Assignment II – Writing a Comparative Essay

 

 

Another A second common type of academic assignment in American universities is one in which you will read multiple sources and compare them based on content, style, or other criteria set by the professor.  This type of assignment teaches you research strategies, as well as how to use more than one source in a paper.

 

A good comparative essay states a claim and then uses its sources as evidence to support that claim.  In other words, after reading your sources, you will state a thesis and then try to prove your thesis in the essay.  If you have not written an essay with a thesis statement before, you will learn how to do so during this unit.

 

This particular assignment asks you to use the Internet to read articles from two different newspapers on the same topic,, either university newspapers or city-wide papers, and to compare the two articlesidentify an issue or topic on which you will compare the two papers.  You will choose to do one of the following:

1)     select a topic that is covered in two different university papers and compare their treatment of that topic; OR;

2)     select a topic that is covered in both a university and a local city paper in the same city and compare how each source treats that topic.

 

1)compare general styles styles or content between a a university and a a city newspaper.

 

 

Sept. 23Feb. 11Sept. 23-27Feb. 11-14:

    Select a topic that interests you and that you think a university newspaper might include.  Search for that topic in university papers as well as city newspapers.  Decide whether you would like to compare two university newspapers or a university paper and a city paper.  Then, select the papers and the articles in them that you will use.  Print a copy of what you will use. You may either follow the links provided on the WebCT site or find newspapers on your own. 

    After reading both papers, select a topic about which you would like to write your essay.  Print a copy of what you will use. Bring this idea (and the names of your sources) to your individual conference.  At the conference, you and the your writing consultant will work on your thesis.  Try to write a thesis before this meeting.

 

 

 

 

Sept. 30Week of Feb. 17:

 

s Mini-lessons on documenting sources and organizing a comparative essay

     Mini-lessons on documenting sources and organizing a comparative essay

 

Sept. 30-Oct. 4:

     Bring your first draft of the essay to your individual conferencs Bring your first draft of the essay to your individual conferencee.

 

 

Oct. 7Week of Feb. 24:

    Turn in revised draft to your Writing Consultant in the small group meeting and/or peer editing

 

.  Bring any questions you have about grammar to this meeting.

 

 

Oct. 7-11:

-    Discuss revised draft individually with your Writing Consultant.

 

Oct. 14March 11:

    Come to whole class meeting in AH 2152.  Hand in your final draft to Ms. Wilson to be graded.

 

 

Tips --

·        This paper should be a length of 2-4 pages.

·        After reading the sources, you have to decide what the point of your essay will be.  What is it that you are going to compare about your sources?  To get started, ask yourself the following questions:

-         What is the writing style like?

-         Who is the audience?  Does this influence the article?

-         What point is the writer trying to make?

-         Are these articles more alike or different?  Why?

·        A comparative essay can discuss either the similarities or differences between sources, but it also gives a reason for why you think those similarities or differences exist.  This reason is your thesis.

·        Note that the newspapers on the resource sheet are divided into different geographical regions.  Think about the reasons for this division and how it might provide you with a basis of comparison.Choose topics that are likely to be covered in a university newspaper.  Some subjects to consider are the conflict with Iraq, INS regulations for international students, budget cuts at Texas colleges and universities, sports, and student life.