Welcome everyone! Today we’re diving into the art of writing a compare and contrast essay. We’ll look at how to craft a clear thesis, organize evidence, and use smooth transitions—all aligned with Massachusetts ELA W.11-12.2 standards. Let’s get started!

Highlight the lesson goal and show the students how this connects to the state standard. Emphasize why strong compare/contrast writing matters in academic contexts.

Review materials and preparation steps quickly so students know what to expect and can refer back when needed.

Distribute the Venn diagram and prompt pairs to choose two items (characters, works, concepts). Circulate to prompt deeper observations and guide when students struggle to find distinctions.

Project examples of strong and weak theses. Talk through language that signals comparison (e.g., “while,” “whereas”). Model writing a thesis about the warm-up items.

Together, fill out the outline organizer. Emphasize how topic sentences link back to the thesis and how transitions guide the reader. Encourage students to suggest evidence.

Students work independently while you circulate. Remind them to refer to the rubric for criteria and to aim for specific evidence and clear transitions.

Invite volunteers to share parts of their outlines. Facilitate quick peer feedback using rubric language. Ask students to journal one key takeaway and one challenge to address next time.