1. Comparison and Contrast Essay

2. Select a topic
Choose a topic that can be narrowed down to a manageable essay.
Think of your angle or how you want to present the topic

3. Research
Use notecards
Be sure to get your source citations

4. Organizing your work Brainstorm to organize your work
Make a chart with three columns
Traits of Subject 1
Shared traits
Traits of Subject 2

5. Thesis Review your list of traits
Write a sentence stating what you learned
Ex:
While the ____________ and _____________ seem similar, they are different in several ways.
Page 169

7. Draft the essay Opening
Get readers’ attention and introduce the two subjects and thesis
Page 173

8. Middle
Describe one package of traits representing the first subject and a parallel set of traits representing the second subject
Page 174

9. Conclusion
Point out similarities and differences, point out their significance, and restate your main point.
Page 176

11. Opening
Get readers’ attention and introduce the two subjects and thesis

12. Middle
Compare and contrast the two subjects trait by trait (include transitions that help the reader look back and forth between the two subjects).

13. Conclusion
Summarize the key relationships, note their significance, and restate your main point.

14. Revise Balanced comparisons
Complete and thoughtful treatment of each subject
Clear, smooth sentences with varied structure
Title and introduction that create interest
Thoughtful unifying conclusion
Strong word choices

15. Get Feedback Peer edit A clear interesting thesis
An engaging and informative introduction
A middle that compares/contrasts parallel traits
A conclusion that restate the main point and unifies the essay

16. Edit
Transitions that signal comparisons and link paragraphs: on the other hand, in contrast, similarly, also, both, even though, in the same way
Correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage
Correct documentation - MLA

17. Publish Type in MLA format 12 point Times New Roman 1 inch margins
Double spaced
Your name, class, my name, date in upper top left corner
Title centered – do not underline