Comparative Essay

Standard essay format I. Thesis II. TS -- Evidentiary Paragraph 1 A. Evidence 1 B. Evidence 2 C. Commentary III. TS -- Evidentiary Paragraph 2 IV. Conclusion -restate

Paragraph 1: Introduction (with Thesis) Your introduction — should open with a general topic statement , and lead into the thesis statement. Topic Sentence – should be analytical and creates two categories Evidence – should be a concrete detail, factual (Who, what, where, when, why, and how). What are the underlying REASONS for the similarities? Example: Because both the Egyptian and Mesopotamian river-valley civilizations had agricultural surplus, specialization was possible.”

Paragraph 2 & 3 All Comparisons (Topics 1 and 2) This section — should go through all similarities or contrasts you find in the two topics on which you are writing. There should be at least two comparisons in which you give an example from both topics of comparisons in each. Commentary – can be about causation, impact (effects), global patterns, or other

Paragraph 4 Conclusion In the conclusion paragraph, you get a chance to restate your thesis and the conclusions that you have arrived at through your writing of the paper. Wrap up your ideas so that there aren’t any loose ends, and don’t add any new information at this point. If, while writing your conclusion, you think of an important piece of evidence that needs to be included, it has to be in the body of your paper. But you only have 40 min

Points Comparative Essay -- Core Points Has an acceptable thesis - - 1pt Addresses all parts of the question - - 1 pt Substantiates thesis with historical evidence. (Evidence must be correct) Makes at least one or two relevant, direct comparisons between or among societies Analyses at least one reason for a similarity or difference identified in a direct comparison.