ASSIGNMENT: a 3-4 (approximately 700-1000 words) comparison/contrast assignment in the informative mode. In addition, you must answer the “Think About Your assignment questions, described below, beneath your assignment.
A. Directions
Step 1: Choose a Topic
Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast assignment . You are free to select your own topic, or you may use one of the sample topics listed below. However, you should choose a topic that you have some personal knowledge of so that you have sufficient points of comparison or contrast to discuss in your assignment. Avoid choosing subjects that require extensive outside research that require citation (you will learn how to properly cite in a later unit). Consider subjects and points that fall under “common knowledge”: information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up.
You will need to compare or contrast two or three primary points about the two subjects you choose avoiding the first-person voice or any personal details that may inform bias or personal opinion.
The following are some ideas that can help you to select a topic
- Compare or contrast two cities you’ve visited or that you’ve lived in
- Compare or contrast two sources of news
- Compare or contrast two singers in different music genres
- Compare or contrast two historical figures
- Compare or contrast two artists (e.g. two painters or two photographers)
- Compare or contrast two television series
- Compare or contrast two types of technologies (for example, two smartphone brands or two gaming consoles)
Remember that the two subjects you choose should have a meaningful connection so that you can draw comparisons or contrasts between the two.
Step 2. Think About it
Below your completed narrative, include answers to all of the following reflection questions:
- Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your assignment? What made you decide to organize your assignment in this way (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Consider the ways a comparison/contrast assignment can be organized. Which organization did you choose and why?
- In what ways does a comparison/contrast assignment differ from the Narrative assignment you completed in Touchstone 1? Give specific examples (3-4 sentences). Sophia says: Consider how the structure, point of view, and purpose of the two assignments differ.
- What part of the draft did you struggle with (3-4 sentences)?
