Name: Patrick Hall
Lesson Title: Teaching Comparison / Contrast Essays
Class/Subject: Language Arts 3/4th Period
Date: 3/7/13
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
 Students will understand the basic structure of a Comparison / Contrast Essay
 Students will have fundamental understanding of several key common elements between
Hamlet and The Lion King.
Content Standards:
CC.8.W.1 Text Types and Purposes: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant
evidence.
CC.8.W.2 Text Types and Purposes: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
Materials/Resources/Technology:
 Overhead Projector
 How to Write a Comparison Essay Worksheets
 Venn Diagram Worksheets
 Transparency copies of both worksheets
Teacher’s Goals (optional):
 I will structure this lesson thoroughly so that students will be able to process the amount
of content I intend to deliver, while at the same time they will not finish early and have
nothing to do after content is delivered.
Time
Start of Class:
 Hello class, today we will learn what goes into a Comparison /
Contrast Essay. We’ll start by comparing and contrasting The Lion
King and Hamlet, then we’ll complete a How To worksheet, and
finally we’ll begin writing our introductory paragraph together.
Introduction of Lesson:
 Pass out both worksheets to each student
Lesson Instruction:
 While projecting a transparency of the Venn Diagram worksheet on
the board, ask for volunteers to compare different aspects of Hamlet
and The Lion King. If students are unable to think of many
similarities or differences, bring up the following categories
o Princes’ reactions to fathers’ deaths
o Queens’ reactions to kings’ deaths
o General belief about deaths of kings
o Role of ghosts in the stories
o Climax of stories
 After getting many similarities and differences, begin working on
filling out the “How to Write a Comparison Essay” worksheet
together. Ask for student volunteers to supply answers.
o What is a Focus Statement?
o What goes into an Introduction?
 Attention getter
 Background of stories
 Focus Statement
o What goes into the Body Paragraphs?
 Paragraph discussing differences
 Paragraph discussing similarities
 A/B/A/B structure
o What goes into a Conclusion?
 Bring writing to an end
 “Sum up”
 Reflect / Comment
 Explain comparisons / contrasts in light of the
essential questions of the unit (extra credit)
 Begin writing Introduction of Comparison Essay together. Students
may use this introduction in their final drafts. Use knowledge gained
from “How to” worksheet in drafting the introduction.
 Collect students’ Venn Diagrams and How To worksheets for later
use in class
Assessments/Checks for Understanding:
 Assess student understanding based on participation in class and
through completion of the worksheets
Closure/Wrap-Up-Review:
 We will be using these worksheets in our drafting of our comparison
essays, so bring them back tomorrow!
Self-Assessment (optional):
 This lesson worked really well! Since this class is usually pretty
rowdy, I think that having the worksheets prepared for them as we
discuss the necessary parts of the comparison essay was a good
choice. They worked diligently the entire class period, and I was
able to get a lot of info from a lot of students that don’t normally
participate too much.