1. Compare and Contrast Preparing for a compare/contrast paper
What are the three main types of compare and contrast paragraphs?
Using transition words for compare & contrast
What is your writing assignment?

2. Compare and Contrast
Comparing and contrasting are ways of looking at objects and thinking about how they are alike and different.
For instance, all of these items are alike because they are kinds of food, but there are many ways that they are different. For instance, they belong to different food groups. Some must be cooked before eating, and some can be eaten raw.
When you write compare and contrast, you will pay attention to these kinds of details.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

3. There are two main reasons that people use comparison and contrast:
1. To Explain--You might compare and contrast kinds of food, for instance, to help someone understand which food need to be refrigerated and which can be stored in a cabinet or in a bowl on the counter.
2. To Evaluate--You might compare and contrast kinds of food to show why one kind of food or brand of food is better than another. For example, apples are a better snack than butter.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

4. Compare - Look for Similarities
When you compare items, you look for their similarities--the things that make them the same.
For example:
Apples and oranges are both fruit.
They're both foods.
Both are made into juice.
Both grow on trees.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

5. Contrast – Look at Differences
When you contrast items, you look at their differences.
For example:
Apples are red. Oranges are orange.
The fruits have different textures.
Oranges need a warmer place to grow, like Florida. Apples can grow in cooler states, like Washington.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

6. Comparing Every Day
You probably use comparison all the time. Maybe you want to buy some candy, so you go to the store and look at all of the candy that is available.
You can't buy all the candy, so you have to narrow down your choices.
You compare and contrast the different kinds of candy so that you can make your decision.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

7. Comparing Every Day
You can compare the kinds of candy by looking at the things that make the candy alike.
All of the candy is sweet.
All of the candy is fattening.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

8. Comparing Every Day
You also contrast the candies to show how they are different.
Some of the candy is chocolate. Some is hard candy.
Some pieces of the candy have a filling, like caramel or jelly. Some do not.
Some of the candy can be broken into smaller pieces while the others are harder to divide if you want to share.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

9. Graphic Organizers book movie
Graphic organizers are useful tools for gathering details about the items that you are comparing and contrasting.
Venn Diagrams help you think about where the various characteristics of the items being compared and contrasted fit.
The Compare and Contrast Chart is more like a listing tool, where you can brainstorm a list of ways that the items are alike and different.
book
movie 1 2
alike
different
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

10. Eagles Compared to Owls
Hunts during day
Stiff, smooth feathers
Small eyes
Eyes can move
Represents strength & freedom
Flies high & soars
Hunts at night
Soft & fluffy feathers
Large eyes
Eyes can’t move
Represents wisdom
Doesn’t fly high & rarely soars
Eagles Compared to Owls
Excellent hunters, eat meat, catch prey alive, don’t flock, superior vision

11. Compare and Contrast in Writing
Compare and contrast is used in writing to organize an individual paragraph as well as to organize entire papers.
For instance, you might write a paper that compares a movie and a book about the same topic. In your paper you can compare and contrast the movie version with the book version.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

12. Ready to Write?
There are four main things to pay attention to as you write a compare and contrast paper:
Supporting Details
Balance
Organization
Transitions
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

13. 1. Supporting Details Set your purpose for writing.
To explain – help the reader understand how the items are the same and different
To evaluate – persuade the reader that one is better than the other
Gather an equal amount of details and examples for each item and place these on a graphic organizer.
Only include information that relates to what is being compared.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

14. 2. Balance your Writing
Make sure to give equal time to each item that you are comparing and contrasting.
If you cover character, setting, and historical accuracy for the book, for instance, you need to be sure that you cover the same elements for the movie.
book
movie
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

15. 3. Organization
There are three ways to organize comparison and contrast papers:
Whole-to-Whole
Similarities-to-Differences
Point-by-Point
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

16. Whole-to-Whole Introduction
Use a separate section or paragraph for each item you're discussing.
To compare and contrast a book and a movie, the section for Item #1 would include everything about the book and the section for Item #2 would cover everything about the movie.
The points in each of the sections should be the same and they should be explained in the same order (for instance, you might discuss character, setting, and plot for both a book and movie, and in that order for both).
Introduction
Item #1
Item #2
Conclusion
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

17. Similarities-to-Differences
In this structure, you use a separate section or paragraph for similarities and differences. You would explain all the similarities about the items being compared and then explain all the differences.
For instance, you might explain that the characters and plot were similar in both the book and movie in the one section.
In the next section, you could explain that the settings were different. The book took place during the summer while the movie took place during the winter.
Introduction
Similarities
Differences
Conclusion
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

18. Compare and Contrast 2 jobs:
Item 1: newspaper reporter
Item 2: newspaper photographer
How are they alike?
go out to gather news
come back to the news office to work
How are they different?
Talks to people
Takes notes
Writes the story
Takes many pictures
Develops pictures
15 minutes
Chooses 1-2 pictures
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

19. Compare & Contrast 2 Jobs:
Intro
The newspaper reporter and the newspaper photographer work for the same goal but have different responsibilities.
Similar
The reporter and the photographer both gather important parts of the story and then come back to the newspaper office to work on the news story.
Different
The reporter talks to people to get information. He uses the notes gathered to write the newspaper story. In contrast, the photographer takes many pictures of one event. He chooses one or two pictures for the newspaper. The photographer’s pictures are developed in about 15 minutes, but it is hard to tell how long the reporter will need to write.
Conclusion
The newspaper reporter and the photographer have similar jobs, but there are some differences.
#5, #6
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

20. Point by Point Point-by-Point Strategy
In this structure, you explain one point of comparison before moving to the next point.
For instance, you would write about the characters in the book and movie for Point 1; then you would write about the setting in the book and movie in Point 2. Point-by- Point comparison and contrast uses a separate section or paragraph for each point.
For consistency, begin with the same item in each section of your point-by-point paper. For instance, for each point that you discuss, explain the information about the book first and then about the movie.
Introduction
Point 1
Point 2
Conclusion
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

21. 4. Transition Words
In compare and contrast writing, transition words tell a reader that the writer is changing from talking about one item to the other.
Transitional words and phrases help make a paper smoother and more coherent by showing the reader the connections between the ideas that are being presented.
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

22. Transition Words for Comparing
When you're comparing items, using a transition from this list will signal to readers that you're changing from one item to the next and it will also tell the reader that the two items are similar.
Here are some examples:
The characters in the movie were very similar to the characters in the book.
Both the characters in the movie and in the book were interested in detective work.
also as
as well as
both
in the same manner
in the same way
like
likewise
most important
same
similar
similarly
the same as
too
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

23. Transition Words for Contrast
On the other hand, using one of the transitions from this list of words will signal readers that the two items you're discussing are different.
Here are some examples:
The setting in the book was summer while the setting in the movie was winter.
The events in the book took place during several afternoons, although the events in the movie took place during the evening.
although
but
differ
even though
however
in contrast
instead
nevertheless
on the contrary
on the other hand
unless
unlike
while
yet
Adapted from ReadWriteThink.org International Reading Association

24. Your Writing assignment
What is your task?
Paragraphs = 6: introduction, compare/contrast: characters, settings, plot, & resolution, conclusion – your paper MUST be in this order
1st rough draft: written on graphic organizer using your notes. Turn in with 1st Peer Editing completed by 2 classmates.
2nd rough draft: written on lined white paper. DO NOT write on the back of paper. Turn in with 2nd Peer Editing completed by 4 classmates.
Paper Structure: hook, thesis, topic sentences with transitions, concluding sentence.
Rules for writing: this is part of your grade! Know the rules.