1. Bell Ringer: October 5, 2015 What is a caste system? How were women in Hindu societies viewed differently from women in Buddhist societies?

2. How to Write a Thesis in Three Steps Compare the economic, social, and political characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.

3. Thesis The first sentence of your thesis should be a restatement of the prompt. Before you begin writing, you should first underline important information in the prompt. You will then use those words to create the first sentence of your thesis. Example: Two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, created complex societies with distinct social, political, and economic characteristics.

4. Thesis Compare the economic, social, and political characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. VERB: Compare – Even if the prompt asks you to compare, it wants you to compare AND contrast. Time Period: ANCIENT Mesopotamia and ANCIENT Egypt What are you comparing?: Economic, social and political characteristics.

5. Second Sentence of my Thesis The second sentence of your thesis should address both a similarity and a difference. You will only list them in the thesis. Do not analyze them. Save the analysis for the body. Example: One similarity is that both civilizations developed strong economies based on trade with other cultures. One difference is that the Mesopotamians traded with people across the Indian Ocean in South Asia, while the Egyptians traded with their neighbors to the south in Nubia.

6. Third Sentence of my Thesis The third and final sentence of your thesis should be the transition into your essay. It is here that you will help your reader get from your introduction into the bulk of what you have to say. Example: “The historical evidence would indicate that the two civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt had some subtle differences, but were, for the most part, nearly identical.”

7. Complete Thesis Two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, created complex societies with distinct social, political, and economic characteristics. One similarity is that both civilizations developed strong economies based on trade with other cultures. One difference is that the Mesopotamians traded with people across the Indian Ocean in South Asia, while the Egyptians traded with their neighbors to the south in Nubia. The historical evidence would indicate that the two civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt had some subtle differences, but were, for the most part, nearly identical.

8. AP Readers Want to Know: Do you have a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis? Is your thesis acceptable?

9. What is an “acceptable” thesis and what is an “unacceptable” thesis? Put simply, an analytical thesis will use specific details that will allow the reader to understand exactly what you are talking about. A good thesis is never just one sentence; it is a group of statements You will start with a general sentence, but you have to then follow it up with additional sentences that provide all the necessary elements described above. Together, these statements must – 1. restate the prompt – 2. define terms, context, and chronology of events under discussion – 3. address each part of the question (include both a similarity and a difference or both a continuity and a change) – 4. Make a transition statement to the body of the essay with a sentence like

10. Practice! You will write two comparative essays: In your field notebook answer the following questions using the 3-step thesis guide: 1. Compare the role of caste in identifying and shaping social structures in Classical Greece (CH 4) and India (CH 6)? 2. What are the similarities and differences in the role of women in India (CH 6), China (CH 5), and the Mediterranean (CH 3-4) world during the Classical period?

11. Period II Essential Question: To what extent was the organization and reorganization of human societies between 600 B.C.E. and 600 C.E. the result of internal changes and external challenges, including environmental challenges? Due 10/6/2015: “What I know” and hypothesis. Due 10/8/2015: 5 Primary Sources, 3 Secondary Sources Due 10/12/2015: Thesis, Conclusion