Compare & Contrast Genres Part 2

Passage 1 is set before television was invented. How does the setting of passage 2 differ?

Passage 1

We were gathered in the family room. Mom and Dad sat on the sofa and us kids sat on the floor, seated in a semi-circle around the radio. Friday evenings were the best day of the week, because we all sat together after dinner to listen to our favorite radio programs.

“Let’s Pretend,” a program for children, always played first. My favorite episode was the one that told the story of Prince Gigi and the Magic Ring. My brothers and I sat entranced by the story, as our parents talked quietly behind us. After it was over, Mom led us upstairs to our bedrooms and tucked us in, before joining Dad to listen to the evening news.

Passage 2

Every weekend, we would gather around the television in the family room and watch our favorite shows.

Summers were always my favorite after we got our very first television, because we all gathered around to watch baseball games whenever we could. It was so much more fun than listening to the games on the radio, like we always had before there was TV!

Mom would make sandwiches and lemonade for us to enjoy while we watched the game, and Dad would sit behind us in his recliner and yell at the tiny players on the screen.

After the ball game was over, we were sent outside to play. Mom and Dad would watch the news and talk. When it was dinnertime, they would come to the door and holler for us to come eat.

• Passage 2 is set before families could buy televisions.

• Passage 2 is set long after radios were used for entertainment.

• Passage 2 is set recently after the introduction of radios.

• Passage 2 is set recently after the introduction of television.

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How are the narrators of passage 1 and passage 2 alike?

Passage 1

We were gathered in the family room. Mom and Dad sat on the sofa and us kids sat on the floor, seated in a semi-circle around the radio. Friday evenings were the best day of the week, because we all sat together after dinner to listen to our favorite radio programs.

“Let’s Pretend,” a program for children, always played first. My favorite episode was the one that told the story of Prince Gigi and the Magic Ring. My brothers and I sat entranced by the story, as our parents talked quietly behind us. After it was over, Mom led us upstairs to our bedrooms and tucked us in, before joining Dad to listen to the evening news.

Passage 2

Every weekend, we would gather around the television in the family room and watch our favorite shows.

Summers were always my favorite after we got our very first television, because we all gathered around to watch baseball games whenever we could. It was so much more fun than listening to the games on the radio, like we always had before there was TV!

Mom would make sandwiches and lemonade for us to enjoy while we watched the game, and Dad would sit behind us in his recliner and yell at the tiny players on the screen.

After the ball game was over, we were sent outside to play. Mom and Dad would watch the news and talk. When it was dinnertime, they would come to the door and holler for us to come eat.

• Both love listening to baseball games on the radio.

• Both spend time listening to the radio every night.

• Both enjoy entertainment with their families.

• Both are excited about their new televisions.

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How is the setting of passage 1 similar to the setting of passage 2?

Passage 1

We were gathered in the family room. Mom and Dad sat on the sofa and us kids sat on the floor, seated in a semi-circle around the radio. Friday evenings were the best day of the week, because we all sat together after dinner to listen to our favorite radio programs.

“Let’s Pretend,” a program for children, always played first. My favorite episode was the one that told the story of Prince Gigi and the Magic Ring. My brothers and I sat entranced by the story, as our parents talked quietly behind us. After it was over, Mom led us upstairs to our bedrooms and tucked us in, before joining Dad to listen to the evening news.

Passage 2

Every weekend, we would gather around the television in the family room and watch our favorite shows.

Summers were always my favorite after we got our very first television, because we all gathered around to watch baseball games whenever we could. It was so much more fun than listening to the games on the radio, like we always had before there was TV!

Mom would make sandwiches and lemonade for us to enjoy while we watched the game, and Dad would sit behind us in his recliner and yell at the tiny players on the screen.

After the ball game was over, we were sent outside to play. Mom and Dad would watch the news and talk. When it was dinnertime, they would come to the door and holler for us to come eat.

• Both are set in bedrooms.

• Both are set in kitchens.

• Both are set in backyards.

• Both are set in family rooms.

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In what way are the passages similar in their portrayal of the journey?

Passage 1

“Gold, that’s all I’ll take for wagon parts,” said the man, his gray and stringy hair falling over his face.

“We don’t have gold,” said Prichard Jones, frightened.

We had come upon a trading post after weeks of travel through deserted territories along the Oregon Trail, no men in sight except the members of our wagon party. The Jones family had been traveling on a breaking wheel for days; softened by the rain, it had begun to crack, and Mr. Jones was trying to negotiate with the old man for a new wagon wheel.

“The lady doesn’t have any jewels?” The old man taunted the desperate traveller, “I don’t see many extra wagon parts, you know; these things are valuable so far from established settlements.”

Prichard Jones looked at his wife and then down at the ground, grinding his teeth. “Gold is all you’ll take, you say?” he asked the old man. “You won’t accept an ox? We can spare one from pulling our wagon.”

Passage 2

We’d been winding across the wilderness for so long I lost count of the days. Father had decided it was time to move West to claim his stake. He thought there was fortune to be made, so he sold what couldn’t fit in a covered wagon, purchased supplies, oxen, and loaded us up.

Some of the other wagons on the trail to Oregon were much smaller than ours, because the families were poor—but we were all going towards riches. These families often lacked the resources necessary to live comfortably along the trail.

Luckily, our family could afford to buy enough food and supplies. Although Father was upset when we had to throw out our grandfather clock along the way as our wagon got too heavy for the oxen to pull through the mud after heavy rains.

“Only gold,” he said, smiling wide and showing the gaps in his teeth.

Prichard sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a gold and etched timepiece that sat heavy in his hand.

• Both show families that often trade among themselves to survive.

• Both show people who are scared to barter with strangers.

• Both show that it was easy to travel West on the Oregon Trail.

• Both show people losing precious possessions along the trail.

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Only Passage 2 shows:

Passage 1

“Gold, that’s all I’ll take for wagon parts,” said the man, his gray and stringy hair falling over his face.

“We don’t have gold,” said Prichard Jones, frightened.

We had come upon a trading post after weeks of travel through deserted territories along the Oregon Trail, no men in sight except the members of our wagon party. The Jones family had been traveling on a breaking wheel for days; softened by the rain, it had begun to crack, and Mr. Jones was trying to negotiate with the old man for a new wagon wheel.

“The lady doesn’t have any jewels?” The old man taunted the desperate traveller, “I don’t see many extra wagon parts, you know; these things are valuable so far from established settlements.”

Prichard Jones looked at his wife and then down at the ground, grinding his teeth. “Gold is all you’ll take, you say?” he asked the old man. “You won’t accept an ox? We can spare one from pulling our wagon.”

Passage 2

We’d been winding across the wilderness for so long I lost count of the days. Father had decided it was time to move West to claim his stake. He thought there was fortune to be made, so he sold what couldn’t fit in a covered wagon, purchased supplies, oxen, and loaded us up.

Some of the other wagons on the trail to Oregon were much smaller than ours, because the families were poor—but we were all going towards riches. These families often lacked the resources necessary to live comfortably along the trail.

Luckily, our family could afford to buy enough food and supplies. Although Father was upset when we had to throw out our grandfather clock along the way as our wagon got too heavy for the oxen to pull through the mud after heavy rains.

“Only gold,” he said, smiling wide and showing the gaps in his teeth.

Prichard sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a gold and etched timepiece that sat heavy in his hand.

• the journey along the trail being a long one.

• using oxen and horses to pull wagons.

• the difficulty poor families faced on the trail.

• trading with the elderly people.

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Passage 2 discusses who traveled the Oregon Trail and what they carried. How does passage 1 tell the story of the Oregon Trail differently?

Passage 1

“Gold, that’s all I’ll take for wagon parts,” said the man, his gray and stringy hair falling over his face.

“We don’t have gold,” said Prichard Jones, frightened.

We had come upon a trading post after weeks of travel through deserted territories along the Oregon Trail, no men in sight except the members of our wagon party. The Jones family had been traveling on a breaking wheel for days; softened by the rain, it had begun to crack, and Mr. Jones was trying to negotiate with the old man for a new wagon wheel.

“The lady doesn’t have any jewels?” The old man taunted the desperate traveller, “I don’t see many extra wagon parts, you know; these things are valuable so far from established settlements.”

Prichard Jones looked at his wife and then down at the ground, grinding his teeth. “Gold is all you’ll take, you say?” he asked the old man. “You won’t accept an ox? We can spare one from pulling our wagon.”

Passage 2

We’d been winding across the wilderness for so long I lost count of the days. Father had decided it was time to move West to claim his stake. He thought there was fortune to be made, so he sold what couldn’t fit in a covered wagon, purchased supplies, oxen, and loaded us up.

Some of the other wagons on the trail to Oregon were much smaller than ours, because the families were poor—but we were all going towards riches. These families often lacked the resources necessary to live comfortably along the trail.

Luckily, our family could afford to buy enough food and supplies. Although Father was upset when we had to throw out our grandfather clock along the way as our wagon got too heavy for the oxen to pull through the mud after heavy rains.

“Only gold,” he said, smiling wide and showing the gaps in his teeth.

Prichard sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a gold and etched timepiece that sat heavy in his hand.

• It focuses mainly on hunting.

• It focuses mainly on trading.

• It focuses mainly on bad weather.

• It focuses mainly on gathering.

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How do these passages tell the story of the Underground Railroad similarly?

Passage 1

I laid the rug over the trapdoor to the cellar, and then placed the small, round table in the center of the rug. If someone came to my door looking for runaways, I could only hope they wouldn’t step on the squeaky floorboards near the trapdoor.

Three runaways, a woman and two small children, arrived today in the early morning, just before dawn struck. I didn’t ask many questions, I never do; I only rushed them into the cellar before the first rays of sunlight could stream through the windows.

These were three of only a dozen runaways we’ve hidden since we agreed to be a safe house along the Underground Railroad. It took a lot of convincing for Margaret, my wife, to agree.

“With three children in the house,” she said, “it is too dangerous.”

I agreed, but I felt it was our duty to help as many people escape to freedom as we can. It was the right thing to do.

Passage 2

“What’s your name, child?” The woman questioning me had eyes the color of a blue jay feather and hair that was thick and white as cotton.

“I don’t have a name, Ma’am, though all the men at Four Oaks were called Jonathan, like Mister Jonathan himself.”

“Well, what does your Mama call you?” The stranger smiled at me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners, and held out a chunk of bread in her old hand.

“Don’t know, Ma’am,” I said, looking around at the other runaways in the attic of the safe house on the Underground Railroad, then back at the white woman standing in front of me with bread in her hand. “But I knew a wise old man, once, and his name was Zuberi. It was a name that came from home. Sometimes, I make pretend that my name is Zuberi, and that I came from a home.” I tried to smile back at her and accepted the bread.

“Well,” she said, “you are going someplace free, and I reckon that’s a whole lot better than coming from somewhere.”

• Both show taking care of your family first.

• Both show it is best to help only oneself.

• Both show people helping strangers.

• Both show people betraying runaways.

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The people who helped runaways escape on the Underground Railroad were called conductors. The conductor in passage 1 seems afraid. How does the conductor in passage 2 differ?

Passage 1

I laid the rug over the trapdoor to the cellar, and then placed the small, round table in the center of the rug. If someone came to my door looking for runaways, I could only hope they wouldn’t step on the squeaky floorboards near the trapdoor.

Three runaways, a woman and two small children, arrived today in the early morning, just before dawn struck. I didn’t ask many questions, I never do; I only rushed them into the cellar before the first rays of sunlight could stream through the windows.

These were three of only a dozen runaways we’ve hidden since we agreed to be a safe house along the Underground Railroad. It took a lot of convincing for Margaret, my wife, to agree.

“With three children in the house,” she said, “it is too dangerous.”

I agreed, but I felt it was our duty to help as many people escape to freedom as we can. It was the right thing to do.

Passage 2

“What’s your name, child?” The woman questioning me had eyes the color of a blue jay feather and hair that was thick and white as cotton.

“I don’t have a name, Ma’am, though all the men at Four Oaks were called Jonathan, like Mister Jonathan himself.”

“Well, what does your Mama call you?” The stranger smiled at me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners, and held out a chunk of bread in her old hand.

“Don’t know, Ma’am,” I said, looking around at the other runaways in the attic of the safe house on the Underground Railroad, then back at the white woman standing in front of me with bread in her hand. “But I knew a wise old man, once, and his name was Zuberi. It was a name that came from home. Sometimes, I make pretend that my name is Zuberi, and that I came from a home.” I tried to smile back at her and accepted the bread.

“Well,” she said, “you are going someplace free, and I reckon that’s a whole lot better than coming from somewhere.”

• She seems calm.

• She seems nervous.

• She seems angry.

• She seems confused.

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How does the safe house of passage 1 differ from the safe house of passage 2?

Passage 1

I laid the rug over the trapdoor to the cellar, and then placed the small, round table in the center of the rug. If someone came to my door looking for runaways, I could only hope they wouldn’t step on the squeaky floorboards near the trapdoor.

Three runaways, a woman and two small children, arrived today in the early morning, just before dawn struck. I didn’t ask many questions, I never do; I only rushed them into the cellar before the first rays of sunlight could stream through the windows.

These were three of only a dozen runaways we’ve hidden since we agreed to be a safe house along the Underground Railroad. It took a lot of convincing for Margaret, my wife, to agree.

“With three children in the house,” she said, “it is too dangerous.”

I agreed, but I felt it was our duty to help as many people escape to freedom as we can. It was the right thing to do.

Passage 2

“What’s your name, child?” The woman questioning me had eyes the color of a blue jay feather and hair that was thick and white as cotton.

“I don’t have a name, Ma’am, though all the men at Four Oaks were called Jonathan, like Mister Jonathan himself.”

“Well, what does your Mama call you?” The stranger smiled at me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners, and held out a chunk of bread in her old hand.

“Don’t know, Ma’am,” I said, looking around at the other runaways in the attic of the safe house on the Underground Railroad, then back at the white woman standing in front of me with bread in her hand. “But I knew a wise old man, once, and his name was Zuberi. It was a name that came from home. Sometimes, I make pretend that my name is Zuberi, and that I came from a home.” I tried to smile back at her and accepted the bread.

“Well,” she said, “you are going someplace free, and I reckon that’s a whole lot better than coming from somewhere.”

• In passage 1, runaways hide in a cellar; in passage 2, they hide in an attic.

• In passage 1, runaways hide in the woods; in passage 2, they hide in a cellar.

• In passage 1, runaways hide in an attic; in passage 2, they hide in a shed.

• In passage 1, runaways hide in a living room; in passage 2 they hide in a barn.

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How are the narrator in passage 1 and the boy in passage 2 alike?

Passage 1

I laid the rug over the trapdoor to the cellar, and then placed the small, round table in the center of the rug. If someone came to my door looking for runaways, I could only hope they wouldn’t step on the squeaky floorboards near the trapdoor.

Three runaways, a woman and two small children, arrived today in the early morning, just before dawn struck. I didn’t ask many questions, I never do; I only rushed them into the cellar before the first rays of sunlight could stream through the windows.

These were three of only a dozen runaways we’ve hidden since we agreed to be a safe house along the Underground Railroad. It took a lot of convincing for Margaret, my wife, to agree.

“With three children in the house,” she said, “it is too dangerous.”

I agreed, but I felt it was our duty to help as many people escape to freedom as we can. It was the right thing to do.

Passage 2

“What’s your name, child?” The woman questioning me had eyes the color of a blue jay feather and hair that was thick and white as cotton.

“I don’t have a name, Ma’am, though all the men at Four Oaks were called Jonathan, like Mister Jonathan himself.”

“Well, what does your Mama call you?” The stranger smiled at me, her eyes wrinkling in the corners, and held out a chunk of bread in her old hand.

“Don’t know, Ma’am,” I said, looking around at the other runaways in the attic of the safe house on the Underground Railroad, then back at the white woman standing in front of me with bread in her hand. “But I knew a wise old man, once, and his name was Zuberi. It was a name that came from home. Sometimes, I make pretend that my name is Zuberi, and that I came from a home.” I tried to smile back at her and accepted the bread.

“Well,” she said, “you are going someplace free, and I reckon that’s a whole lot better than coming from somewhere.”

• They are both runaway slaves at risk of being caught.

• They are both former slaves helping others to freedom.

• They are both former slaves on their way to freedom.

• They are both participating in the Underground Railroad.

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