Name___________________________________________________ Date__________________ Period______________
Compare Contrast RRJ #2
Group F
Passage 1: Traveling West
Long ago, when people settled the United States, most lived in the East, and it was hard to travel west. There were no
planes, trains, or automobiles. People traveled by wagon or boat, and it took many days to reach a destination.
Although it was difficult, in the 1840s, many people traveled far across the United States from the East to the West. They
were pioneers. They would settle in the western part of the country after a challenging journey to a new life.
Getting to the West was very difficult because there were no roads and there were many obstacles to travel. People
traveled in groups, and each family would buy a covered wagon, which is a big wooden wagon with a kind of tent on it. It
was small, about the size of an automobile, but it would be home for the whole family while they traveled to their new
home. Each family would pack the tools and supplies they needed to build a new life in the West. They would have to fit
all they took in their wagon, so they would bring only the items that were essential.
It was dangerous to try to travel west without protection, so families would travel together, combining their wagons into
what was called a wagon train. It was a group of wagons all going the same way. To prepare, they would meet with other
families to plan their trip, choosing a route based on the travels of others.
When the families started the trip, they did not know each other, they only had in common that they were leaving the
East to start a new life in the West. They met when the trip began, and they would spend more than a year together, so
they got to know each other well. Sometimes they would borrow tools from each other, and sometimes they shared food.
When the wagons encountered a problem, such as a storm that caused wagons to stick in muddy holes, they would solve it
together.
It would take more than a year to reach the West, and many things happened along the route. The families sometimes
had babies along the way, which delayed the progress as the wagon train would stop for a few days to help the mother
with the baby. Then they would keep going, continuing whatever the weather, because they knew they had a long way to
travel and could not delay long.
When the wagon train got to the West, the families would settle there, building homes, starting farms. They would
create communities, and instead of being partners in a trip they were collaborators in community. Those communities would
grow into towns, and then some would expand into cities, from a wagon train to a metropolis.
In the next century, people built a railroad that crossed the United States. By 1900, there were many more people in
the West, and thousands of people came west by train. A trip that had taken months now took passengers a few days of
comfortable transit. The railroad brought many changes, and the pioneers became legends as the country developed into
the nation of today.
Passage 2: Stopping in Denver
The wagon train left this morning, and I told my friends goodbye. I would be staying here in Denver, because I had
abandoned the journey. We had been traveling for months on a quest for a new life. It was June when we left St. Louis,
and it was October now. I would not stay with the wagon train, as I was exhausted and frustrated.
When we left St. Louis, we were very excited because we were going to be pioneers. We were going all the way to
the ocean, and at the completion of our journey, we would be in California, a place everyone said was wonderful.
Then we had our first problem. The first day a wheel came off our wagon. It was cracked. We could not fix it. It was
not far from St. Louis. So John rode back there on his horse. He came back with another wheel. But that took a day. The
other families waited.
Then we had another problem. There was a big rainstorm. There was so much mud the oxen that were pulling our
wagons could not get them to move. We had to wait for the rain to stop and the mud to dry. We lost two more days; I was
discouraged, and so were the other travelers.
We were tired and it had been just two weeks. We kept on traveling. Then we had to stop because the Brown family
got sick. We waited a few days for their recovery. They gave up, feeling that they could not continue to meet the constant
challenges. They turned back. Mrs. Brown said, “Back to civilization.”
It was hard work every day, and each day brought challenges. We persisted and kept going, but by the time we
arrived at Denver it was too much. We were going to leave the wagon train. That night we told the wagon master.
He asked us to change our minds. He said, “The worst is over now.” But I knew it would not be easier. The mountains we
had just crossed were just the beginning. It had been such hard work to get where we were now. We had been determined
to stay the course, but now we were determined to leave the group. It would be even harder to reach the ocean, so I
decided that we would stay here in Denver.
Today I have gone to look for a job. There are many jobs in the mines, and I will take one of them. We will get a
permanent home here. Living in a tent next to the covered wagon is over. We will have a place where we can live securely
without concern about the weather and other obstacles. I will miss my friends, but I will not miss all the troubles.
______1. Both of the passages give information on traveling West. How does information from the first passage
differ from information in the second passage?
a. The first passage discusses why individuals traveled West, while the second passage focuses on how people
traveled West.
b. The first passage focuses on the development of railroads while the second passage investigates the challenges
of traveling on a wagon.
c. The first passage focused on what occurred after families arrived in the West, while the second passage focuses
only on the journey.
d. The first passage discusses the experience of many different people traveling West, while the second passage
gives the perspective of one individual’s experience.
______2. Which of the following best describes how the two passages are similar?
a. Both passages reveal the variety of ways people traveled when going West.
b. Both passages show that the railroad was an important advancement that saved many lives.
c. Both passages show the numerous challenges faced by people traveling west in the late 1800s.
d. Both passages reveal the major differences and similarities between traveling by wagon versus traveling by
ferry.
______3. Which details from Passage 2: Stopping in Denver are supported by details in Passage 1: Traveling West?
a. “I would be staying here in Denver, because I had abandoned the journey.”
b. “There are many jobs in the mines, and I will take one of them. We will get a permanent home here.”
c. “There was a big rainstorm. There was so much mud the oxen that were pulling our wagons could not get them
to move.”
d. “They gave up, feeling that they could not continue to meet the constant challenges. They turned back. Mrs.
Brown said, “Back to civilization.”
Graphic Organizer Directions: Complete the following chart in order to compare and contrast Passage #1 and Passage #2.
Passage #1
Traveling West
Genre
-Fiction (include type)
Passage #2
Stopping in Denver
Non-fiction
_________________________________
Historical Fiction
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Non-Fiction
Author’s
Purpose
-Inform
-Persuade
-Entertain
-Express Thoughts
Point of View
-1st Person
-2nd Person
-3rd Limited
-3rd Omniscient
-3rd Objective
Setting
-Time
-Place
Name___________________________________________________ Date__________________ Period______________
Compare Contrast RRJ #2
210-219
Directions: Read “How Wonderful It Must Be” and “Medieval Class System”. Then, compare and contrast the passages by
answering the questions below.
______1. Which sentence contains information from “How Wonderful It Must Be” that is contradicted in “The Medieval
Class System”?
a.
b.
c.
d.
“Would he be a good squire for Sir Alfred?”
“Edgar thought that Alison was thinking of her needlework and tea, and lessons in the kitchen”.
“Glancing at Alison, he realized that she was a much more accomplished rider than he was”
“From a distance, she could see the peasants working hard as they plowed their plots of land”
______2. Which of the following best contrasts the way the passages illustrate the relationship between peasants and
noblewomen?
a. “The Medieval Class System” shows that peasants often owned their own land, while “How Wonderful it Must Be”
implies that peasants do not have their own plot of land.
b. “How Wonderful It Must Be” shows a noblewoman and peasant as friends but “The Medieval Class System” shows
that noblewomen would supervise peasants as they did work in the household.
c. “How Wonderful It Must Be” shows a peasant and a noblewomen working together in the fields, while “The
Medieval Class System” shows that peasants worked the fields while the noblewomen worked inside the house.
d. “The Medieval Class System” shows that peasants often helped to protect and manage the property while “How
Wonderful It Must Be” shows the peasants as working on the land.
______3. Which of the following best contrasts the fictional treatment of the medieval time period to the non-fictional
passage?
a. The non-fictional, “The Medieval Class System”, passage included more information on the about how to move up
the social class system while the fictional passage, “How Wonderful it Must Be”, revealed the frustrations of
individuals who are struggling to change their social class.
b. The fictional passage, “How Wonderful it Must Be”, shows people who are unhappy with their social class, while
the non-fiction passage, “The Medieval Class System”, portrays people as content with their social standings.
c. The non-fictional passage, “The Medieval Class System”, clearly describes the roles of individuals during the
Medieval time period, while the fictional passage, “How Wonderful it Must Be”, reveals the steps one must take to
become a squire.
d. The non-fictional passage, “The Medieval Class System”, focused on the roles of each social class while the fictional
passage, “How Wonderful it Must Be”, emphasized the emotions of individuals who feel limited by their social
class.
______4. Based on the information in both passages, which sentence best describes the Medieval Class System?
a. The Medieval Class System allowed most people to live happily because every person had their own role in
society.
b. The Medieval Class system was devastating for people who disliked their position into society.
c. It was difficult but possible to move up the hierarchy of the Medieval Class System.
d. The Medieval Class System had a very specific, set class system .
______5. Which information in “How Wonderful It Must Be” is supported by facts in “The Medieval Class System”?
a.
b.
c.
d.
“Would he embarrass himself on the training field and fall off his horse?”
“She thought of Myrna, the peasant-girl who had become her good friend.”
“There could be highwaymen waiting to capture us and hold us for ransom!”
“Dancing in circles, she stopped every so often to pluck some wildflowers along the edge of the forest.”
Over
Graphic Organizer Directions: Complete the following chart in order to compare and contrast the passages.
Medieval Class System
Genre
-Fiction (include type)
How Wonderful It Must Be
Non-fiction
_________________________________
Historical Fiction
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Non-Fiction
Author’s
Purpose
-Inform
-Persuade
-Entertain
-Express Thoughts
Point of View
-1st Person
-2nd Person
-3rd Limited
-3rd Omniscient
-3rd Objective
Setting
-Time
-Place
Name:__________________________________________ Date:_______________________ Periods: _____________
Compare/Contrast Reading Response Journal #2
220-229
Directions: Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.
Passage #1:
from “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury
1
In the April night, more than once, blossoms fell from the orchard trees and lit with rustling taps on the
drumskin. At midnight a peach stone left miraculously on a branch through winter, flicked by a bird, fell swift and
unseen, struck once, like panic, which jerked the boy upright. In silence he listened to his own heart ruffle away, away,
at last gone from his ears and back in his chest again.
2
After that, he turned the drum on its side, where its great lunar face peered at him whenever he opened his
eyes.
3
His face, alert or at rest, was solemn. It was indeed a solemn time and a solemn night for a boy just turned
fourteen in the peach field near the Owl Creek not far from the church at Shiloh.
4
“. . . thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three . . .”
5
Unable to see, he stopped counting.
6
Beyond the thirty-three familiar shadows, forty thousand men, exhausted by nervous expectation, unable to
sleep for romantic dreams of battles yet unfought, lay crazily askew in their uniforms. A mile yet farther on, another
army was strewn helter-skelter, turning slow, basting themselves with the thought of what they would do when the time
came: a leap, a yell, a blind plunge their strategy, raw youth their protection and benediction.
7
Now and again the boy heard a vast wind come up, that gently stirred the air. But he knew what it was, the
army here, the army there, whispering to itself in the dark. Some men talking to others, others murmuring to
themselves, and all so quiet it was like a natural element arisen from south or north with the motion of the earth toward
dawn.
8
What the men whispered the boy could only guess, and he guessed that it was: “Me, I’m the one, I’m the one
of all the rest won’t die. I’ll live through it. I’ll go home. The band will play. And I’ll be there to hear it.”
9
“Yes, thought the boy, that’s all very well for them, they can give as good as they get!”
10
11
For with the careless bones of the young men harvested by night and bindled around campfires were the
similarly strewn steel bones of their rifles, with bayonets fixed like eternal lightning lost in the orchard grass.
“Me, thought the boy, I got only a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield.”
12
There wasn’t a man-boy on this ground tonight did not have a shield he cast, riveted or carved himself on his
way to his first attack, compounded of remote but nonetheless firm and fiery family devotion, flag-blown patriotism and
cocksure immortality strengthened by the touchstone of very real gunpowder, ramrod, minnieball and flint. But without
these last the boy felt his family move yet farther off away in the dark, as if one of those great prairie-burning trains
had chanted them away never to return, leaving him with this drum which was worse than a toy in the game to be
played tomorrow or some day much too soon.
13
The boy turned on his side. A moth brushed his face, but it was peach blossom. A peach blossom flicked him,
but it was a moth. Nothing stayed put. Nothing had a name. Nothing was as it once was.
14
If he lay very still, when the dawn came up and the soldiers put on their bravery with their caps, perhaps they
might go away, the war with them, and not notice him lying small here, no more than a toy himself.
Passage #2
Kids in the Civil War
1
2
Ulysses S. Grant was the biggest hero of the Civil War. Johnny Clem might well have been the smallest. Ten
years old when he ran away from home and joined the second Michigan Regiment, the drummer boy won fame at the
battle of Shiloh, where he put down his drum, picked up a gun, and shot a Confederate colonel. All across the Union,
Clem was celebrated as a hero. But Johnny Clem wasn't the only young person to be affected by the Civil War. In fact, it
would be hard to find a kid that wasn't.
When war broke out in 1861, kids across the North and the South said goodbye to their fathers, brothers,
uncles, and cousins -- or joined the military themselves. As many as 20% of Civil War soldiers were younger than 18.
That was the minimum recruiting age for Union soldiers, but many people willingly overlooked the law. The Confederacy
set no minimum age. Many young soldiers enlisted as musicians -- drummers, fifers, or buglers. In theory, musicians
didn't fight. But once a battle began, these kids often armed themselves -- to save their own lives or the lives of their
friends.
3
It's hard to imagine the horrors teenage soldiers experienced. They charged through hailstorms of bullets while
the bodies of their friends fell all around them. They listened as wounded men pleaded for their mothers, for a drink of
water, or for death to come. They assisted surgeons, standing by as they sawed off mangled arms and legs -- often
without an anesthetic. They endured the horrors of Andersonville, a Confederate prison in which thousands of Union
men died of starvation and disease. They were killed in battle or suffered physical and mental wounds that they would
carry for the rest of their lives.
4
If the greatest horrors of the war occurred on the battlefields, civilians experienced their own shares of
hardship. Families whose men went to war made up for their absence. Kids helped run family farms and businesses.
They planted and harvested crops, chopped wood, and butchered animals for food. They drove horses, cooked, and
cared for siblings. They wrote letters to their absent relatives, and hoped for them to come home safe. Many never did.
5
Still, through all of the madness of war, children remained children. In schoolyards and farmyards, boys dressed
as soldiers marched and played war. Girls imitated the nurses of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which provided medical
care to the soldiers. Kids read magazines such as Our Young Folks that contained stories of soldiers like Johnny Clem
and encouraged kids to sacrifice for the war effort. And sacrifice they did, sending food packages, bandages, and
clothing to soldiers in the field.
6
When the war ended in 1865, children felt both joy and sadness. Many soldiers returned home safe, but some
came home wounded. Others didn't make it home at all. Almost every child in America had lost a relative in the war.
While Northern children celebrated victory, young Southerners shared the humiliation of defeat. Many young African
Americans enjoyed freedom for the first time. But that freedom would be limited by racism.
7
No matter who they were or where they lived, young people across America were glad that the bloodiest war in
American history had ended at last. But for most kids who survived, the war would never quite be over. It had forced
them to endure hardships and to grow up fast enough to take on adult responsibilities. It had shown them just how
horrible the world could be. And they would never forget it.
Graphic Organizer Directions: Complete the following chart in order to compare and contrast Passage #1
and Passage #2. Each box must be completed.
Passage #1
Passage #2
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh
Kids in the Civil War
Genre
-Fiction (include type)
Non-Fiction
Author’s
Purpose
-Inform
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Persuade
-Entertain
-Express Thoughts
Point of View
-1st Person
-2nd Person
-3rd Limited
-3rd Omniscient
-3rd Objective
Main Idea or
Theme
-Should be a complete
sentence
(If fiction include theme, if
non-fiction include a main
idea)
_________________________________
_________________________________
Passage #1
The Drummer Boy of Shiloh
Type of
Source
Passage #2
Kids in the Civil War
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Time
-Place
Time: ____________________________
Time: ____________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
(Describe Each in a
complete sentence)
_________________________________
_________________________________
Place: ____________________________
Place: ____________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Primary
-Secondary
Conflict
-Identify the conflict in a
complete sentence.
(use description words
like man vs.______)
Mode
-Expository
-Argumentative
-Narrative
Setting
_____1. With which statement would both authors most likely agree?
a. The night before a battle caused young men to feel scared and panicked making them question joining the army.
b. Although war is difficult, most kids managed to keep a positive attitude during the Civil War.
c. Young men wanted to do their part and fight in the Civil War, but they found the reality of battle terrifying.
d. It was unfair that kids in the Civil War were forced to do their part to help the war effort.
Find two pieces of text evidence from each passage to support your answer to the previous question. Be
sure to write your evidence in complete sentences and use a sentence starter. Refer to the rubric.
Text Evidence from Passage 1: “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 1: “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 2: “Kids in the Civil War”:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENC
E/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 2: “Kids in the Civil War”:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Name:__________________________________________ Date:_______________________ Periods: _____________
Compare/Contrast Reading Response Journal #2
230 and above
Directions: Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
The Tale of the Sword in the Stone
Imagine a time centuries ago, when kings and queens ruled the lands of Europe, and knights served in the
name of honor. England’s King Uther died without a known heir, so the country went without a king for a number of
years. Times were hard, and the people of England longed for a wise, noble ruler to lead them.
One day, a huge stone appeared outside a great cathedral in Londontown. An iron anvil 1 was set into the rock,
and a gleaming sword stood half-buried in the anvil like a knife in an apple. Carved into the blade in large, friendly
letters were these words:
Whoever shall pull this Sword from this Stone
Is Rightful Heir to the Throne of England
The archbishop knew that every man in the kingdom would try his hand at drawing the sword if it meant a
chance at the crown. So, the archbishop invited every noble in the kingdom to a New Year’s Day tournament. There,
knights would compete in games of skill and stamina. The winner, the archbishop hoped, would be the right man to
draw the sword.
A young man named Sir Kay came to take part in the tournament. Kay traveled to London with his father, Sir
Ector, and a squire2, Arthur, who had been raised as Kay’s brother.
When they arrived at the tournament, Kay realized he had left his sword at the inn where they had passed the
previous night. “Arthur,” Kay said, “please return and fetch my weapon. I would go with ye, but I must stay rested for
the competition.”
Arthur agreed and dashed off through the cobblestoned city streets. He hurried because he wanted to be of
service to his master and brother. Arthur was not yet grown, so he was considered too young to compete in the
tournament himself. Still, he did not want to miss any of the events. As the boy ran through the city, his mind drifted
back to his meeting in the woods with the old man Merlin. The wizard had shown Arthur a vision that promised
greatness in his future.
The squire came upon the courtyard of the cathedral, which—unlike most days—was empty of people because
of the tournament. He saw the sword sticking out of the stone. It didn’t seem to belong to anyone, and Arthur was in a
hurry to get back to the tournament. He jumped onto the stone and with hardly a struggle, pulled the sword from the
anvil. With a satisfied, Arthur wrapped the sword in his cloak and headed back to the tournament.
Arthur took the sword to Sir Kay, who did not recognize the weapon as his own. As he read the words on the
blade, Kay slowly realized what he held: the key to rule all of England. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at
Arthur, who was busily gathering the rest of Kay’s armor for the contest. Kay rant to Sir Ector and exclaimed, “Father, I
have the sword from the stone. I am the new king of England!”
Sir Ector saw through his son’s boast. “Tell me, your majesty, how did ye come into possession of the sword?”
He smiled, but his eyes were fierce.
Kay knew his father had caught him. “I cannot lie to you, Father, Arthur brought it to me.”
Ector called Arthur before him and asked how he had come by this new sword. Arthur apologized.” I’m sorry,
Father, but Kay had left his sword at the inn, and instead of going back for it, I found this one. It was just sitting in a
churchyard. I didn’t think anyone wanted it.
“Did anyone see you take it?” Ector asked.
“No,” said Arthur. “Everyone was here, at the tournament.”
Return the sword, and we shall let everyone take a turn trying to pull it from the stone.” Ector’s command was
gentle but definite, and Arthur did as he was told.
Ector told the archbishop that the sword had been drawn from the stone, and the archbishop immediately
interrupted the tournament with the startling news. A great crowd gathered by the time Arthur slipped the sword back
into place in the anvil.
Arthur watched as the young knights lined up in the courtyard of the cathedral and each tried to pull the sword
from the stone. All failed, including the brash Sir Kay.
Arthur now knew of the sword’s importance and wondered if it could be true: Could he be the king? He had
been raised by Sir Ector. The young squire had never known who his real parents were, and neither had Ector. Guided
by the magician Merlin, Ector had raised the child in safety, far from the violent fights over who would be England’s
next king. Merlin had promised that one day a sign would appear that would lead the true king back to his rightful
place.
At last, Arthur stepped up to the stone. It had been so easy the first time, when the young man had not
19
20
21
understood the sword’s significance. One more time he pulled, and again the shining blade slid out of the stone,
flashing in the sunlight for all to see.
Sir Ector touched the young man’s shoulder and pronounced his destiny.
“We have found England’s true and rightful king.”
All the knights gathered around their chosen leader. “All hail Arthur.” they cheered. “Long live the king!”
1 anvil: a heavy iron block
2 squire: a knight’s assistant, who carries the knight’s armor and weapons
Passage #2
1
2
3
4
5
King Arthur: Man and Legend
Heroes often become legends over time, and in the case of Britain’s King Arthur, stories of this “once and
future king” have entertained audiences for more than a thousand years. Historians are vague about the real Arthur,
but some of them believe he once existed. He may have lived in Southern Britain the late 400s and early 500s and was
able to unite his people to fight off Anglo Saxon invaders who were occupying the island. The real Arthur was thought
to have won many battles, but possibly died in a civil war at the battle of Camlann, around 537 CE. This was actually
before the Middle Ages, so the real Arthur could not have been a medieval night, as many believe. In this period,
knights did not fight in suits of armor.
As generations passed, storytellers played up Arthur’s achievements, creating a legend that includes a
mysterious upbringing, a revelation of royalty with the sword in the stone, a magical advisor in Merlin, a round table of
brave knights, and a beautiful queen. Even these basic details of the story are subject to different interpretations.
Take, for instance, the round table. Was it an actual table in round shape that was housed in Arthur’s castle? Was this
the place where Arthur’s most trusted knights would gather? Or was it meant as a figure of speech for the knights
themselves?
A monk, Geoffrey of Monmouth, put Arthur’s story on paper in 1137, but there is evidence that the legend of
Arthur was written about even before this time. There may have been poems or stories portraying Arthur as a warrior
who defending Britain. No one knows if Geoffrey took his story from these previous versions or if he made it all up
himself.
Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur (“The Death of Arthur”) written in 1470, added to the legend and has
become a famous work of classical fiction. Even though Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote about Arthur first, Malory’s story
has become the definitive version of the story. It was originally written in 8 books, but is currently published as 21
books. That’s a lot of story for one man’s legend!
Arthur continues to inspire novelists, playwrights, and filmmakers and it seems his appeal will never die: that of
a hero saves the land, only to be betrayed by his queen and his most trusted knight.
Graphic Organizer Directions: Complete the following chart in order to compare and contrast Passage #1
and Passage #2. Each box must be completed.
Passage #1
The Tale of the Sword in the Stone
Genre
-Fiction (include type)
Passage #2
King Arthur: Man and Legend
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Non-Fiction
Author’s
Purpose
-Inform
-Persuade
-Entertain
-Express Thoughts
Point of View
-1st Person
-2nd Person
-3rd Limited
-3rd Omniscient
-3rd Objective
Passage #1
The Tale of the Sword in the Stone
Main Idea or
Theme
Passage #2
King Arthur: Man and Legend
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Expository
-Argumentative
-Narrative
_________________________________
_________________________________
Setting
Time: ____________________________
Time: ____________________________
-Time
-Place
(Describe Each in a
complete sentence)
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Place: ____________________________
Place: ____________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
-Should be a complete
sentence
(If fiction include theme, if
non-fiction include a main
idea)
Type of
Source
-Primary
-Secondary
Conflict
-Identify the conflict in
a complete sentence.
(use description words
like man vs.______)
Mode
_____1. With which statement would both authors most likely agree?
a. King Arthur is remembered as being kind and brave.
b. Historians are unsure if King Arthur actually lived at all.
c. King Arthur rose from a humble beginning by pulling a sword from a stone.
d. There have been more stories and books written about Arthur than any other English king.
Find two pieces of text evidence from each passage to support your answer to the previous question. Be
sure to write your evidence in complete sentences and use a sentence starter. Refer to the rubric.
Text Evidence from Passage 1: The Tale of the Sword in the Stone:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 1: The Tale of the Sword in the Stone:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 2: King Arthur: Man and Legend:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENC
E/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient
Text Evidence from Passage 2: King Arthur: Man and Legend:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1
EVIDENCE
/
EXAMPLE
Relevant and sufficient evidence cited to
support answer
Text evidence uses a lead in
0.5
Text evidence does not use a lead in
0
Evidence was irrelevant or insufficient