Transcript Slide 1

Comparative Essay
A comparative essay is an essay in which you either compare
something or contrast something. When you compare, you
emphasize the similarities, and when you contrast, you
emphasize the differences. We use compare and contrast
thinking when deciding which movie to go to, which product to
buy, or whether to travel by car, bus or airplane to a vacation spot.
In this essay, we will be tying in our writing with a topic from your
science class.
The Comparative Essay Process
1. Research/Pre-Writing – In Your Writing Journal or on Your
Computer
1. Construct Outline – There are two different ways to outline a
comparative essay.
1. Block Arrangement
2. Point-By-Point Arrangement
2. Draft 1 - Copy from Outline
3. Draft 2 - ELABORATE your 2 points of analysis (bottom slice)
4. Create a great lead – small moment, question, statistic, quote,
unusual fact
5. Elaborate Lead using S.A.I.D.D. strategies
6. Edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure,
agreement, etc.
7. Final Draft
How to Do Research for a Paper
Read Each text:
•Use the “Read Around the Text” strategy to pre-read.
•Read the text carefully, looking for main ideas and
details.
•Read through the text again, using sticky notes to mark
main ideas that you think you might use.
Take Notes:
•Use the “Two Column” strategy for taking notes.
Compile Notes:
• Review all the notes you have taken.
• Find common ideas and highlight each set of
common ideas in a common color.
• Make sure you have page numbers for each of the
ideas you will be using in your paper.
Research – Reading Around the Text
In your writing journal or on your computer:
-Title a new Page: Electricity – Read Around the Text
-Put the date
-Number the page from 1- 6 (for each step above), leaving at
least 4 – 5 spaces between each number.
-Read the article entitled “Electricity” and follow steps 1-6 on the
wheel above.
Hydrogen Basics – Read Around the Text
12/1/2013
1. Pictures
There is a diagram of a hydrogen fuel cell
and several pictures of vehicles that use
hydrogen fuel cells. There will be something
about using hydrogen as a power source.
2. Captions
Only 3 of the images have captions, but they
talk about vehicles that use hydrogen fuel cells.
3. Maps, Charts,
Graphs
There is one chart and it shows a process. It
shows how a hydrogen fuel cell works. There
will probably be some explanation of how
hydrogen can be used to power things.
4. Titles,
Headings,
Bolded Words
It looks from the sub-titles and headings that
the article is going to be discussing hydrogen
as an alternative fuel source. It looks like pros
and cons will be discussed and that there is a
lot of discussion about all the ways hydrogen is
used.
5. First and last
paragraphs
The first paragraph talks about hydrogen in
the sun and the last paragraph talks about
difficulties that hydrogen-powered cars may
have in refueling. The linking idea is fuel –
hydrogen fuels the sun and possibly also cars.
5. Questions
Is hydrogen used a lot in the United States? Is
this going to be the way that all cars are
powered in the future? Will other things
besides cars be powered with hydrogen? Do
hydrogen fuel cells hurt the environment?
Research - The Two Column Note-Taking Strategy
1. Divide your paper into two columns – make the right
column wider and the left column narrower
2. On the left side list main ideas – be sure to put page
numbers!
3. On the right side, list supporting details that go with
the main ideas.
In your writing journal or on your computer: Create a twocolumn page for each text you will be reading and use the
method above to take notes.
Hydrogen Basics by The U.S. Energy Information Administration
What is Hydrogen
– p.1
- Simplest element
- Found mostly in compound form
h2o – water
ch4 - coal
- Has highest energy content of any fuel
Hydrogen – Energy
Carrier – p.1 - 2
-
Hydrogen in the
U.S. – p. 2 &/ 4
- Per year – enough hydrogen produced to
power 20 – 30 million cars or 5-8 million
homes.
- produced in CA, LA, TX
- Mostly used in refining, treating metals,
processing foods
- Used mostly as a fuel by NASA
Hydrogen as a fuel
– p. 4
- Fuel cells are efficient
- Very expensive so not a lot yet
- Used as emergency power
- Used in about 300 vehicles – most are
buses
- Building re-fueling stations a challenge –
no one buys cars if no stations; no one
builds stations if no cars
Moves energy in useable form from one
place to another
Electricity – from power plants to
homes
- Must be produced from another
substance
Can be produced from water, fossil fuels
or biomass
- Not widely used now, but could be in
future
- Two most common methods are steam
reforming an electrolysis (water
splitting)
- Steam reforming – from coal, less
expensive, produces greenhouse gases
- Electrolysis – from water, very
expensive, no emissions
The Important Parts of an Essay
• An essay can be thought of in 3 parts:
• Say what you’re going to say
• Say it
• Say what you said
• Lead
• Thesis Statement
• Claim
• Avenues
• In a comparative essay the body paragraphs can be
arranged in two different ways – Block
arrangement or Point-by-Point.
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Body Paragraphs
Sandwiching of examples with 2 points of analysis each
Support of the thesis claim
Elaboration of analysis – the most important part!
• Conclusion
• Restates Thesis and avenues in different words
• Transitions
The Block Arrangement
Suppose you are interested in showing the differences between
natural gas energy and solar energy. One way to arrange your
material is to use the block arrangement which is to write about
natural gas energy in one paragraph and solar energy in the next –
natural gas is one avenue and solar energy is the second. If you
mention a particular point in the natural gas paragraph, you must
mention the same point in the solar energy paragraph, and in the
same order. Study the following outline, which shows this kind of
organization. The introductory paragraph is followed by the natural
gas paragraph, the solar energy paragraph, then the conclusion; the
fully developed essay is just four paragraphs.
Your Outline would look like this:
Natural Gas vs. Hydrogen
I. Lead, transition, thesis plus two avenues (natural gas,
hydrogen)
II. Natural Gas
A. Benefits – Sandwiched example
B. Problems – Sandwiched example
III. Hydrogen
A. Benefits – Sandwiched example
B. Problems – Sandwiched example
IV. Conclusion – restate thesis and avenues – end with a final
thought, decision, or observation
In your writing journal: Compile your notes and highlight
the examples you plan to use in your essay.
The Point-by-Point Arrangement
Continuing with the example of vacationing in the mountains vs.
vacationing at the beach, we will look at a second way to outline and
write your comparative essay. To do this you start with the same
type of introductory paragraph as the block arrangement, but
instead of dividing the two topics by paragraph, you discuss a
particular point about vacationing in the mountains and then
immediately to discuss the same point about vacationing at the
beach. This is called point-by-point or alternating arrangement. An
outline of this organization follows.
Your Outline would look like this:
Natural Gas vs. Hydrogen
I. Lead, transition, thesis plus two avenues (Benefits,
Problems)
II. First difference between natural gas and hydrogen is
benefits
A. Natural gas – benefits – sandwiched example
B. Hydrogen – problems – sandwiched example
III. Second difference between natural gas and hydrogen is
problems
A. Natural gas – benefits – sandwiched example
B. Hydrogen– problems – sandwiched example
IV. Conclusion – restate thesis and avenues – end with a final
thought, decision, or observation
In your writing journal: Continue compiling your notes
and highlighting the examples you plan to use in your
essay.
Supporting Your Point of View Through Comparison
You can use your comparison essay to support your point of
view and be persuasive.
Example:
Negative
While fossil fuels play a huge part in the problems and
dangers that humanity is facing, hydrogen is a part of the
solution; part of a brighter future. The U.S. Dept. of Energy
states that “plants powered by coal and nuclear energy…are
about 35% efficient.” (1) This means that for every 100 units
of fuel used, 65 units end up as waste. The waste products
and pollution from power plants are causing greenhouse
gases, land pollution and water pollution. We can no longer
afford this kind of inefficiency. Hydrogen, however, promises
great hope for the future. The U.S. Dept. of Energy says that
“hydrogen has the highest energy content of any common
fuel by weight.” (1) This means that more energy can be
extracted with less waste. Even so, the waste that is
produced by hydrogen fuel cells is water that is so pure that it
is drinkable. Water vapor emissions from cars using
hydrogen fuel cells go right back into the water cycle, which
means that the waste is not really waste at all. It is
contributing something positive back to the earth.
Positive
In your writing journal: Try on two sandwiched examples
in paragraph form in which you persuade the reader to
prefer one form of energy over another.
2 Points of Analysis
The bottom “bread” of your sandwich should be the thickest
of all. It ties your example to your topic statement and to
your thesis. In order to analyze your example in depth you
need to use at least 2 points of analysis – one for each of the
topics you are comparing.
Prompts to consider using in the analysis section:
1.This shows that ___________________________
2.This demonstrates that _____________________
3.This reveals that __________________________
4.This is because ___________________________
5.This proves that ___________________________
Both Isabel and Percy’s initiation periods give the reader hints
about the heroes that they will later become. Percy is initiated
through his battles with Mrs. Dodds and the Minotaur, both of
which 3reveal that although he has no training, he has a warrior’s
spirit and will not give up. Like Percy, Isabel shows her potential
on the dock after landing in New York when she takes the blame
for Ruth and endures a harsh slap from Madam. 2This
demonstrates that although it is not fully developed, isabel’s inner
lion is present and waiting to emerge. Both of these hero’s have
an inner courage that draws the reader in.
In your outline: Use 2 points of analysis – one for Isabel
and one for Percy for each of your avenue examples.
Essay Lead
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Hooks the reader
Relates to the topic, but often more indirectly
Should not be too short that it feels abrupt
Should not be too long that it seems to take forever to get
to the point
A Good Lead in a Comparative Essay Should:
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State the topics that you will be comparing
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Give some background on each topic.
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Give the reader any additional background information they may
need in order to understand your analysis.
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Give the reader enough information to understand the analysis
that will follow, but don’t give too much away.
Revision Strategies
• Build Transitions
• Use Elaboration Strategies
• Use the Sandwich Strategy
• Use Strong Verbs
• Check Sentence Structures
• Fully Develop Analysis Sections
Transitions
• 3 Parts to a transition
• Refer back to what you just talked about
• Refer forward to what you’re going to talk
about
• Linking idea
• Transitions can be used between sentences as the
first step in revision
• Go through each paragraph two sentences at
a time and build a transition sentence
between each pair.
• Re-read your paragraphs aloud.
• Add anything that feels unsaid
• Delete where you feel like you’ve overdone it
Elaboration Strategies
• Explain Why
• Explain Why Not
• Explain How
• Explain the Details
• Define
• Give an example
Using Powerful Verbs and Adjectives
(And Dropping Unnecessary Adverbs!)
Some verbs are better than others. When you revise:
•Go through your draft and underline all the verbs.
•Give them the “vanilla” test.
•If they are too vanilla, or if you are using adverbs to spice
them up, use a thesaurus to find a more “spicy” verb.
•Avoid using the same “spicy” verb twice.
Examples:
Vanilla:
Isabel and Percy are both orphans. Having no adults to
rely on forces them to rely on themselves.
Less Vanilla:
Both Percy and Isabel have been orphaned, which isolates
them and forces them to rely on their own abilities in
order to overcome the obstacles they find.
Very Spicy:
Both Percy and Isabel have been orphaned, which isolates
and challenges them. They are compelled to be more
resourceful and dig more deeply into their own inner
resources in order to overcome the obstacles they
encounter.
Fine-Tuning Sentences for Better Flow
Sentence structure affects the way the language of your
piece flows.
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Read through the piece ALOUD to yourself
Read it through ALOUD to someone else
Have someone else read it ALOUD to you
Listen for:
• Short, choppy sentences
• Repetitious words or ideas
• Combine short sentences
• Delete or reword repetitious ideas or words
Examples:
Not So Good: Percy and Isabel are both good heroes.
Percy and Isabel both have courage. They both are
warriors.
Better: Percy and Isabel are both heroes that readers can
relate to. They are courageous warriors who fight for
what they believe in.
Editing Basics
Verbs:
Agreement – Subjects and verbs.
Tense – Check each verb – are they all in the same tense?
Variety – Are you using the same verbs over and over
again?
Person – Does it switch anywhere from you to I, from I to they,
from you to they or he/she? Have you taken “I” out of it, as in
“I think”…
Word Variety – Are you using the same word over and over
again?
Sentence Structure – Are your sentences varied and not all the
same?
Spelling – Check for words the spell checker won’t pick up and
incorrect duplicates ie. Aloud/Allowed
Capitalization – Beginning of sentences, and proper nouns
Sentences – Check for run-ons and fragments.
Strategy:
•Read your piece backwards. This will help you find spelling
and technical errors.
•Read it aloud to a partner – have the partner read it aloud to
you.