Author: Matthew Tidwell
Time: 1 Week
Preparation
Time: prep time here
Materials: Copies of poems written by migrant children
Narratives written by migrant children
Copies of The Grapes of Wrath
This lesson is designed for students to compare and contrast the experience of the migrant worker as depicted in The Grapes of Wrath with the experiences of migrant children as depicted in the narratives and poems.
1. The students will compose a comparison contrast essay
W-P2: Write a persuasive essay that contains effective introductory and summary statements; arrange the arguments effectively; and fully develop the ideas with convincing proof, details, facts, examples and descriptions
PO 1: Write a thesis statement to convey a point of view about a subject.
PO 2: Develop the point of view with ample and convincing support, appropriate to audience and purpose.
PO 3: Create an organizational structure that includes an effective beginning, middle, and ending.
PO 4: Use persuasive word choice and sentence structure (e.g., connotation, strong verbs, repetition and parallelism).
1. The students will need several resources to begin this lesson. The students will need copies of The Grapes of Wrath, along with the narratives and poems written by migrant children.
2. Before the students actually begin writing the essay, they need to be taken through a prewriting exercise. In this exercise, the students will need to discover elements that can be compared and contrasted between The Grapes of Wrath and the writings of migrant children. Elements they may compare and contrast might be living conditions, family life, and the emotional impact. The best way to conduct this exercise is to use a Venn diagram. The Venn diagram might look something like this:

In cell A, the students would list the examples that are specific to The Grapes of Wrath. In cell B, the students would list the examples that are specific to the writings of migrant children. In cell C, the students would list the similarities between the two pieces of writings.
3. After the prewriting exercise, the students would then write their first draft. However, the format for a comparison contrast essay must first be taught. The comparison contrast essay comes in many forms, but the format that works best for this assignments is as follows:
I.
II.
Introductions
A. Topic sentence
B. Background information on topic
C. Thesis —stating the three items that will be discussed
Body Paragraph/Topic 1
A. Similarities
III.
IV.
V.
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings from migrant children
B. Differences
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings of migrant children
C. Concluding thoughts/ clincher/analysis
Body Paragraph/Topic 2
A. Similarities
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings of migrant children
B. Differences
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings of migrant children
C. Concluding thoughts/clincher/analysis
Body Paragraph/Topic 3
A. Similarities
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings of migrant children
B. Differences
1. Grapes of Wrath
2. Writings of migrant children
C. Concluding thoughts/clincher/analysis
Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Summarize main points
C. Final thought
4. Before the students write their first draft, it would be helpful for them to outline their essay, detailing every element that they will cover. After they outline their essay, they can then draft their essay. This process should be easier now that the essay is completely outlined.

5. The next process is an editing phase. The teacher may wish to edit the papers or to conduct a peer editing session. Whatever the process, the editing phase needs to highlight mechanical errors, as well as fluidity of thought.
6. After the editing phase, the final drafts need to be composed. Generally, final drafts are typed, follow MLA format and are free of errors.
The students will turn in their essays. A rubric should be used to assess this essay. The teacher could use a self made rubric or make one at www.rubistar.4teachers.org
Venn Diagram
Draft
Essay
If applicable