1. Comparative Essay Writing

2. Writing Details
Write in the 3rd person, not in the first person (I or me) or the 2nd person (you)
Write in the past tense
INDENT all paragraphs!
When comparing, don’t say “Mr. Sakole rocks and Mr. Hallock doesn’t” because that doesn’t tell us anything about Mr. Hallock (see next slide)
Don’t add any fluff—NONE!! Nobody wants to read it. Don’t be creative. Be concise. Be exact. Be accurate.
When providing evidence, be specific. Use accurate and correct details. This is where you show what you know. A good way to begin is with the words, “For example…”

3. VALID COMPARISONS
A valid difference must actually compare two things. When you say “Ancient Egypt had surgery and Mesopotamia didn’t,” you are NOT making a valid comparison. So with that in mind, don’t use surgery as your difference. Because both Meso and Egypt believed in an afterlife, a different belief, this is a valid comparison for a difference.

4. LEQ Rubric
Thesis (1 point)
Responds to the prompt with a historically defensible thesis/claim that establishes a line of reasoning
To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim that responds to the prompt rather than restating or rephrasing the prompt.
The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, either the introduction or the conclusion.

5. Contextualization (1point)
LEQ RUBRIC
Contextualization (1point)
Describes a broader historical context relevant to the prompt
To earn this point, the response must relate to the topic of the prompt to broader historical events, developments, or processes that occur before, during, or continue after the time frame of the question.
This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference

6. Supports an Argument (1 point)
LEQ Rubric
Evidence (1 point)
Provides specific examples of evidence relevant to the topic of the prompt.
How many? At LEAST two.
Supports an Argument (1 point)
Supports and argument in response to the prompt using specific and relevant examples of evidence
How many times? We don’t know. Definitely some number greater than twice.

7. Historical Reasoning (1 point)
LEQ Rubric
Historical Reasoning (1 point)
Uses historical reasoning (e.g. comparison, causation, CCOT) to frame or structure an argument that addresses the prompt.
Just to confuse you: This DOES NOT have to be the HRS implied in the prompt!
Complexity (1 point)
Demonstrates a complex understanding of the historical development that is the focus of the prompt, using evidence to corroborate, qualify, or modify an argument that addresses the question.

8. LEQ Rubric
To earn the two points for Analysis (Complexity) and Reasoning
The response must demonstrate a complex understanding. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as:
Explaining the nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple variables.
Explaining both similarities and differences, or explaining both continuity and change, or explaining multiple causes, or explaining both causes and effects.
Explaining relevant and insightful connections within and across periods.
Confirming the validity of an argument by corroborating multiple perspectives across themes.
Qualifying or modifying an argument by considering diverse or alternative views or evidence.
This understanding must be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or reference.

10. How to Write CONTEXTUALIZATION
STEPS:
What are the topics you are asked to write about?
What was going on during the time period?
Paint a picture about the time period connected to the topics.
Check out this CLASSIC example!

12. How to Write A Thesis STEPS:
1. What are the two subjects?
2. What are the topics you are asked to write about?
3. What are the similarities and differences between these subjects IN these topic areas? (Make a chart!!)
WRITE THE THESIS LIKE THIS: Subject 1 and Subject 2 were similar in topic____ because…, however these civilizations differed in their topic ___ because….

13. Practice Prompt
Prompt: Analyze the similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of religion and advanced technology.

14. First Things First… Make A Chart
Mesopotamia
Ancient Egypt
Religion
Advanced Technology
- Polytheistic
- Afterlife (gloomy)
- Ziggurats
- Polytheistic
- Afterlife (pleasant)
- Pharaohs = leaders
sail, wheel, plow
Cuneiform (picto)
Ziggurats
plow, sail
Hieroglyphics (picto)
Surgery

15. Now Let’s Practice Writing the Thesis…
Prompt: Analyze the similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of religion and advanced technology.
Remember this is how we write it…
WRITE THE THESIS LIKE THIS: Subject 1 and Subject 2 were similar in topic____ because…, however these civilizations differed in their topic ___ because….

16. Here’s What a Good Thesis Looks Like
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on symbols standing for ideas; they were different in terms of religion in that Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld when they died, while Egypt believed that where you ended up in your afterlife depended upon how you lived your life.

17. What would a BAD Thesis look like?
Prompt: Analyze the similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of religion and advanced technology.
There are many similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Mesopotamia and Egypt have similarities in the area of religion and differences in the area of advanced technology.

18. Add in CONTEXTUALIZATION
What would you say as BACKGROUND to the question? (Analyze the similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of religion and advanced technology.)
Remember our thesis is:
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on symbols standing for ideas; they were different in terms of religion in that Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld when they died, while Egypt believed that where you ended up in your afterlife depended upon how you lived your life.

19. Example of good CONTEXTUALIZATION
After the invention of agriculture people began settling in one place. As time went on, these groups grew larger and created civilizations. These civilizations developed many advancements to help organize their large populations.

20. Now let’s put it all together for our INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
After the invention of agriculture people began settling in one place. As time went on, these groups grew larger and created civilizations. These civilizations developed many advancements to help organize their large populations. Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on symbols standing for ideas; they were different in terms of religion in that Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld when they died, while Egypt believed that where you ended up in your afterlife depended upon how you lived your life.

21. When Making “Topic” Sentences
We need to specifically give a similarity and a difference. When comparing, it is not enough to show how things are alike, we also need to show how they differ. DO NOT SAY, “…and ___ didn’t”
We want to state our similarity and difference, concisely, twice. First in our thesis and then again in our body paragraphs. Don’t get creative, do it correctly in the thesis then just divide the thesis up into two “topic” sentences to begin paragraphs 2 and 3.
Here’s how….

22. Remember this prompt and thesis
Remember this prompt and thesis? Okay, Let’s Write the “Topic” Sentences
Prompt: Analyze the similarities and differences between Mesopotamia and Egypt in terms of religion and advanced technology.
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on pictograms; they were different in terms of religion in that Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld for their afterlife while Egypt believed that where you ended up in your afterlife depended upon how you lived you life.

23. Okay, we are going to take that thesis that we just wrote and we are going to divide it into two “topic” sentences.
One “topic” sentence will be our similarity and the other will be our difference.
We will begin paragraph 2 with one of these sentences and paragraph 3 with the other.
Don’t freak… next slide demonstrates…

24. Let’s break this thesis into two “topic” sentences..
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on pictograms; they were different in terms of religion because Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld for their afterlife while Egypt believed that their afterlife depended upon how they lived their lives and could be a pleasant place.
Let’s break this thesis into two “topic” sentences..
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on pictograms.
Mesopotamia and Egypt were different in terms of religion bc Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld for their afterlife while Egypt believed that their afterlife depended
upon how they lived their lives and could be pleasant.

25. You can see we ended up with 2 “topic” sentences.
You can also see that we basically divided up the thesis into the comparisons it was making.
You can also see that I didn’t change most of the words.
If you do your thesis correctly, you can see that you are essentially guaranteed to make “topic” sentence comparisons correctly.
Because I think the “topic” sentences set you up for success, I like these “topic” sentences as your first sentence (of paragraphs 2/3), but, they can be anywhere in the paragraph.

26. Writing Details (more Analysis) Why a similarity or a difference exists…
When writing your analysis, you want to explain why something is a similarity or a difference.
You can begin your analysis portion with “This was a similarity because….” OR … “This was a difference because…”
Use words/phrases like, because, therefore, thus, as a result, often. Words like these push you to analyze something.
You MUST show analysis. Analysis is a difficult portion of the AP essay. Practice! Come see me!

27. Second Paragraph (example)
Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based in symbols.
(Topic Sentence) Mesopotamia and Egypt were similar in their advanced technology as both developed a writing system based on symbols. For example, the Mesopotamians developed Cuneiform and the Egyptians developed Hieroglyphics, both used pictures to stand for ideas. The Mesopotamians wrote Cuneiform on Clay tablets. The Egyptians also used clay and stone tablets, but eventually developed Papyrus, a form of paper made from reeds growing along the Delta. (Analysis) This was a similarity because both civilizations developed slowly over a period of time, beginning as small Neolithic villages. As they became more complex, they needed to keep records of transactions between merchants, and taxes paid to the civilizations. This need to record transactions in both civilizations spurred the development of their writing. Both Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics utilized symbols because they were early civilizations and a phonetic alphabet had not been developed yet. Further, the needs of both civilizations were being met by the symbol-based writings that they used.

28. Ok, You Try the 3rd Paragraph…
Here was the “Topic” sentence for the Difference:
Mesopotamia and Egypt were different in terms of religion because Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld for their afterlife while Egypt believed that their afterlife depended upon how they lived their lives and could be a pleasant place.
Work with a neighbor and develop a paragraph that includes the evidence and the analysis.

29. Mesopotamia and Egypt were different in terms of religion in that Mesopotamia believed that everyone went to the same grim underworld for their afterlife while Egypt believed that where you ended up in your afterlife depended upon how you lived your life. For example, the Mesopotamians believed that regardless of how they lived their lives, all people would end up in a grim underworld because they believed that the gods were not kind. The Egyptians believed that Ka would come for a Pharaoh's soul so his soul could live on and rule over Egypt. Further, they believed that Osiris would weigh their hearts against a feather to decide if they had lived a good life and therefore were worthy of a good afterlife. (Analysis) This was a difference between Mesopotamia and Egypt because the Mesopotamians thought their gods were mean and overbearing while the Egyptians believed their gods were benevolent. This difference is influenced by the stark difference in how these two civilizations lived their lives. Mesopotamia’s geography caused its people to live a harsh and difficult life, filled with property damage and human death and suffering. Both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers would flood unpredictably and cause severe damage. Further, Mesopotamia was lacking natural borders and thus its people were often attacked by nomads who came down from the mountains. When that wasn’t happening, the city-states were often battling one another for power and resources, which were limited. However, in Egypt, the Nile was considered a “gift” as it was so predictable that the Egyptians knew when it would flood and therefore property damage, etc. would be limited, if any. Further, because the Nile flowed north, the Egyptians used the flow of the Nile to sail north and the trade winds to sail south. Egypt’s geography protected it. It had deserts on the east and the west, the Mediterranean Sea on the north, and cataracts (in the Nile) on the south. All of these geographic features combined to buffer and protect Egypt for many years. Essentially, Egypt’s geography made life much more pleasant than the geography of Mesopotamia made life in that area.

30. Writing Details Tying back to the Thesis (Analysis)
Let’s say the prompt asks you to compare afterlife in Egypt and Mesopotamia. When providing facts for Mesopotamia, you should mention the rivers and then CONNECT THE FACT TO THE THESIS by arguing that because the rivers were unpredictable, Mesopotamians lived a bleak and miserable life and thus felt that their afterlife would also be a grim and gloomy place. When providing facts for Egypt, you would mention the Nile river, but then CONNECT IT TO THE THESIS by arguing that because the Nile was predictable like a clock and was essentially a “gift” to the Egyptians, they lived a more pleasant life and thus their view of the afterlife was that it was a pleasant place.

31. Now YOUR turn…
Compare and contrast the political structure and religion of the Roman Republic with the Roman Empire during the Pax Romana.

32. Write an Introductory Paragraph
Remember to have CONTEXTUALIZATION and THESIS
Use the methods we discussed
Question:
Compare and contrast the political structure and religion of the Roman Republic with the Roman Empire during the Pax Romana.

33. Now for your 2nd Paragraph (similarity)
Remember to RE-USE your thesis to help you create a TOPIC sentence
Add in the evidence you KNOW to prove your argument
And finally, EXPLAIN WHY that similarity exists!!!

34. And 3rd… (difference) You get the idea 
Remember to RE-USE your thesis to help you create a TOPIC sentence
Add in the evidence you KNOW to prove your argument
And finally, EXPLAIN WHY that difference exists!!!