Writing Project Name Christopher Wu

Plan a Comparison Paragraph FATP Chart

Form:
Fill out the Form, Audience, and Purpose in your FATP chart. Audience:

1. Collect Ideas Circle the decade that you will learn about: Topic:
Purpose:
1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s

1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s

Write the decade as the topic in your FATP chart.

2. Collect Facts Collect facts and pictures (or add drawings) about the
decade that you chose. Fill in the decade and facts below.

Facts Pictures

1. In 1970s, doest have iphone

2. In 1970s, phone call is not cheap

3. In 1970s, phone cant not use internet

4. In 1970s, phone isn’t wireless

5. In 1970s, phone is very big

3. Make a Plan Copy the facts from above into column 1 below. In column 2,
write how life today compares with the fact about the past.
Comparison Chart

Decade: 1970s Today

1. In 1970s, doest have iphone 1. In 2020, we have different smart phone

2. In 1970s, phone call is not cheap 2. In 2020, some phone is cheap

3. In 1970s, phone cant not use internet 3. In 2020, phone can use internet

4. In 1970s, phone isn’t wireless 4. In 2020, phone is wireless

5. In 1970s, phone is very big 5. In 1970s, phone is very small.

© NGSP & HB Unit 4 Past and Present 65

 Writing Project, continued Name

Draft a Comparison Paragraph

Write a paragraph comparing life in the past with life today. Use the facts in
your chart.

1. Find or draw pictures

of the decade you
will write about and
pictures of life today.

Decade: 1970 Today

2. Write a title and topic used

sentence telling
which decade you will
compare to today.
3. Write sentences to
explain how life is the
same or different.
Tell about what people
did and how they do
it today.
In 1970, people use telephone at home, and now we use smart
phone everywhere.
needed
Today, more people use phone, no more people use telephone.
Lots of people in 1970s need to spend lots of money on making a
phone call but now, the phone call is very cheap. You even can use
internet to make a free phone call.
was
In 1970, the telephone is pretty big and can never bring it with us.
But now smart phone is getting smaller and smaller, you can always
put into your pocket.

• Use present and past In 1970, it’s not every family has telephone, but now phone is in
mostly every family. And some kids have a cellphone, like me.
tense verbs.
• Use the correct
pronouns.

• Use words that

compare.

66 Unit 4 Past and Present © NGSP & HB

 Writing Project, continued Name

Revise a Comparison Paragraph

PRACTICE REVISING
Read and revise this comparison paragraph. Make a list of what is being
compared. Then mark your changes. To move text, use this mark: .

1. 1950s family do active together

and now family using their phone In some ways, life in the 1950s and life today are the same.

In the 1950s, families spent a lot of time doing activities together.

1950 family watch tv a lot In other ways, life is different. Watching television in the 1950s is
2.

and like today in one way. Today, family members spend more time using
now family still watch tv a lot

personal computers and music players on their own. In the 1950s, people

spent almost as much time watching television as people do today.

3.
1950 people spent much time on tv
and

4. What is unclear? 1950 people spent much time on tv

5. Mark your changes. To move words, use this mark: .

REVISE YOUR DRAFT

Read your paper aloud to a partner. Mark your changes on p. 66.

© NGSP & HB Unit 4 Past and Present 67

 Writing Project, continued Name

Edit and Proofread a Comparison Paragraph Editing and

Proofreading Marks
CHECK FOR COMMAS Add.

Proofread the sentences. Correct errors in using commas. Take out.

Mark your changes. Replace with this.

Check the spelling.

1. In the 1940s, many people rode trains walked, or rode airplanes.
Capitalize.
2. Today, even more people ride trains drive or ride airplanes. Make lowercase.

Make a new paragraph.

3. Lots of people in the 1940s rode trains to visit different people,
places or events.

4. Today many cities have modern trains or subway systems that people ride to go to work go to school
or visit friends.

5. Cars in the 1940s were slow. Today, cars are faster safer, and last longer.

6. Transportation today is easier faster and safer than it was in the 1940s.

PRACTICE EDITING AND PROOFREADING Checklist

Edit and proofread this comparison paragraph. Mark your changes. Past tense verbs
Spelling

Toys were different in the 1930s than they are today. In the Commas
toy
1930s, toies were made of china wood metal, tin, and lead. Toys
were meant to last for a long time. Today most toys are made of
Many
plastic. Meny of the toys in the 1930s were homemade. When these
toys broke they could be fixed easily. When today’s toys break
they are often thrown away. People just buy new toys. In the past,
children played with things they found such as ropes boxes and
sticks. Today children buy most of their toys in stores. However,
children today are just like children in the 1930s. They also use
toys to have fun play and use their imaginations. Toyz may change,
but the way children enjoy them will not. Toys

EDIT AND PROOFREAD YOUR COMPARISON PARAGRAPH

Now edit and proofread your comparison paragraph on p. 66.
68 Unit 4 Past and Present © NGSP & HB