Ohio Literacy Resource Center
Compare & Contrast Essay
Comparing two texts can build a greater understanding of the texts and themes of the works. Take some time to follow the steps here to guide your pupils through the process of composing compare-and-contrast essays.
Curated OER
Venn Diagram for Compare/Contrast
Use this instructional activity to focus on a compare and contrast writing structure in your middle school language arts class. Here, young writers compare and contrast two texts using graphic organizers. They use a double bubble format...
PBS
Religion in Culture & Politics: Women’s Empowerment in Syria
Learners determine their perspective on women's empowerment and then compare it to how it is seen in Syria. They watch four documentary clips, discuss what they've seen, and answer two short essay questions. Excellent resource links and...
American Documentary
Religion in Culture & Politics: Women’s empowerment in Syria
What defines a woman as empowered, and how does this definition compare to the ideas and actions of a group of Muslim women in Syria? After watching a series of video clips from a documentary film about a school for girls in Damascus,...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Ancient History: The Importance of Logistics in Greek & Roman Armies
Before one can understand the military tactics practiced throughout history, he needs to become familiarized with tactics practiced in the ancient past. Learners take a critical look at the military logistics used by Alexander the Great...
Curated OER
Two Trustworthy Texans
Students read essays. In this character education lesson, students read about two Texans, answer question about them and discuss their contributions.
Curated OER
Michelle Kwan: Heart of a Champion
Who is a champion to your class? Elementary and middle schoolers think of a role-model from their lives. Then, in their journals, they write evidence of that person's perseverance. They identify the character trait of perseverance with...
Curated OER
Children's Rights/Child Labor - Photos & Posters as Instruments of Change
Students research the use of students for labor around the globe. Using magazine pictures, they create a poster showing the various conditions they are subject to. They compare and contrast the differences in regions and evaluate the...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
Students research Toni Morrison's life, work as a writer, and major contributions to the field of literature; students choose one of her novels to read, & perform a scene from it; each group member writes an autobiographical essay...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Teaching the Compare and Contrast Essay Through Modeling
Contains plans for three lessons that teach young scholars how to write comparison contrast essays after modeling the form to them. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Comparing and Contrasting: Picturing an Organizational Pattern
Contains plans for two 50-minute lessons that teach about the comparison/contrast organizational pattern. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to PDF handouts and sites used in the lessons as...
Other
Kim's Korner: Patterns of Organization
This resource from Kim's Korner for Teacher Talk defines various patterns of text organization and provides a brief essay example of each pattern.