Lesson 39: Shared Stories, Shared Lessons: Planning a Comparison Essay

Think-Pair-Share

Use this brief routine to connect students’ Socratic seminar thinking from Lesson 36 and their comparison writing from Lesson 35 to today’s planning work.

Say these Directions: During the Socratic seminar in Lesson 36, you discussed how Percy, Odysseus, and others face danger and explore the unknown. Today, you will turn those ideas into a clear essay plan with a thesis, organized evidence, and a clear structure for comparing ideas. As you plan your essay, you will also think about how modern stories like The Lightning Thief reinterpret ideas from older myths such as The Odyssey and The Aeneid.

First, review the Performance Task Handout and notice what Part 1 and Part 2 require. Then, think about your response to the question. After that, share and refine your response with a partner.

• Ask: What does the handout say your essay needs to include?

  • My essay must explain a shared idea across texts using evidence and comparative transitions, and my visual must clearly show a comparison or pattern that supports my thinking.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Now that you have reviewed the success criteria for the performance task, we can begin working on the task.

This mini-lesson teaches students how to write a strong thesis that explains a shared idea across texts and previews how the texts develop that idea.

Language Study

Teach: Writing a Strong Comparative Thesis

In this lesson, we are studying how to write a thesis that does more than name texts or topics. A strong thesis explains a shared idea, shows how the texts are connected, and previews what the texts reveal about people or culture. Strong theses for this task often use comparative language such as although, while, or because to show how the texts are connected.

Display and read aloud:

• First Draft thesis:

Percy and Odysseus both go home and are brave.

• Revised thesis:

Although Percy and Odysseus both return home after danger, their homecomings reveal different ideas about courage and responsibility, which shows that cultures define heroism in different ways.

• Ask: What is the first thesis missing?

  • The first thesis is missing a clear shared idea and does not explain what the comparison reveals.

• Ask: What word is used in the revised thesis to show a comparison?

  • Although

• Ask: What shared idea is introduced in the revised thesis?

  • The shared idea is that both homecomings reveal courage.

• Ask: Why is the revised thesis better for an essay?

  • It gives a clear claim, shows comparison, and explains what idea will be developed in the essay.

Say these Directions: With a partner, orally rehearse a thesis using one of these words: although, while, or because. Include at least two texts or myth traditions and one abstract idea, such as courage, identity, responsibility, or justice. Then write it in your journal.

• Invite students to share their theses.

• Ask: How does your thesis show both comparison and meaning?

  • It shows how the texts are similar or different and explains what they reveal about people or values.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: In this lesson, you practiced writing a thesis that explains a shared idea and previews comparison. Next, you will use this thesis to organize your essay and support it with evidence from both texts.

Part A: Study Sample Essay Plan and Visual (W.6.2.a) (15 minutes)

In this lesson, students use organizers such as a Venn diagram or T-chart to plan their thinking before drafting. These organizers are early versions of the Myth Comparison Visual from the Performance Task. Writers use them to plan similarities, differences, or patterns before drafting and later revise them into a clear visual that supports the essay’s main idea.

Think-Pair-Share

In this lesson, we are comparing how Percy and Odysseus experience a shared idea. Today’s example focuses on homecoming, but this is just one way writers might compare texts. You may choose a different shared idea, like courage, danger, identity, or the unknown, for your own essay.

Before we study a sample essay plan, let’s revisit a key moment from Odysseus and connect it to Percy’s return home in The Lightning Thief.

Display this Excerpt from The Odyssey:

“Then Ulysses rejoiced at finding himself again in his own land, and kissed the bounteous soil; he lifted up his hands and prayed to the nymphs . . . ‘Naiad nymphs . . . now therefore I greet you . . . and I will bring you offerings as in the old days . . .’”

• Ask: What does Odysseus do when he realizes he is home?

  • When Odysseus realizes he is home, he is overjoyed. He kisses the ground and prays, which shows how much he cares about his homeland and is grateful to be home.

• Ask: Now think about Percy. What does Percy do when he returns home at the end of The Lightning Thief?

  • Percy chooses to face his life, protect his mother, and rebuild his family.

• Say: Writers organize their thinking across both texts before drafting. I’m going to model one way to do this using the shared idea of homecoming—but remember, this is just one example.

Sketch a Venn diagram on the board to show how writers organize comparison ideas before writing an essay. Label one circle “Percy,” the other “Odysseus,” and the center “Shared Ideas.”

• Say: This organizer is an early version of your Myth Comparison Visual. Writers use tools like this to plan similarities, differences, or patterns before drafting, and later revise them into a clear visual that supports their essay’s main idea.

Watch how I build a sample comparison:

• Percy: returns home to protect his mother and rebuild family relationships

• Odysseus: returns home to reclaim his kingdom

• Shared: both return after danger and show courage

This is one way to organize ideas. A different writer might organize around courage, identity, or danger instead.

Now let’s look at a sample essay plan based on this same idea of homecoming. Notice how the writer turns the organizer into a structured plan. Notice that this plan develops the same kind of thesis we just practiced: a thesis that explains a shared idea and then shows an important difference between the texts.

Display the following model plan:

Say these Directions: Study this sample plan with your partner. As you study, check whether it would meet the Performance Task criteria:

• The thesis explains a shared idea

• The evidence includes both texts

• The organization makes the comparison clear

• The visual helps the reader understand the comparison.

• Ask: How could this plan change if the writer chose a different shared idea, like courage or identity?

  • The thesis and body paragraphs would focus on that idea instead, but the structure—comparing both texts with evidence—would stay the same.

• Ask: How does this sample already meet Part 1 and Part 2 of the Performance Task?

  • It has a thesis, evidence from both texts, and body paragraph ideas for Part 1, and the Venn diagram begins Part 2 by showing the comparison clearly.

• Ask: How does the Venn diagram help prepare the writer for the Myth Comparison Visual?

  • It already groups the similarities and differences, so the writer can later turn it into a visual that clearly supports the essay.

Part B: Build Your Own Essay Outline and Visual (W.6.2.a, W.6.2.b, L.6.1.e) (15 minutes)

Rehearse and Refine

The model we just studied shows one way a writer compares The Lightning Thief with a myth. Now you will apply that same structure to your own comparison by choosing a myth from the unit and planning your essay and visual. As you work, remember that Part 1 asks you to plan a Comparative Explanatory Essay, and Part 2 asks you to create a Myth Comparison Visual that clearly shows a comparison or pattern and helps the reader better understand your thinking.

Say these Directions: Use the Newsela Essay Outline to begin planning your own Comparative Explanatory Essay (Part 1 of the Performance Task). Choose one myth from the unit to compare with The Lightning Thief.

As you plan, make sure you:

• write a thesis that explains a shared idea across texts

• choose relevant evidence from The Lightning Thief and your selected myth

• explain what the texts reveal about cultural values or human experiences

• organize your ideas using comparative language (both, while, although, in contrast)

• create an organizer that clearly shows a comparison or pattern and can become your Myth Comparison Visual

This sample shows one strong way to plan the task using Percy and Odysseus. Students’ plan should follow a similar structure, but it should reflect their own chosen myth and shared idea.

Working Title: Shared Stories, Shared Lessons Introduction/Thesis: Although Percy and Odysseus both return home after danger, their homecomings reveal different ideas about courage and responsibility, which shows that cultures define heroism in different ways.

Body Paragraph 1 Plan: Both Percy and Odysseus return home changed by danger and loss.

Evidence: Percy returns to New York ready to protect his mother and face the truth about his family. Odysseus recognizes Ithaca, kisses the ground, and prays in gratitude when he realizes he is home.

Body Paragraph 2 Plan: The two stories differ in what home asks each hero to protect.

Evidence: Percy’s homecoming focuses on family responsibility and honesty. Odysseus’s homecoming focuses on reclaiming his homeland and restoring his role as king.

Myth Comparison Visual: Venn diagram or T-chart showing shared ideas about homecoming and courage, along with key differences in responsibility.

• Say: In your student journal, create an organizer (such as a T-chart or Venn diagram) that reflects the shared idea from your thesis.

Your organizer should:

• include at least two shared ideas or patterns across texts

• include at least one key difference for each text

• use clear labels that match your thesis

• organize ideas so the comparison is easy for a reader to understand

This organizer will become your Myth Comparison Visual, so it should clearly show the comparison or pattern you want your reader to see.

• Say: A strong visual does not just list details—it highlights the shared idea from your thesis and helps the reader quickly understand how the texts are similar and different.

Circulate as students plan. Conference briefly on thesis clarity, logical organization, and whether the chosen organizer clearly matches the claim.

Venn Diagram Title: Homecoming, Courage, and Responsibility

The Lightning Thief

• Percy returns home to protect his mother

• shows courage through honesty and family responsibility

Shared Ideas

• both heroes return home after danger

• both are changed by their journeys

• both show courage during homecoming

The Odyssey

• Odysseus returns to reclaim his kingdom

• shows courage through loyalty to homeland and duty

Say these Directions: After you complete your outline, rehearse your thesis and explain your organizer with a partner. Your partner should listen for three things: Is the claim clear? Does the evidence come from both texts? Does the organizer clearly match the shared idea in the thesis?

• Ask: Which part of the Performance Task have you planned clearly, and which part still needs strengthening?

  • I already have a shared idea and an organizer for my visual, but I still need to choose stronger evidence from both texts.

• Ask: How does your organizer help your reader see the shared idea in your thesis?

  • My organizer groups the shared ideas and differences, so it makes the comparison easier to follow.

Quick Write

Frame this as a Reflection Pause. Students should leave with both a clearer plan and a drafting goal.

Say these Directions: In Lesson 36, you proved you could talk across texts. Today, you proved you can turn that thinking into a writing plan. In Lesson 40, you will use this outline to begin drafting, so your next step is to name what is ready and what still needs strengthening.

• Say: Respond in writing to the following questions:

• Ask: What is your working thesis?

• Ask: Which two pieces of evidence will help you explain the shared idea across texts?

• Ask: How will your organizer support your visual?

• Ask: What is one self-regulation goal for drafting Part 1 of the Performance Task?

• My working thesis is that both The Lightning Thief and The Odyssey show that returning home takes courage, although Percy’s homecoming is about protecting family while Odysseus’s is about reclaiming power. I plan to use Percy’s choice to return to New York and Odysseus’s recognition of Ithaca as my main comparison points. My drafting goal is to explain each piece of evidence more clearly so I do not slip into plot summary.

Instruct students to finish their essay outline and be ready to bring their completed thesis, body paragraph plan, and myth comparison visual plan to Lesson 40.