Classroom Resource

Examining Plot Conflict Through a Comparison/Contrast Essay

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5

Overview

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. Next, students write about conflict in their own lives and then look for similarities among all the conflicts shared by the class, ultimately classifying each conflict into one of the four types. Finally, after investigating the compare and contrast format, students conclude with a compare and contrast essay that focuses on two conflicts—one from their own experience and one from a picture book or story that they have read.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.R5

Utilize the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.22

Describe literary elements within a story, including setting, plot, characters, and themes.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.22

Vocabulary

  • Describe
  • Literary elements
  • Story
  • Setting
  • Plot
  • Characters
  • Themes

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Literary elements within a story include the setting, plot, characters, and themes.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Plot is the main events of a story (often referred to as the beginning, middle, and end of a story).
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the plot.
  • Theme is the main, recurring idea in a text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify and describe the literary elements, including setting, plot, characters, and theme, within the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Identifying and describing literary elements within a story will help in comprehending the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.26

Use text comparisons (text to text, text to self, and text to world) to make meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.26

Vocabulary

  • Text comparison
  • Text to text
  • Text to self
  • Text to world
  • Meaning

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Comparison is identifying similarities between two things.
  • Text to text comparison means to identify similarities between two texts.
  • Text to self comparison means to identify similarities between a text and a personal experience.
  • Text to world comparison means to identify similarities between a text and a current event or background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compare two texts to make meaning of the information presented in the text.
  • Compare a text to their personal experiences to make meaning of the information presented in the text.
  • Compare a text to a current event or their background knowledge to make meaning of the information presented in the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Their comprehension will be enhanced by making multiple connections between texts, themselves, and the real world.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.38

Compose and develop a well-organized paragraph with a topic sentence, details to support, and a concluding sentence.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.38

Vocabulary

  • Compose
  • Develop
  • Well-organized paragraph
  • Topic sentence
  • Details
  • Concluding sentence

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A well-organized paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write a well-organized paragraph that consists of a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • A well-written paragraph includes a topic sentence to introduce the topic, provides supporting details to explain the topic, and ends with a concluding sentence.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.15

Analyze in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.15

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Event
  • Story
  • Drama
  • Specific details

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Characters are any person, animal, or figure that affect the events of the story.
  • Setting is when and where a story takes place.
  • Events are situations that are described in the story.
  • A drama is a story with dialogue that can be read by different people.
  • Details in the text provide information about the characters, setting, and events.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use specific details from the text to explain attributes of the characters, setting, or event in a story or drama.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can explain details about characters, settings, and events in a story or drama by using evidence from the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.32

Respond in writing to literature and informational text, including stories, dramas, poetry, and cross-curricular texts, both independently and with support, demonstrating grade-level proficiency.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.32

Vocabulary

  • Respond
  • Writing
  • Literature
  • Informational texts
  • Stories
  • Dramas
  • Poetry
  • Cross-curricular texts
  • Independently
  • With support
  • Grade-level proficiency

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Responding to text in a written format demonstrates comprehension of the text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Independently and with support, create grade-appropriate written responses after reading literature and informational text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • To respond in writing to literature and informational texts, they must read critically, have a deep understanding of the text's content, and use appropriate writing skills.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.19

Interpret how authors use literary elements throughout a text, including character, setting, conflict, dialogue, and point of view.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.19

Vocabulary

  • Interpret
  • Literary elements
  • Character
  • Setting
  • Conflict
  • Dialogue
  • Point of view

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors use literary elements, such as character, setting, conflict, dialogue, and point of view, throughout a text to develop and drive the plot.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify literary elements in a text.
  • Interpret how authors use literary elements throughout a text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Interpreting the author's use of literary elements in a text supports their overall comprehension of the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.32

Respond in writing to literature and informational text, including stories, dramas, poetry, and cross-curricular texts, independently and with grade-level proficiency.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.32

Vocabulary

  • Literature
  • Informational text
  • Stories
  • Dramas
  • Poetry
  • Cross-curricular texts
  • Independently
  • Proficiency

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Responding to text in a written format demonstrates comprehension of the text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Independently create grade-appropriate written responses after reading literature and informational text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • To respond in writing to literature and informational texts, they must read critically, have a deep understanding of the text's content, and use appropriate writing skills.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/examining-plot-confl…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Approved Date

raulstoncg
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