Division or Classification

1
Division or Classification
Look at the following list of movies. Divide all
of these movies into categories of your own
choosing. You may not include a movie in more
than one category. You need at least two movies
per category and no more than four each.
Alien Beowulf Boyz in the Hood Braveheart The
Dark Knight Dracula The Fellowship of the Ring A
Few Good Men Finding Nemo Gettysburg G.I. Joe
The Rise of Cobra The Godfather Gone With the
Wind Goodfellas Iron Man
Nightmare on Elm Street Remember the Titans The
Return of the King Rocky I Rocky II Saving
Private Ryan Scream Shrek Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs Sleepless in Seattle Star Wars A
New Hope Star Wars The Empire Strikes
Back Shindlers List The Two Towers When Harry
Met Sally
2
Division or ClassificationThey Mean the Same
Thing!

• Purposes of Division / Classification
• The sorting of a subject into various groups or
  classes based on their similarities and/or
• differences. This makes use of analysis--the
  breaking of a subject into parts to better
• understand it.
• When there is no purpose to the method of
  classification, it becomes a pointless and hollow
  
• exercise.
• For example
• Organizing your CDs by musical genre and then by
  alphabetical order.
• Purpose Easy access to specific musicians
• X Organizing your CDs by price paid and then by
  predominant color on CD cover.
• Purpose Who knows???

3
Division or Classification

• Kinds of Classification
• Binary Classification
• Two-part classification in which you sort things
  out into 1. Those WITH a certain characteristic
  and 2. those WITHOUT that characteristic.
• I.e. A pro and con list
• Complex Classification
• Multipart classification in which you break the
  subject into more than two different categories
• I.e. Subject Food
• Categories 1. Meat 2. Dairy 3. Breads 4.
  Fruits Vegetables GOOD
• WARNING Make sure that categories dont
  overlap!
• I.e. Subject Food
• Categories 1. Meat 2. Hot Dogs 3. Milk 4.
  Cheese BAD

4
Division or Classification
Subcategories Often, you will find that to fully
discuss the categories of a subject, you will
need to break the categories into subcategories.
It is the same process as before, but with a more
narrowed focus. I.e. Subject
Food Categories 1. Meat and 2
Dairy Subcategories 1A. Beef, 1B. Fish, 1C.
Poultry 2A. Cheese, 2B. Milk WARNING
Make sure you include all possible categories.
Omitting an important category can weaken the
effect of your essay. I.e. Subject Political
Parties Categories 1. Republican and 2.
Democrat FAULT What about Independents? What
about the Green Party?
5
Division or Classification

• Checklist for Revising and Editing a Division and
  Classification
• Purpose Have you classified for a reason?
• Principle of Classification Will readers see
  the rule or principle you used for sorting
  individuals into groups? Is this apparent in
  your thesis?
• Consistency Does each representative of your
  subject fall into one category only so that that
  categories dont overlap?
• Completeness Have you mentioned all of the
  essential categories suggestion by your principle
  of classification?
• Paragraph Development Have you provided enough
  examples and other details so that readers can
  easily distinguish each category from the others?

6
Division or Classification
Animation Finding Nemo Shrek Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Action G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra Iron Man The Dark Knight Romance Gone With the Wind When Harry Met Sally Sleepless in Seattle Science Fiction Star Wars A New Hope Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back Alien Drama Shindlers List Gettysburg Braveheart Gangster / Mob The Godfather Goodfellas Boyz in the Hood Fantasy Adventure The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King Beowulf Military Saving Private Ryan A Few Good Men Horror Dracula Scream Nightmare on Elm Street Sports Remember the Titans Rocky I Rocky II
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Division or Classification

• Now Its Your Turn!
• Write a 5-paragraph essay of classification
  focusing on your favorite
• types of movies. You should discuss at least
  three genres of film and
• include 2-3 examples of each type of movie.
• Remember to ask yourself
• What is the SUBJECT of the essay?
• What are the CATEGORIES presented?
• What INFORMATION is provided for each category?