Compare and Contrast Essay

1
Compare and Contrast Essay

• Myths

2
What is the Purpose?

• To show similarities between at least two myths
• To show the differences between two myths

• To inform
• To explain
• To analyze
• To evaluate

3
Pre-Writing

• Chart

Social Customs What is important to tribe Beginnings of rituals
Myth 1
Myth 2
4
Venn Diagram
ALIKE
5
Writing a Thesis Statement

• Review your data
• Decide to what extent you will stress the
  similarities between your two myths and to what
  extent you will stress the differences.
• Create a thesis statement that reflects that
  decision.

6
Weak Thesis Statements

• Both myths are somewhat alike and somewhat
  different.
• I can see some similarities and some differences
  too.
• Both of them involve (only a single similarity,
  no differences).

7
Better Thesis Pattern

• While both the Iroquois and the Cherokee creation
  myths celebrate animals as creators, the Iroquois
  myth focuses more on family revealing what was
  important to their tribe.

8
Better Thesis Pattern

• The Iroquois and Chinese creation myths reveal
  very different rituals and values which leads to
  the extreme differences in their rules,
  guidelines and religions.

9
Paragraph Organization----Point by Point
2nd paragraph 3rd paragraph 4th paragraph
Social Customs What is important to tribe Beginnings of rituals
World on the Turtles Back
Myth of your choosing
10
Outline Point by Point

• Introduction
• a. attention getter/hook
• b. background information
• c. thesis
• Social Customs
• a. topic sentence
• b. A (1-2 sen)
• c. B(1-2 sen)
• d. so what
• e. transition
• What is Important to Tribe
• a. topic sentence
• b. A (1-2 sen)
• c. B(1-2 sen)
• d. so what
• e. transition

IV. Beginnings of Rituals a. topic sentence b.
A (1-2 sen) c. B(1-2 sen) d. so what e.
transition V. Conclusion a. emphasize major
ties b. so what? c. evaluate
11
Transitions

• To Compare

• To Contrast

• Also
• As
• In the same way
• Like
• Likewise
• Similarly
• Comparable
• Equally
• In addition

• Although
• Even though
• However
• On the other hand
• Otherwise
• Yet
• Still
• Conversely
• As opposed to
• Different from
• Whereas