{"id":5235,"date":"2022-04-05T20:37:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T20:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=5235"},"modified":"2025-03-25T17:30:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T17:30:34","slug":"essay-assignment-compare-contrast-essay-prewriting-and-draft","status":"web-only","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/essay-assignment-compare-contrast-essay-prewriting-and-draft\/","title":{"raw":"Essay Assignment: Compare\/Contrast Essay\u2014Prewriting and Draft","rendered":"Essay Assignment: Compare\/Contrast Essay\u2014Prewriting and Draft"},"content":{"raw":"For this assignment, you will work through the prewriting and drafting stages of your writing process in a compare\/contrast essay.\r\n<h2>Compare\/Contrast Essay Prewriting and Draft<\/h2>\r\n<h3>STEP 1: Choose a Topic<\/h3>\r\nChoose one of the following topics for an essay developed by comparison and contrast. The topic you decide on should be something you care about so that the examples are a means of communicating an\u00a0<strong>idea;<\/strong>\u00a0not an end in themselves. Possible examples include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Experience\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Two jobs you have held<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A good and a bad job interview<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"464\">A time you succeeded vs. a time you failed and what you learned from each<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"467\" data-end=\"511\">Two ways you\u2019ve handled stress in the past<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>People\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Two teachers or mentors who influenced you in different ways<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Your relationship with two different friends or relatives<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Two classmates with different approaches to group work<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Two public figures you admire for different reasons<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Places and Things\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1022\" data-end=\"1088\">A place you visited as a child vs. visiting it again as an adult<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1091\" data-end=\"1138\">Life in a small town vs. life in a large city<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1192\" data-end=\"1251\">Your current living space vs. a place you\u2019ve lived before<\/li>\r\n \t<li data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1342\">Two types of technology (e.g., smartphone vs. laptop) and how you use them differently<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Education\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The results of studying actively vs. studying passively<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Two classes you\u2019ve taken that had very different learning environments<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Prewriting<\/h3>\r\nTo get started writing, first pick at least one prewriting strategy (brainstorming, rewriting,\u00a0<span class=\"s1\">journaling, mapping, questioning, sketching) to develop ideas for your essay. Write down what you do, as you\u2019ll need to submit evidence of your prewrite.<\/span>\r\n<h3><strong>STEP 3: Drafting<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nNext, write a draft of your essay. <span style=\"font-size: 1rem; orphans: 1; text-align: initial;\">Be sure to:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Develop your essay by comparison and contrast.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Decide on something you care about so that the narration is a means of communicating an\u00a0<strong>idea.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li>Include<em>\u00a0characters,\u00a0<\/em><em>conflict,\u00a0<\/em><em>sensory details\u00a0<\/em>as appropriate to help your essay come alive, if possible.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Create a logical sequence for your points of comparison.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Develop an enticing title.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Use the introduction to establish the situation the essay will address.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Avoid addressing the assignment directly (don\u2019t write \u201cI am going to write about\u2026\u201d \u2013 this takes the fun out of reading the work!).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Let the essay\u00a0reflect your own voice (Is your voice serious? Humorous? Matter-of-fact?).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Organize the essay in a way that may capture the reader, but don\u2019t string the reader along too much with \u201cnext, next, next.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Avoid \u201ctelling\u201d your reader about what happened. Instead, \u201cshow\u201d what happens using active verbs and\/or concrete and descriptive nouns and details.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Make sure you take time to reflect on why your points are significant.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYour essay should be a minimum of 3 typed, double-spaced pages (about 600\u2013750 words), in Times New Roman, 12 pt font size. The paper and citations should be formatted in MLA format. Papers submitted that do not meet these formatting requirements will be returned to you ungraded.\r\n<h3>STEP 4: Review and Submit<\/h3>\r\nBefore submitting your paper, review the bullet points listed above in the drafting stage and the grading rubric below, ensuring you have completed all parts of the assignment.\r\n\r\nOnce you have done this, submit your prewriting and draft as a single file upload. If you developed your prewriting by hand on paper, scan or take a picture of your prewriting, and then insert the image on a separate page after your draft.\r\n<div>\r\n<h2>Rubric<\/h2>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"4\">\r\n<h3>Grading Rubric: Compare\/Contrast\u00a0Essay Prewriting and Draft<\/h3>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Criteria<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Rating: Meets Expectation<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Approaching Expectation<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Point Total:\u00a050<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Ideas<\/td>\r\n<td>The paper demonstrates outstanding or above average idea development demonstrating comparison and contrast between ideas.<\/td>\r\n<td>The writer sufficiently defines the topic, even though development is still basic or general.<\/td>\r\n<td>__\/10 pts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Content<\/td>\r\n<td>The\u00a0paper demonstrates outstanding or above average evidence of supporting the main point. Paragraphs are well-developed and clear, showing how things are similar or different, and why.<\/td>\r\n<td>The writer demonstrates sufficient support of the main point, but could use more supporting details.<\/td>\r\n<td>__\/15 pts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Organization<\/td>\r\n<td>The organization is clear and showcases the central theme. The presentation of information is compelling.<\/td>\r\n<td>The organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without too much confusion.<\/td>\r\n<td>__\/15 pts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions<\/td>\r\n<td>The writer demonstrates an outstanding word choice selection, flow and cadence, with well-built sentences and strong grasp of standard writing conventions.<\/td>\r\n<td>The writer demonstrates sufficient selection of words. The text tends to be more mechanical and contains\u00a0some errors of standard writing conventions.<\/td>\r\n<td>__\/5\u00a0pts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Prewrite<\/td>\r\n<td>Attaches a prewrite example showing forethought in developing ideas for the essay.<\/td>\r\n<td>Only partially demonstrate effective prewriting strategy<\/td>\r\n<td>__\/5 pts<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<p>For this assignment, you will work through the prewriting and drafting stages of your writing process in a compare\/contrast essay.<\/p>\n<h2>Compare\/Contrast Essay Prewriting and Draft<\/h2>\n<h3>STEP 1: Choose a Topic<\/h3>\n<p>Choose one of the following topics for an essay developed by comparison and contrast. The topic you decide on should be something you care about so that the examples are a means of communicating an\u00a0<strong>idea;<\/strong>\u00a0not an end in themselves. Possible examples include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Experience\n<ul>\n<li>Two jobs you have held<\/li>\n<li>A good and a bad job interview<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"389\" data-end=\"464\">A time you succeeded vs. a time you failed and what you learned from each<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"467\" data-end=\"511\">Two ways you\u2019ve handled stress in the past<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>People\n<ul>\n<li>Two teachers or mentors who influenced you in different ways<\/li>\n<li>Your relationship with two different friends or relatives<\/li>\n<li>Two classmates with different approaches to group work<\/li>\n<li>Two public figures you admire for different reasons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Places and Things\n<ul>\n<li data-start=\"1022\" data-end=\"1088\">A place you visited as a child vs. visiting it again as an adult<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1091\" data-end=\"1138\">Life in a small town vs. life in a large city<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1192\" data-end=\"1251\">Your current living space vs. a place you\u2019ve lived before<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1342\">Two types of technology (e.g., smartphone vs. laptop) and how you use them differently<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Education\n<ul>\n<li>The results of studying actively vs. studying passively<\/li>\n<li>Two classes you\u2019ve taken that had very different learning environments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Prewriting<\/h3>\n<p>To get started writing, first pick at least one prewriting strategy (brainstorming, rewriting,\u00a0<span class=\"s1\">journaling, mapping, questioning, sketching) to develop ideas for your essay. Write down what you do, as you\u2019ll need to submit evidence of your prewrite.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>STEP 3: Drafting<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Next, write a draft of your essay. <span style=\"font-size: 1rem; orphans: 1; text-align: initial;\">Be sure to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Develop your essay by comparison and contrast.<\/li>\n<li>Decide on something you care about so that the narration is a means of communicating an\u00a0<strong>idea.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Include<em>\u00a0characters,\u00a0<\/em><em>conflict,\u00a0<\/em><em>sensory details\u00a0<\/em>as appropriate to help your essay come alive, if possible.<\/li>\n<li>Create a logical sequence for your points of comparison.<\/li>\n<li>Develop an enticing title.<\/li>\n<li>Use the introduction to establish the situation the essay will address.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid addressing the assignment directly (don\u2019t write \u201cI am going to write about\u2026\u201d \u2013 this takes the fun out of reading the work!).<\/li>\n<li>Let the essay\u00a0reflect your own voice (Is your voice serious? Humorous? Matter-of-fact?).<\/li>\n<li>Organize the essay in a way that may capture the reader, but don\u2019t string the reader along too much with \u201cnext, next, next.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Avoid \u201ctelling\u201d your reader about what happened. Instead, \u201cshow\u201d what happens using active verbs and\/or concrete and descriptive nouns and details.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure you take time to reflect on why your points are significant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your essay should be a minimum of 3 typed, double-spaced pages (about 600\u2013750 words), in Times New Roman, 12 pt font size. The paper and citations should be formatted in MLA format. Papers submitted that do not meet these formatting requirements will be returned to you ungraded.<\/p>\n<h3>STEP 4: Review and Submit<\/h3>\n<p>Before submitting your paper, review the bullet points listed above in the drafting stage and the grading rubric below, ensuring you have completed all parts of the assignment.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have done this, submit your prewriting and draft as a single file upload. If you developed your prewriting by hand on paper, scan or take a picture of your prewriting, and then insert the image on a separate page after your draft.<\/p>\n<div>\n<h2>Rubric<\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"4\">\n<h3>Grading Rubric: Compare\/Contrast\u00a0Essay Prewriting and Draft<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Criteria<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Rating: Meets Expectation<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Approaching Expectation<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Point Total:\u00a050<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ideas<\/td>\n<td>The paper demonstrates outstanding or above average idea development demonstrating comparison and contrast between ideas.<\/td>\n<td>The writer sufficiently defines the topic, even though development is still basic or general.<\/td>\n<td>__\/10 pts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Content<\/td>\n<td>The\u00a0paper demonstrates outstanding or above average evidence of supporting the main point. Paragraphs are well-developed and clear, showing how things are similar or different, and why.<\/td>\n<td>The writer demonstrates sufficient support of the main point, but could use more supporting details.<\/td>\n<td>__\/15 pts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Organization<\/td>\n<td>The organization is clear and showcases the central theme. The presentation of information is compelling.<\/td>\n<td>The organizational structure is strong enough to move the reader through the text without too much confusion.<\/td>\n<td>__\/15 pts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Conventions<\/td>\n<td>The writer demonstrates an outstanding word choice selection, flow and cadence, with well-built sentences and strong grasp of standard writing conventions.<\/td>\n<td>The writer demonstrates sufficient selection of words. The text tends to be more mechanical and contains\u00a0some errors of standard writing conventions.<\/td>\n<td>__\/5\u00a0pts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Prewrite<\/td>\n<td>Attaches a prewrite example showing forethought in developing ideas for the essay.<\/td>\n<td>Only partially demonstrate effective prewriting strategy<\/td>\n<td>__\/5 pts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-5235\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li><strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/lumenlearning.com\/\">http:\/\/lumenlearning.com\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li><strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Daryl Smith O&#039; Hare and Susan C. Hines. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Chadron State College. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><li><strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Paul Powell. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Central Community College. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":428269,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"\",\"author\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/lumenlearning.com\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"\",\"author\":\"Daryl Smith O\\' Hare and Susan C. Hines\",\"organization\":\"Chadron State College\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"\",\"author\":\"Paul Powell\",\"organization\":\"Central Community College\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-5235","chapter","type-chapter","status-web-only","hentry"],"part":5222,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/428269"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6530,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5235\/revisions\/6530"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/5222"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/5235\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=5235"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=5235"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=5235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}