Lesson Plan : Compare and Contrast Essay
Teacher Name: | Ms. K. Dunham |
Grade: | Grade 4 |
Subject: | Language Arts |
Topic: | Compare and Contrast One Room Schools to Schools Today |
Content: | After reading "A One Room School" students should be able to describe similarities and differences between the schools described in the text and the school in which they currently attend. Key Vocabulary: artificial, distracted, shamed, boarding, eager, ensure, scalding |
Goals: | Students will be able to write an essay in which they compare the similarities and contrast the differences among one room schools from the past and schools today. |
Objectives: | Pennsylvania State Academic Standards: Write an informational piece, write with a sharp distinct focus using a clear topic and demonstrating awareness of audience. Students will be able to explain both similarities and differences among two items. Students will be able to write a main idea for each paragraph. Students will be able to write supporting details for each main idea. Students will be able to write appropriate introductions and conclusions. |
Materials: | Venn Diagrams for comparisons, Planning graphic organizer, Overhead projector for think alouds |
Introduction: | After reading "A One Room School" introduce the writing assignment in which students will compare and contrast schools today with schools from the past. Explain that the piece is informational. Explain that the piece is non-fiction. |
Development: | Emphasize that students must begin their essays with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the entire essay will be able. Remind students that their conclusion or final sentence must include similar information. Provide students with a few examples of comparisons and contrasts that can be made between a different topic. For example, compare school and home. Use a think aloud strategy to guide students through making comparisons and contrasts. Review how to make inferences. Examples: 1. At school, students must wear a uniform 2. At home, children are allowed to watch television 3. At, school, students must listen to adults. |
Practice: | Provide students with three facts from the beginning of the text. Ask them to compare or contrast the infomation with what they know to be true about school today. Remind students that this will require them to make inferences based on what they know about school today. 1. Schools in the past contained only one room 2. Schools in the past grew their own foos 3. Schools in the past had mostly male teachers |
Accommodations: | Low students will be given graphic organizers to plan their writing. Students will receive teacher assistance with spelling and sentence development. Each student will have a small white board for the teacher to write down the students ideas when given verbally. |
Checking For Understanding: | After completing a first draft, students will have a short conference with the teacher to determine if student is demonstrating focus and has included all the requisite components listed in the grading rubric. |
Closure: | Ask students to share out some of their comparisons and contrasts. Ask students to guide the class through their thought process to model good writing strategies. Ask students what they have learned. |
Evaluation: | Teacher will grade student writing according to developed rubric and a score will be assigned to each paper. Teacher will select four anchor papers to subsequently review with students to model excellent, good, average, and below average student writing. |
Teacher Reflections: |
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