Comparison/Contrast Essays, from LEO: Literacy Education Online
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/comparcontrast.html
- This explanation of comparison-contrast provides advanced examples
of the basic structures for the essay. The site is part of the St. Cloud
State University Writing Center.
- Three-Part Format: Comparison/Contrast
http://www.odessa.edu/dept/english/mjordan/Compare-contrast.htm
- This detailed explanation of comparison/contrast essays from Odessa College
can provide complete information for teachers to review before teaching the
essay.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
If possible, it is great to read the essay with the student individually
and provide direct feedback. When this option is not available, constructive written comments are helpful.
As you read the essays, keep notes on the aspects to review and share with the class later. For more structured feedback, use the Comparison and Contrast Rubric.
After you have finished responding to the essays, review them with the class,
adding advice as needed. You might go back and model an
area where students needed more practice. Alternately, you can use the Comparison
and Contrast Tour to review the area. |
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
4 - Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
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