1. Writing Workshop Expository Writing: Comparison-Contrast Essay

2. Assignment: Write an essay comparing and contrasting two literary elements, subjects, or works. (The audience is your teacher and classmates.) When you compare and contrast two or more things, you look for similarities and differences. Comparison-and-contrast writing helps you understand and analyze elements in a story, poem, play, or novel. Comparison-Contrast Essay: Assignment

3. Comparison-Contrast Essay: Prewriting Choosing a Topic Finding Similarities and Differences Organize Your Information Getting Started Assignment Feature Menu

4. Look through your textbook for selections that have something in common. Ask yourself these questions to get started. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Choosing a Topic Are there two folk tales or myths with similar elements? “Aschenputtel” “Yeh-Shen” a Cinderella figure magical animals

5. Look through the collections in this book for selections that have something in common. Ask yourself these questions to get started. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Choosing a Topic What about characters who have similar problems? Laurie in “Charles” adjusting to school rules and expectations Roger Clark in “Miss Awful”

6. Look through the collections in this book for selections that have something in common. Ask yourself these questions to get started. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Choosing a Topic Do two poems have a common theme or subject? “Abuelito Who” “Ode to Family Photographs” connection to family the power of memory

7. When you have identified two selections for your essay, jot down similarities and differences in two columns. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Choosing a Topic SimilaritiesDifferences Both “Aschenputtel” and “Yeh-Shen” are folk tales and Cinderella stories. Both involve wicked stepmothers and handsome monarchs. In both, magical animals help the heroine get to a party. In both, the shoe fits. They all live happily ever after! The handsome monarch is a king in one story— a prince in the other. A magical fish helps one heroine go to the spring festival; magical birds help the other heroine go to a ball.

8. How might two characters be alike? Now decide which features to compare and contrast. Focus on the same elements in both works. rhythm Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Finding Similarities and Differences Which elements might be similar in two poems? imageryformtheme actionsappearancefeelingsthoughts

9. Creating a Venn Diagram can help you see how your subjects are alike and different. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Finding Similarities and Differences List one character’s traits on the left. List the other character’s traits on the right. Similarities should appear where the circles overlap.

10. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Finding Similarities and Differences ▪ “fair, lean, and lanky” ▪ better boxer ▪ before fight passes time on rooftop ▪ “dark, short, and husky” ▪ better slugger ▪ before fight watches boxing movie ▪ 17 yrs old ▪ keep scrapbooks ▪ jog and work out daily AntonioFelix SIMILARITIES Here is a Venn Diagram for the Student Model.

11. Arrange your details using one of these patterns. Subject 1: Antonio Feature 1: behavior Feature 2: characteristics Feature 3: feelings Subject 2: Felix Feature 1: behavior Feature 2: characteristics Feature 3: feelings Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Organize Your Information 1. The block method focuses on all points of comparison for one subject at a time.

12. Comparison-Contrast Essay Prewriting: Organize Your Information 2. The point-by-point method alternates between subjects, explaining each point of comparison for both subjects. Feature 1: behavior Subject 1: Antonio Subject 2: Felix Feature 2: characteristics Subject 1: Antonio Subject 2: Felix Feature 3: feelings Subject 1: Antonio Subject 2: Felix

13. Once you have chosen two elements or selections to compare and contrast, you are ready to help your readers get a clearer view of both subjects. Comparison-Contrast Essay Getting Started Remember to use specific examples to support your claims about similarities and differences.

14. Writing Workshop Expository Writing: Comparison-Contrast Essay The End