Examining plot conflict through a comparison/contrast essay
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=802
A lesson plan for Grades 4–5 English Language Arts
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 4–5
- Subjects
- English language arts (literature, writing), thinking skills (critical literacy)
- Provider
- IRA/NCTE
Legal
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In these sessions, students explore picture books to identify the characteristics of four types of conflict: character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. nature, and character vs. society. In the initial activity, students write what they know about plot conflict. After viewing a plot conflict PowerPoint presentation, students revise their initial thoughts, the class creates a working definition, and students participate in a series of activities to demonstrate their understanding and application of the definition. Once students have made connections with plot conflict by explaining conflicts they have faced, they work in groups to make a list of examples of conflict in literature. Students share their lists with the class and they all categorize their list by discussing the nature of their conflict and completing a conflict-type chart. Then, after students make a list of conflicts in their lives, they will use one of these for a comparison/contrast paper that focuses on a conflict they have gone through and one that a character has gone through in a story they’ve read. Using a Venn diagram and an online interactive comparison and contrast guide, the teacher demonstrates how students can organize their information and write an essay accordingly. When students have completed the first draft of their essay, they peer edit using the assessment rubric and then complete their final drafts. This lesson plan also suggests extension activities and provides links to helpful web resources. Readwritethink provides links to helpful online interactive tools, assignment handout, and rubrics for assessment.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 4
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
- making predictions.
- formulating questions.
- locating relevant information.
- making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
- Objective 2.04: Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the:
- plot.
- theme.
- main idea and supporting details.
- author's choice of words.
- mood.
- author's use of figurative language.
- Objective 2.07: Determine usefulness of information and ideas consistent with purpose.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
- Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
- analyzing the impact of authors' word choice and context.
- examining the reasons for characters' actions.
- identifying and examining characters' motives.
- considering a situation or problem from different characters' points of view.
- analyzing differences among genres.
- making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters, events and themes.
- Objective 3.02: Analyze characters, events, and plots from different selections and cite supporting evidence
- Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.05: Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).
- Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans.
- Objective 4.07: Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions).
- Objective 4.08: Focus revision on a specific element such as:
- word choice.
- sequence of events and ideas.
- transitional words.
- sentence patterns.
- Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information.
Grade 5
- Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- making predictions.
- formulating questions.
- supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
- drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
- seeking additional information.
- making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
- Objective 2.04: Identify elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the:
- plot development.
- author's choice of words.
- effectiveness of figurative language (e.g., personification, flashback).
- tone.
- Objective 2.07: Evaluate the usefulness and quality of information and ideas based on purpose, experiences, text(s), and graphics.
- Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
- Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
- Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
- analyzing word choice and content.
- examining reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation of the character.
- creating and presenting a product that effectively demonstrates a personal response to a selection or experience.
- examining alternative perspectives.
- evaluating the differences among genres.
- examining relationships among characters.
- making and evaluating inferences and conclusions about characters, events and themes.
- Objective 3.01: Respond to fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using interpretive, critical, and evaluative processes by:
- Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
- Objective 4.05: Use a variety of preliminary strategies to plan and organize the writing and speaking task considering purpose, audience, and timeline.
- Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that elaborates on major ideas and adheres to the topic by using an appropriate organizational pattern that accomplishes the purpose of the writing task and effectively communicates its content.
- Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected topic and format (e.g., poetry, research reports, news articles, letters to the editor, business letters).
- Objective 4.08: Focus revision on target elements by:
- improving word choice.
- rearranging text for clarity.
- creating simple and/or complex sentences for clarity or impact.
- developing a lead, characters, or mood.
- Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., clarification, essay, feature story, business letter).
- Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to enhance and/or publish a product.
