Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

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Compare and Contrast: 2 Solid Methods

Compare and Contrast: 2 Solid Methods

SHARON’S BLOG

Compare and Contrast: 2 Solid Methods

Have your students ever been asked to write a compare-and-contrast paragraph or essay but don’t know where to begin? Do they have trouble organizing their thoughts and information before comparing and contrasting?

Your 5th – 12th graders will learn two solid methods for compare-and-contrast writing with this free tutorial. It’s packed with two separate exercises, one for each method,  and contains complete instructions and colorful worksheets. Your students will learn how to organize their thoughts before writing with either method, and then they’ll write two paragraphs using each method.

Students already know how to compare and contrast in real life: They do it every time they want to buy something and are torn between two choices. They go through the process mentally, and it’s likely automatic and subconscious.

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Tutorials for Specific Types of Essays

Tutorials for Specific Types of Essays

SHARON’S BLOG

Persuasion. How-to. Compare and contrast. Enumerative. Are your students baffled by these types of essays?

Take heart! Use the 13 links you’ll find below that show how to format and write 6 types of paragraphs and essays.

As an added bonus, the last link leads to a very handy writing schedule you can use all year. Never say, “Write an essay,” again! (You’ve got to be kidding!)

These tutorials are appropriate for students in 7th – 12th grade. Use them now or bookmark them for future use.

{Writing Tip: If your student is not quite ready to write a whole essay, give him or her practice in writing the types of paragraphs you’ll find in this post. For instance, instead of writing a whole compare-and-contrast essay, how about a compare-and-contrast paragraph from one of the links in #5?}

Ready? Let’s go . . .

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Veterans Day Compare and Contrast

Veterans Day Compare and Contrast

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

We honor our U. S. veterans on Veterans Day every year.

Do you know someone who has served in the U. S. Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard, or Reserves? Chances are you know quite a few men and women who have served, defended, and protected our country and those of our allies.

Working in the Armed Forces is very different from working in the private sector. Let’s explore this idea.

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We’re All the Same, and We’re All Different

We’re All the Same, and We’re All Different

SHARON’S BLOG

How are humans the same? How are we different from each other?

Explore this subject with your students and children as they dig into humanity and learn one method of comparing and contrasting as well.

This prompt comes in the form of a short video. I smiled and laughed through it but found something deeply sad in it as well. How will your students react to the silent messages in it?

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Noah: Devoted or Demented?

Noah: Devoted or Demented?

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

Noah was a righteous man who obeyed God. No, he was a psychotic mess who heard voices and saw visions.

God destroyed the earth in a worldwide flood because mankind’s sins were so great. No, he flooded the earth because we were cruel to animals and were destroying our planet.

Well, which is it?

Welcome to this week’s high school writing prompt. Is it about the new movie Noah?

Yes. And no.

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Gather Around the Campfire . . . or the TV

Gather Around the Campfire . . . or the TV

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

Gathering around the campfire as a family or with your friends in the summer at camp or during the crisp fall days can be fun. Whether you’re singing or roasting marshmallows for s’mores, it’s a unique experience.

Gathering around the TV to watch a movie or show with your family or friends can feel very different from circling the campfire. The blue glow from the TV may not warm you up, but its content may be more entertaining.

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