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English II Classroom Resources
Table of Contents:
Compare/Contrast Paper Requirements: pages 2-6
Breathing Underwater Packet and Study Guide: pages 7-8
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English II Compare/Contrast Essay
Purpose:
In your career as a student, you’ll encounter many different kinds of writing assignments, each with its
own requirements. One of the most common is the comparison/contrast essay, in which you focus on
the ways in which certain things or ideas—usually two of them—are similar to (this is the comparison)
and/or different from (this is the contrast) one another. By assigning such essays, I am encouraging you
to make connections between texts or ideas, engage in critical thinking, and go beyond mere
description or summary to generate interesting analysis: when you reflect on similarities and
differences, you gain a deeper understanding of the items you are comparing, their relationship to each
other, and what is most important about them.
What do you need to do?
You are going to compare or contrast the story, “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” with
another suspenseful movie or story that you have recently read. You must have some similar
elements in order to complete this assignment.
STEP ONE: Create a Venn Diagram with 10 compare/contrast elements total.
STEP TWO: Decide if you want to compare or contrast your Venn Diagram ideas.
STEP THREE: Begin writing your 1-2 page paper.
Paragraph One: Set up your paper by supplying your reader with important
information from the story, “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket” and elements
from your other story/movie that are necessary for the reader to know.
Paragraph Two: This is where you will either compare OR contrast the two stories
by giving specific details on how they are the same or how they are completely
different. If you decide to contrast, your ideas must make sense together.
Paragraph Three: This is your wrap-up paragraph, which must be at least 5
sentences. This is where you will restate (not repeat) your main ideas from your
paper, while bringing your paper to a smooth close.
Transitions Used to Compare:
Also
Similarly
Too
Both
Like
In the same manner
Share the same
Have in common
Not only…but also
Transitions Used to Contrast:
However
One the contrary
On the other hand
In contrast
Although
but
Instead of
Though
Unlike
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VENN DIAGRAM
Final Autobiography Rubric
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Langston Hughes: Comparison and Contrasting Essay
by Feross Aboukhadijeh
Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of AfricanAmerican literature and artistic forms in Manhattan during the 1920s. Not only did his writing promote
African-American culture, but it sought to bring attention to the plight of the African-Americans
suffering injustice and repression. His poems "I, Too" and "Theme for English B" both advanced his
political views of equal civil rights and treatment under the law for African-Americans. Both poems use
first-person voices; however the "I" is different for each poem, in order to fulfill Hughes' purpose for the
poem.
In Hughes' poem "I, Too," the speaker is not an individual as the word "I" implies. In fact, the "I"
represents the entirety of African-Americans living in the United States. That Hughes writes "I am the
darker brother" instead of "we are the darker brothers" is no accident (2). The connotation of the word
"I" as opposed to "we" is that of a lone individual, defenseless and outnumbered. The speaker says
"They send me to eat in the kitchen," reinforcing the one-versus-all mentality that Hughes is trying to
convey in this poem (3). "We" and "they," give a stronger, more united connotation than "I" does. In this
poem, "I" is used to connote weakness, and isolation. As used in this poem, the first-person voice
highlights the weakness of the African-American people. However, this is not the only way that Hughes
uses "I" in his poetry.
On the other hand, Hughes' poem "Theme for English B," uses the first-person voice for an
entirely different effect. In this poem, the "I" is an individual student. The poem is written like a
narrative: "I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem" (7). Unlike the first poem, "I" is used here
to connote strength and singularity. The speaker, an African-American student given an English writing
assignment, engages his teacher in an intelligent, even pointed dialog. Hughes artistically makes use of
the first-person point of view to enhance the effect of the story. By using words like "I" and "them",
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"me" and "you," the speaker is able to point out the differences between himself and his teacher. One
passage in particular stands out for its incessant juxtaposition of the words "you" and "me":
You are white—
yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
I guess you learn from me— (31-38).
Not only does this highlight the differences between the speaker and teacher, but it puts the speaker in
a commanding position. The fact that an African-American individual is writing something controversial,
and making critical remarks of his teacher—and in such an eloquent way—is a sign of strength and
source of pride.
Although these poems both make use of first-person voices, they each make use of voice to
different ends. Nonetheless, both poems draw attention to the plight of the African-American people,
albeit in different manners. Both poems cry out for civil rights and equality in a time where AfricanAmericans were treated neither civilly nor equally.
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COMPARE/CONTRAST ESSAY RUBRIC
Requirements
Comments
Points
Introduction:


Does your first sentence or two grab the reader’s attention?
Do you give adequate background information for BOTH stories
(for someone who has not read either story)

Do you include your thesis statement (stating if you are
comparing or contrasting)?

Do your ideas flow into one another smoothly?

Do your ideas move in chronological order?
Do you have a wrap up and transition into your body paragraph?
/15
Body Paragraph (s):





Do you have a good introductory sentence that tells the reader
what this paragraph is going to be about?
Do you give enough detail to support the ideas you are comparing
or contrasting?
Do you support your thesis in this paragraph?
Do your ideas flow into one another smoothly?
Do your ideas move in chronological order?

Do you have a wrap up and transition into your conclusion
paragraph?
/30
Conclusion:






Do you restate (not repeat) the main ideas in your paper?
Did you make sure NOT to add any new information to your paper
here?
Do you support your thesis in this paragraph?
Do your ideas flow into one another smoothly?
Do your ideas move in chronological order?
Do you have at least 5 complete sentences?

Do you bring your paper to a smooth and obvious conclusion
(without using words like: in conclusion, to wrap it up, as I said
earlier, in summary, etc.)
Grammar:
 Is it evident you read your paper out loud, had someone else look
over your paper, and used spell check?
/15
10 points possible
throughout your entire
paper.
Comments:
/10
Total Points:
/70
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Breathing Underwater Study Guide
CHARACTERS:
Directions: Write the physical and personality traits that you learn about each
character. Make sure to add lots of detail and continue to update the information
throughout the novel.
1. Nick Andreas-
2. Nick’s Dad-
3. Caitlin McCourt-
4. Patrick O’Connor-
5. Tom Thompson-
6. Elsa-
7. Leo-
8. Mario-
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READING GROUP GUIDE FOR BREATHING UNDERWATER BY ALEX FLINN
1. The beginning of the book, Nick thinks of his abuse of Caitlin: It was a slap . . . One slap, when
she pushed me way too far. I never beat her up, would never hurt her.
Does Nick believe this? Why does he not admit the truth to himself?
2. What do you think Judge Lehman hopes to accomplish by making Nick keep a journal,
detailing his relationship with Caitlin? How does keeping the journal differ from discussing the
same incidents in Mario’s class? Would simply keeping the journal without the class yield the
same result? What about just attending the class?
3. Comparing himself to Tom, Nick says that Tom is a great guy. “But we’d all be great guys if we
had his life.” How do a person’s circumstances affect the type of person they are? Can you think
of circumstances about your own life which have changed the type of person you are?
4. At the beginning of the book, Tom has abandoned his longstanding friendship with Nick
because of Nick’s conduct toward Caitlin. Was this right? What, if any, are our obligations to our
friends?
5. Should Tom have reacted sooner to Nick’s conduct? What is someone’s obligation to stop
conduct which endangers others if he is not directly involved? Have you ever had a friend who
behaved in a way which was unacceptable? What, if anything, did you do?
6. Nick wishes to conceal his abuse at his father’s hands. Why? In what way would it have been
to Nick’s benefit to tell someone? Could it have been to his detriment?
7. Nick says to Caitlin, “We’re two of a kind,” and she agrees. Is his statement true? In what ways
are Nick and Caitlin similar? How are they different?
8. How are our perceptions of the characters in the book (Saint, Elsa, and Leo, especially)
colored by Nick’s opinions? If the book was narrated by Caitlin, would our opinions be different?
What if it was narrated by Elsa?
9. Nick relates to Leo and is deeply affected by his murder-suicide. Would Nick have gone as far
as Leo without help? Why or why not?
10. At the end of the book, Nick tells Caitlin, “I loved you so much,” and she responds “I can’t
believe that anymore.” Did Nick truly love Caitlin? Why or why not? Does she really not believe
him?
11. Does Caitlin have any qualities which make her an easy target for someone like Nick? Would
another girl react differently to him? Conversely, does Caitlin have any qualities which make it
easier for her to leave Nick (and stay away) in the end?
12. Throughout the book, Caitlin believes that, were she not Nick’s girlfriend, she would not enjoy
the friendships and popularity she’s gained. Is this the only (or main) reason she stays with Nick?
What other reasons might there be? Is Caitlin correct in her assessment of their friends?
13. In what ways are the guys in Mario’s Family Violence Class different from one another? In
what ways are they the same? How would Nick’s friendships with guys in the class differ from his
friendship with Tom?
14. At the end of the book, Nick says that his father’s gift of an expensive car is “the best he can
do,” indicating that he believes his father incapable of having a relationship with him. Is this true?
Is there anything Nick might do to improve the relationship? Does he want to? Why should or
shouldn’t Caitlin’s decision about her father be different from Nick’s?
15. In the end, Tom says, AI want things like they used to be,” and Nick responds, “They aren’t.”
In what ways do you think things will be different for Nick from now on? Do you think that Nick,
given the choice, would want things Alike they used to be” when he was dating Caitlin?
16. What does the title phrase, “Breathing Underwater” mean? Discuss the significant scenes
involving various forms of water. How do these scenes relate to the title phrase?
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