Topic and Structure:

Compare/Contrast Essay – Choose one topic provided in these instructions to compare and/or contrast.

The table below provides an extensive list of topic options from which you mustselect, and we recommend that you choose one from below that you areinterested in beyond this course. For instance, if you are a Finance orBusiness major, you might be interested in the Dividends v. CapitalGains topic. If you are a Science major, you might choose Hybrid Seedsv. GMO Seeds. Or perhaps you’re taking StraighterLine’s Survey of WorldHistory course, in which case you might opt to research the similaritiesand differences between the United States and the Roman Empire. Youwill use at least two credible sources to support your claims, andremember, you must include your sources throughout the body paragraphsof your essay in a mix of cited quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. Boththe support and research portions of the rubric will be negativelyaffected if you do not integrate your researched data.

· Rosa Parks vs. Harriett Tubman

· Treaties vs. Executive Agreements

· Roman Empire vs. United States

· Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” vs. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”

· Verbal vs. Nonverbal Communication

· Biblical Old Testament vs. New Testament

· Leonardo di Vinci vs. Michelangelo

· Apple Ipad vs. Microsoft Surface

· Dividends vs. Capital Gains

· Marxism vs. Socialism

· Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox

· Jazz vs. Blues

· String Instruments vs. Wind Instruments

· Amphibians vs. Reptiles

· Charles Darwin vs. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

· Solar Power vs. Wind Power

· Hybrid Seeds vs. GMO Seeds

· Public School vs. Home School

Write an essay comparing or contrasting the two topics in your selection using EITHER the point-by-point OR the subject-by-subject method to organize the details and specific examples. Consider focusing on three to five subtopics and generate ideas through prewriting. Develop a strong thesis statementfor your essay that includes your two topics from the list above; yourthree to five subtopics; and a claim about how they are similar,different, or both.

Sample Thesis Statements:

If you will argue that your two topics are mostly similar:

Topic A and Topic B share many similar characteristics, including(Supporting point 1), (Supporting point 2), and (Supporting point 3);while they differ in (Additional supporting point), the similaritiesgreatly outweigh the differences.

OR

If you will argue that your two topics are mostly different:

While Topic A and Topic B have (Additional supporting point) incommon, they are mostly quite different; in fact, they differ incharacteristics such as (Supporting point 1), (Supporting point 2), and(Supporting point 3).

OR

If you will argue that your two topics have many important/interesting similarities and differences:

Analyzing Topic A and Topic B reveals many fascinatingsimilarities as well as differences; for instance, they share(Supporting point 1) and (Supporting point 1), but are vastly differentwhen it comes to (Supporting point 3) and (Supporting point 4).

Tips

To brainstorm, you might consider using a Venn diagram or a simplelist to show what your topics have in common and how they differ. Thenyou can select the most prominent or interesting characteristics thatyou want to highlight in your paper.

Be sure to avoid beginning your comparisons or contrasts in the introduction.Your thesis is the only place in the introduction where you willinclude this information. Use the introduction to get your reader’sattention, and consider using a good strategy that leads into the topic.For instance, you might relate a short anecdote to illustrate yourtopic, an interesting quotation that relates to your topic, or perhaps asurprising statistic that reveals something about your topic.

Then, in the body paragraphs remember to support your claim(s) outlined in the thesis. For instance, if one of your points says the city and the country are different in terms of transportation, be sure the topic sentenceof one body paragraph presents a similar statement. In addition, spendequal time on each subtopic in each body paragraph, and one way todevelop organized body paragraphs is to focus on one topic before movingto the next one so that the paragraph support is split 50/50. In otherwords, using the example above, you would explain the transportationoptions in the city in full, and then, you would detail the types ofcontrasting transportation in the country. End each body paragraph with astrong concluding sentence that synthesizes that paragraph’s discussions.

The conclusion should sum up the specific supporting points as well as your overall assessment of why these points are important. Consider what kinds of interesting or new conclusions you can draw from your comparison. In other words, your essay must reveal why your comparison is important. A well-developed paragraph often contains a minimum of five sentences. Note that any of the main sections below labeled with Roman Numerals (I, II, III, IV) could be more than just a single paragraph.

FormatRequirements:

Remember to apply theconcepts you’re learning in the course, including elements of grammar,punctuation, thesis development, and other skills.

Length: This assignment should be at least 500words.

Sources: You need a bare minimum of twocredible sources for this assignment.

Header: Include a header in the upperleft-hand corner of your writing assignment with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• Course Title (Composition I)
• Assignment name (Comparison andContrast)
• Current Date

Page Layout:

• MLA style documentation (pleasesee the tutorial in the course topic)
• Last name and page number inupper-right corner of each page
• Double-spacing throughout
• Title, centered after heading
• Standard font (Times New Roman orCalibri)
• 1″ margins on all sides
• Save the file as .docx or.doc format

Underline your thesis statement.