In one well-developed paragraph of 4-6 sentences, please provide a summary of the main idea of the book:
Which chapters of the book did you find most useful in helping you understand your topic and why? Discuss at least two chapters by doing the following for each chapter:
• Provide the chapter title.
• Summarize the chapter in a well-developed paragraph.
• What evidence did the author use to support his/her points in each chapter? For example, did the author use interviews, letters, diary entries, newspaper clippings, photographs, surveys or other primary documents? Add an additional paragraph explaining evidence used.
What was the evidence that the author used to support his/her points? For example, interviews, primary documents, surveys.
How will this book help your understanding of your NHD project?
Learning Objective
• Students will be able to write a well-organized, well-written analytical 3-5 page comparison and contrast essay using two of their fall texts .
Learning Goal
• To practice methods of a writing process and to help students become strong critical thinkers and writers.
Bloom’s Knowledge
• Describe the use of and main components of a comparison and contrast essay ( Bloom’s Comprehension)
• Take quiz on Grammar ( Bloom’sComprehension)
• Review own work using proofreading guide ( Bloom Evaluation)
• Evaluate the effectiveness of another students’ comparison and contrast outline ( Bloom’s Evaluation)
• Write Paper ( Bloom’s Creation)
Day One
Introduction: Why write the comparison and contrast essay?
-Discuss practical reasons for writing the comparison and contrast essay.
-In pairs, brainstorm “real world” topics, where students already use the comparison/contrast technique in their lives: purchases at stores, preference for sports figures, categorization in biology class, choice of attending colleges, etc.
-Introduce two types of comparison and contrast essays (Block or point-by-point model)
Gonzalo(no power) vs. Winthrop(place of power)
Point → inro, 1st para compare btwn 2 pts., pt. A, ptB, ptA, pt.B …(paragrpahs)…conclusion
Block→ intro, pt.a + pt. b in one paragraph…conclusion http://www.eslbee.com/compcont.htm Discuss- What is the strength of each?
Student Sample: Shades of Being Human http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm -set up appointment with Bullis Student tutor or another outside reader for either day 4 or 5.
Day Two
- Using class google doc, review plot, characters, and themes of texts we’d covered in the fall (this will help for the exam as well) to help generate ideas for topics as a class.
- Ask potential essay questions, using Google doc.
- Discuss the importance of making a comparison that illuminates one’s understanding of the two texts and answers the “so what?” question.
Focus also on how if writing a “contrast” paper, students should mention similarities briefly. If writing a comparison paper, students should touch on differences. Note that these difference should be part of a subtle argument!!!
HW- On a class discussion board, students write a topic proposal and write a brief “statement of purpose” for comparison or contrast. Topics can be on a similar or contrasting “Vision of America”( our course theme) in class texts; it could be a comparison between two characters, or it could be a comparison between two themes we’d covered as a class.
Day Three
- Students are paired up and must approve or offer a suggestion to their partner’s proposal.
- Teacher clears student on topic choice by discussing in class.