Problems with Comparative Essay

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Problems with Comparative Essay

• Belief Systems

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Thesis

• Needs to have a time frame.
• Needs to address all of your similarities and
  differences.
• Cannot be more than two sentences.
• MUST be your last two sentences of your
  paragraph.
• Needs to take a stand concerning sim/diff

3
Thesis

• If you run out of time, it needs to minimally be
  your conclusion.
• Rubric points!

4
Introduction

• Use the cue card
• First sentence MUST define the theme!
• Ex belief systems
• Do not put the date in the intro other than the
  THESIS

5
Topic Sentences

• English rules apply!
• Grammar!
• Tense!
• Fluff!
• Oh my!

6
Facts

• Chronological order for the religions-gt know
  which religion goes first.
• Hinduism -gt Buddhism
• Cannot use vocab words (example nirvana) and not
  define or explain.
• Good idea to use word of the day vocab (sati)

7
Facts

• Order must make sense for body paragraphs.
• Stop repeating same info.
• Is it a similarity OR a difference.

8
Facts

• You forgot
• Buddhism way of life, meditation vs. Hinduism
  monistic
• Buddhists reject Hindu gods
• Dalai Lama, Buddhism and monks.
• Gandhi caste system was abolished 1947.
• Hindu sacred texts (you had to do work)
• TO USE EDMODO

9
Reason for Similarity/Difference

• Explicitly state THE REASON FOR THIS SIMILARITY
  (DIFFERENCE) IS
• DO NOT SAY Hinduism and Buddhism believe in
  different beliefs and thats why they are
  different.
• DO SAY (examples) different founders, different
  sacred text, origin, impact of Confucianism,
  impact of Buddhist missionaries, Silk Road

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Conclusion

• Introduction steps backwards reworded.

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General Problems

• Include dates. (ex Neolithic Revolution)
• Be specific with your facts.
• Assumed reader knew about the religions.
• Do not write as though you are speaking!

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General Problems

• Cannot use you we etc.
• WE WERE NOT THERE!
• No abbreviations.
• Need to make the order logical for the reader.
• patriarchal, capitalizations
• THREE BODY PARAGRAPHS
• ON THE OTHER HANDHOW MANY HANDS DID YOU GROW
  SINCE THE LAST ESSAY?

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Less is more

• Less fluff.
• More quality facts, analysis and discussion.

14
Tense

• You need to be aware of this!

15
Balance

• Cannot write too much when you set the stage.
• EXAM IS TIMED!
• If you didnt finish!
• YOU WERE ALLOWED TO BRING IN THE MAJORITY OF THE
  ESSAY!
• All content must tie back to the original theme
  of the essay.
• Do not fact dump!
• Do not repeat information (TIME)

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Beware of BOLD Statements

• Do not say things like NEVER or EVER if you do
  not have the ability to prove it!
• Example Hinduism never changed and Buddhism
  changed as it traveled to China.
• Cannot include bias of your own. Example The
  caste system was terrible.

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Silly Side Notes

• NO ETC.
• Number your pages.
• Put your name on every page on at least one side.
• Be neat!
• Skip lines.
• Indent for paragraphs.
• Staple in the correct order.
• USE THE TOOLS YOU ARE GIVEN!

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Questions during a test

• I typically do not answer them.
• AP EXAM, I am not allowed within 5ft of the room.