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UNIT 10
Organizing Your Essay
COMPARE
COMPARE-CONTRAST
CONTRAST
A compare-contrast essay may be organized by following one of these methods:
• Write about similarities, then differences. Discuss ways in which your subjects
are alike, and then discuss ways in which they are different.
• Use feature-by-feature order. Choose two or three features that your subjects
share. Compare and contrast each one before moving to the next.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Gina listed these details for her compare-contrast essay. Help her organize
them. Draw lines to connect details that describe the same feature for both
subjects. Cross out any details that can’t be connected.
Me
My Sister
long, dark hair
sometimes shy
outgoing
short, fair hair
freckles
vegetarian
plays the flute
no freckles
movie buff
plays the clarinet
sleeps late
studies ballet
studies ballet
always on the phone
play practical jokes
big feet
big feet
sleeps late
Now sort the details. Try both methods of organization listed below. Decide
which works better.
• Similarities and differences: Write the differences in the outer shapes of the Venn
diagram. Write the similarities in the space where the shapes overlap.
• Feature-by-feature order: Group the details in the list above by features. Label
each detail in the Me column A for appearance, B for behavior, or H for hobbies.
Me
Both
My Sister
RETEACHING WORKBOOK
Grade 6: Unit 10 Compare-Contrast (Use with pupil book pages 452–453.)
Skill: Students will organize ideas, using the similarities and differences method
and the feature-by-feature method.
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iting Proce ss: Focus Skill
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Introductions and Conclusions
• A strong introduction tells which two subjects are being compared and
contrasted. It may get readers interested by asking a question, telling about a
personal experience, or stating a striking fact.
• A strong conclusion sums up the main points of the essay in a satisfying way.
Weak Introduction
I will write about how apples
and oranges are alike and
different.
Strong Introduction
Have you ever heard someone say,
“That’s like comparing apples and
oranges”? Keep reading and you will see
how much alike these two fruits are!
Below are two introductions. Cross out the weak introduction and circle the strong one.
A. In this essay, I will compare riding a bicycle with riding a horse.
B. I was nervous the first time I rode a horse. I forgot that it didn’t have brakes, so I
pushed on the stirrups instead of saying, “Whoa!”
Weak Conclusion
That’s all I will say about
apples and oranges for now.
Strong Conclusion
The next time someone says, “That’s like
comparing apples and oranges,” point out that
both contain vitamins and fiber, make great
snacks, and are about the same size.
A. When you ride a bicycle for the first time after you’ve ridden a horse, be careful. You
might find yourself saying “Whoa!” instead of putting on the brakes.
B. I guess people know that bicycles are not alive. That’s one way these two subjects are
different. There are many facts that show how they are alike and different.
Rewrite the following introduction, using a question to introduce
the topic.
I am going to write about making doughnuts. Hardly anyone
knows how.
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RETEACHING WORKBOOK
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Grade 6: Unit 10 Compare-Contrast (Use with pupil book page 454.)
Skill: Students will identify strong introductions and conclusions and will rewrite a
weak introduction.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Below are two conclusions. Cross out the weak conclusion and circle the strong one.
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Topic Sentences
A topic sentence expresses a paragraph’s main idea or purpose.
Read each paragraph. Briefly name or describe the topic.
Then write the main idea.
Paragraph 1
Dinosaurs were among the most terrifying creatures on
Earth. In fact, the word dinosaur means “terrible lizard.” Some
dinosaurs weighed thousands of pounds. A few stood twenty feet tall.
Topic
Main Idea
Paragraph 2
Some scientists think that when Earth’s climate cooled down, dinosaurs froze to death.
Other scientists believe that dinosaurs could not escape new enemies that entered their
territory. Another theory is that a giant meteor struck Earth and forced dirt and dust into
the atmosphere, destroying dinosaurs’ food sources.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Topic
Main Idea
Think of a topic related to dinosaurs that you would like to write about. Then
write a sentence that tells the main idea of your topic.
Topic
Main Idea
Grade 6: Unit 10 Compare-Contrast (Use with pupil book page 455.)
Skill: Students will identify the topic and the main idea of paragraphs.
RETEACHING WORKBOOK
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riting Process
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Revising a Compare-Contrast Essay
Have I
• identified my subjects and hooked readers with my introduction?
• added important details to compare and contrast the subjects?
• used one method of organizing my essay?
• included transitional words to make similarities and differences clear?
yes
❏
❏
❏
❏
Revise the compare-contrast paragraph. Find help in the checklist. Check
each box as you revise. Use the differences below to add details. Make
changes in the spaces above the lines, in the margins, and below the
paragraph.
Water-skiing
1. summer sport
2. need swimsuit, water skis,
water, motorboat, driver
3. ski leaning back
Downhill skiing
1. winter sport
2. need warm clothes, snowcovered slope, skis
3. ski leaning forward
All About Skiing
great sense of balance. One is done in summer heat, the other in
winter cold. Water-skiing is a summer thing that requires a
swimsuit, a boat, water skis, and, of course, an adult to drive the
motorboat. Downhill skiing, on the other hand, requires ski
clothes, snow, and, of course, skis. In water-skiing, you use your
weight to pull you back. In downhill skiing, your weight goes
forward. Ice-skating is another sport that requires good balance.
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RETEACHING WORKBOOK
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Grade 6: Unit 10 Compare-Contrast (Use with pupil book pages 456.)
Skill: Students will revise a compare-contrast paragraph, using a revision
checklist.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Any kind of skiing requires water, two thin boards, and a
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Process: Revising Strategies
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Elaborating: Word Choice
Antonyms can clarify meaning and sharpen contrast between two
subjects.
Repetitive
The two boys were quite different. James was quiet
and shy around strangers. Jacob wasn’t timid or shy.
Elaborated with The two boys were quite different. James was timid
antonyms
and shy around strangers, while Jacob was outgoing
and trusting.
For each subject, choose a pair of antonyms and write a compare-contrast
sentence. Underline the antonyms in each sentence.
Antonyms
• soggy
• cautious
• mess
• tame
dry
careless
order
wild
•
•
•
•
awkward
sweet
peace
rude
graceful
bitter
disturbance
polite
•
•
•
•
cheap
blunt
shack
quiet
expensive
sharp
palace
noisy
Example
Subject: Two places
The grass by the swamp was soggy, but the grass on the path was dry.
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
1. Subject: Two brothers
2. Subject: Two sisters
3. Subject: Two places
4. Subject: Two foods
5. Subject: Two pets
6. Subject: The weather
Grade 6: Unit 10 Compare-Contrast (Use with pupil book page 458.)
Skill: Students will write sentences, using antonyms to show contrast.
RETEACHING WORKBOOK
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