Page 28 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

After Reading
5. When you have finished reading, respond to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to discuss your answers with your classmates.
a. Purpose: What is the writer’s purpose for writing this essay? (Refer to the first paragraph in which the writer introduces the topic.)
Sample response: The purpose is to compare and contrast two characters.
b. Audience: Whom do you think the writer had in mind as an audience for this essay? How do you know?
Sample response: The target audience appears to be teachers or students of literature at the middle school level who may not have read the stories that are discussed in the essay. The writer provides enough context for the reader so that the analysis is clear even without the textual knowledge.
Evidence: “Rudi is a rugged boy from the mountains of Switzerland.” “Unlike Rudi, Santo comes from a Caribbean island and has never seen snow.” “Although his mother and uncle try to keep him from climbing, he disobeys their rules.”
c. Organization: What is the purpose or main idea of each paragraph? Sample response: Introduction: Begins with a rhetorical question and introduces the topic by contrasting the two characters before asserting their similarity.
Body paragraph 1: Explains the primary differences.
Body paragraph 2: Explains the key similarities. Conclusion: Ends with a summary and universal connection.
d. Evidence: What examples and details does the writer use to support and develop the topic? What evidence is most relevant?
Examples and details presented as evidence:
“He shows courage and resourcefulness when he rescues Captain Winter from the crevasse into which he has fallen.” “He helps his father work in the fields, but he does not seem to be especially fond of exercise.”
“He learns more and begins to dream about receiving a gift from this magical man.”
e. Transitions: What words does the writer use to connect and clarify relationships among ideas and guide the reader from one part of the essay to the next?
Examples of transitions include the following: “However,” “Unlike,” “Also,” “On a deeper level,” “In contrast,” and “In the same way.”
f. Language and Style: What are examples of precise and vivid diction (word choice) that the writer uses to explain and describe the topic? Examples of vivid and precise diction include the following: “tropical,” “rugged,” “crevasse,” and “conquer.”
Writing Workshop 3 • Expository Writing: Compare and Contrast 3
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