Exercises — Week 10: Week 10 — Paired Informational Passages: Comparing How Authors Treat a Topic

1. Two Authors, One Topic: Comparison Organizer and Paragraph

1. Read Passage 1 (from a school district newsletter): "This spring, students at three Prince George's County high schools turned empty courtyards into vegetable gardens. Biology classes used the beds to study soil and pollination, and the cafeteria served the first harvest of lettuce in May. Teachers report that students who rarely spoke in class asked questions every day in the garden." Then read Passage 2 (from a newspaper opinion column): "School gardens are lovely in May. The trouble comes in July, when no one is there to water them. Gardens need summer volunteers, tools, and a budget line that lasts longer than one grant. Without a plan for upkeep, a garden becomes a weed lot by September."
2. Complete a three-row organizer for each passage: central idea, author's purpose, and type of evidence (statistic, anecdote, expert, observation).
3. Write one sentence naming a point the authors share and one sentence naming the most important difference in how they treat school gardens.
4. Write a 6–8 sentence paragraph that opens with a comparative claim, uses at least one quotation from each passage, and explains how each author's perspective shapes what they emphasize.
5. Check that every quotation is introduced with the correct passage number, and revise any sentence that only summarizes without explaining.