Transcript Document

AP Essays
Comparison Essay
• Make sure you answer the question(s) the prompt is asking. Your
thesis should directly and specifically answer the prompt, while
outlining your main points. Make sure you pay close attention to all
parts of the prompt. Is the prompt asking about one or more of the
strands of history (political, economic, social, religious, etc.)? Is it
asking about attitudes, reactions, patterns, etc.? Take the time to
think about the questions being asked before you write your thesis.
• Be sure to make direct comparisons throughout your essay. In
other words, don’t discuss the things you are comparing separately.
• Make sure you address both differences and similarities in your
answer.
• Always think about the patterns and processes of history. In other
words, analyze history (explain why) rather than just listing or
explaining facts or events. In a comparison essay, give reasons
why differences or similarities occurred or developed.
Which thesis do you
like better?
The prompt: Compare the economic activities of
pastoral nomads and those of sedentary
populations.
Thesis 1: While both economies relied on animal
husbandry, the sedentary societies also relied on
agriculture and trade.
Thesis 2: While both pastoral and sedentary
economies relied on animal products and trade,
sedentary societies also relied heavily on
agriculture.
Which thesis do you
like better?
The prompt: Compare the social structure of
agricultural societies to that of nomadic societies.
Thesis 1: Although both types of society were ruled
by men, agricultural social structures tended to be
very hierarchical and based on land ownership,
while nomadic social structures tended to be clan or
tribe based and were fairly egalitarian.
Thesis 2: Agricultural societies were based on land
while nomadic societies had social structures based
on how well a person could take and hold on to
power.
Which thesis do you
like better?
The prompt: Compare the role of law in Han China and
the Roman Empire.
Thesis 1: There are a few similarities, but mostly
differences in the way the Romans and the Han viewed
the role of law.
Thesis 2: While the Romans saw law as a great equalizer
and stabilizer of society, the Han emphasized the rule of a
highly educated, moral and ethical class of individuals. In
terms of similarities, both civilizations relied heavily on
bureaucrats to administer justice and run the empires.
Now you try one.
The prompt: Compare and contrast ways the
eastern and western portions of the Roman empire
reacted to the upheavals in the empire around 476
CE.
Thesis:
Now try another.
The prompt: Compare and contrast the rise and fall
of the Roman and Han empires.
Thesis: