Day 31: 10/16/25 - Compare & Contrast Mini-Essay (Part 2 - Day 2) & Evaluating Writing

Homeroom:

Good Morning, I hope you are all having a great day.

Do Now:

1. Check that your homework is done
2. Check to see if you have all your materials
3. Sharpen pencils

ELA: 

Today we will finish writing our mini-essay and you will have the opportunity to evaluate your own writing before submitting your work.
                                
Do Now:

• Put your grade report in the red bin
• Write tonight's homework in your agenda
• Take out the Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer
• Open your chromebook and go to your mini essay

Homework:

• Work on IXL

Activity #1

Compare & Contrast Mini-Essay

• Literary Elements that we have been analyzing: Setting, character, & plot
• Characters - Are the characters developed in the movie the same as the book? HINT: Think about the way their friendship is developed.
• Setting - How do the settings compare? Include the way you envisioned the setting in the book to what you see in the movie.
• Plot - How do the events in the movie compare to the events in the book? Focus on the larger more important events and not the small details. Ask yourself, "Did the movie omit, insert, or change any of the plot events?"

Step 1: Discuss

Directions

1. Small group - share your compare & contrast graphic organizer with the people at your table. While you work please add, change, and edit your own graphic organizer. You want to have as much information as you can. 

2. Whole group - Share. 

How was the setting the same?

How was the setting different?

How are the characters the same?

How are the characters different?

How is the plot the same?

How is the plot different?

Step 2: Group Writing (SKIP FOR PART 2)

I will write one paragraph with you, then you will need to write the other paragraph on your own. Students open your chromebook and go to my google classroom. (For the Teacher - Use google drive to open a new blank document.)

Writing Strategy - Constructing a written response with:

1. Introduction
2. Claim
3. Evidence (from both the book and movie)
4. Reflection 

Examples from part 1 :

Block 1

(I) By reading the book, Freak the Mighty and watching the movie,The Mighty, I have discovered they are different in many ways. (C) One big thing that is different is the plot. (E) In particular the scene when Kevin gets his ornithopter stuck in a tree. In the book Max helps Kevin get his toy out of the tree, but in the movie he runs away from Kevin and never helps him. (R) In my opinion the book is much better than the movie, however the movie is still pretty awesome.

Block 2

(I) By reading the book, Freak the Mighty, and watching the movie, The Mighty, I have concluded that there are many differences between them. (C) One major difference is the plot. (E) In the book Kevin gives them the new name of “Freak the MIghty” on the 4th of July when a police officer asks for their name, but in the movie they just skip that part completely. Instead, the movie inserted a scene with Max and Kevin helping a woman in a diner. (R)In my opinion the book is better than the movie. 

Block 3

(I) By reading the book and watching the movie I have learned that there are many differences between the book, Freak the Mighty, and the movie, The Mighty. (C)One of the most important differences between them is the setting. (E) In the book Max lives in a small town, and the events take place in the summertime before 8th grade, but in the movie he lives in a big city, and the events take place during the school year while max is in the 7th grade. (R) In my opnion the movie is better than the book 

Block 4

The book Freak the Mighty and the movie “The Mighty” are very different.  One difference I noticed was the plot.  Max and Kevin’s friendship did not start the same way in the movie as it did in the book.  In the book Max helps Kevin get the ornithopter out of the tree and then the boys played with it.  In the movie Max sees Kevin with the ornithopter and it gets stuck in the tree, but Max does not help Kevin.  Instead, Max runs away because Kevin notices him. In my opinion the book is much better than the movie

Step 3: Independent Writing 

Now that we have written one paragraph together, you will need to write the other paragraph on your own. When we are done we will be evaluating our writing, so it is important that you stay on task and work diligently to finish your mini-essay. 

 

Activity #2

Evaluate Writing 

Directions: Work with a random partner assigned by the teacher (Use Name Sticks) to score your essay

Remember: your essay should focus on the similarities and differences pertaining to these literary elements:

• Characters - Are the characters developed in the movie the same as the book?
• Setting - How do the settings compare? Include the way you envisioned the setting in the book to what you see in the movie.
• Plot - How do the events in the movie compare to the events in the book? Focus on the larger more important events and not the small insignificant details.

****THE WORDS CHARACTER, SETTING, AND/OR PLOT SHOULD BE IN YOUR ESSAY SOMEWHERE, MOST IMPORTANTLY IN YOUR CLAIM! IF YOU HAVE NOT USED THESE WORDS SOMEWHERE IN YOUR ESSAY, ASK YOURSELF WHERE YOU COULD ADD OR EDIT A SENTENCE TO INCLUDE THEM. 

Remember each paragraph should have an Introduction, Claim, Evidence, & a reflection:

Each paragraph is worth 5 points total. 

1. 1 point - Introduction
2. 1 point - Claim
3. 1 point - Evidence (from both the book and movie)
4. 1 point - Reflection
5. 1 point - Mechanics = Capitals, punctuation, sentence structure

In the margin of your paper please write:

I - 

C -

E -

R - 

M - 

• With your partner read your essay and score yourself on each of the components. 
• ***In each category you can give yourself a full point, a half point, or zero points*** 
• Add up your total points. 
• Write your score somewhere on your paper. 

Follow up questions:

1. How many points did you earn?
2. What did you do well in your writing?
3. What do you still need to work on to improve your writing?