October 2, 2014 Thursday

Class Work
ACTIVITY A

1. Display your comparison/contrast chart on your computer screen.
I need one volunteer to allow me to show his or her outline to the class to explain what to do. THANKS!
2. Trade places with another at your table.
3. Now, look at your partner's screen. Which of the following organizational patterns did your fellow writer use? If you can't tell, ask the author to explain.
4. Return to your own seat.
Item #1(Place) or (Phoenix Then) or (Hometown Then)
Point A
Point B
Point C

Item #2 (Place) or  (Phoenix Now) or (Hometown Now)
Point A
Point B
Point C

OR

Point A
Item #1
Item #2

Point B
Item #1
Item #2

Point C
Item #1
Item #2

ACTIVITY #2

It's time to think about an introduction and a conclusion. In a comparison/contrast essay it is not unusual to favor one item over another. If you chose to write about Phoenix then and Phoenix now as your two items, you need to decide if Phoenix was better in the past or if it is better now.

If you chose to compare Phoenix to your home town, decide which you prefer. Of course, there are advantages and challenges no matter where you go, but if you could choose, which place would be better for you?

How will you introduce the two items. Let's talk about introductions.
Take a look at these tips:
http://itdc.lbcc.edu/oer/esl/esl33xal/presentations/introductoryparagraphs/introductoryparagraphs-notes.html

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

Pick one of these links to study for the next five minutes. Then, go to the board and post your favorite tip! (Post-it provided)

Homework: Write a dynamic introduction to your comparison/contrast essay. It must:
A. Start off with an attention-getting first sentence.
B. Introduce both items/places.
C. Use one of the suggested strategies from the links. For example, something thought provoking, dramatic, or shocking. Post in CANVAS. (25 pts.)

Let's look at two sample essays. Learn to think like a writer!
Essay #1: Neat People vs. Sloppy People

• On notebook paper or on your computer, take 2 minutes to reflect on neat people.
• Take 2 more minutes to reflect on sloppy people.
• Take 2 more minutes to reflect on the category you would claim!
• (Note, the title gets your brain going!)
• Read the first paragraph. What is going to be the point of this essay? What do you predict will be the message? (This is the thesis.)
• Read paragraph #2. Does the author focus on one or both topics? Note the examples.
• Etc . . . follow along in class. Jot down notes for each paragraph. The idea is to figure out the decisions the author made in order to present the information.

Homework: Read Shopping in America.
Answer the following questions in CANVAS.

The essay may also be found at: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/comparison.htm
These are the questions from that site. (30 pts.)

1. Can you find the thesis statement for this essay? Identify it. What is going to be the point or message of this essay?
2. What, if anything, holds the paragraphs together? Try printing out the essay and drawing interconnected circles between the structural elements that connect ideas. Would you have broken the paragraphs differently?
3. Did the contrast go back and forth between mall and Downtown or did it develop one before it went on to the other? Is that an effective strategy for this essay?
4. Does the conclusion grow out of the body of the essay, or does it feel sort of "tacked on"? Where, exactly, does the conclusion call for a response that the essay hasn't earned?
5. Is the contrast between the mall and the Downtown adequate? overdone? fair?
6. Is it clear where the writer's preferences lie? Are his preferences too obvious and is he fair to the "other side"? Does the author actually state a preference or are you allowed to infer it from the language? What does the essay say, exactly, that allows for this inference?