Compare and Contrast EssayMyths

What is the Purpose?

•To show similarities between at least two myths

•To show the differences between two myths

•To inform

•To explain

•To analyze

•To evaluate

Chart

Social Customs

What is important to tribe

Beginnings of rituals

Myth 1

Myth 2

Venn Diagram ALIKE

Writing a Thesis Statement

•Review your data•Decide to what extent you will stress the similarities between your two myths and to what extent you will stress the differences.

•Create a thesis statement that reflects that decision.

Weak Thesis Statements

•Both myths are somewhat alike and somewhat different.

•I can see some similarities and some differences too.

•Both of them involve (only a single similarity, no differences).

Better Thesis Pattern

•While both the Iroquois and the Cherokee creation myths celebrate animals as creators, the Iroquois myth focuses more on family revealing what was important to their tribe.

Better Thesis Pattern

•The Iroquois and Chinese creation myths reveal very different rituals and values which leads to the extreme differences in their rules, guidelines and religions.

Paragraph Organization----Point by Point

2nd paragraph

3rd paragraph 4th paragraph

Social Customs

What is important to tribe

Beginnings of rituals

World on the Turtle’s Back

Myth of your choosing

Outline – Point by PointI. Introduction

a. attention getter/hook

b. background information

c. thesis

II. Social Customsa. topic sentenceb. A (1-2 sen)c. B(1-2 sen) d. so whate. transition

III.What is Important to Tribea. topic sentenceb. A (1-2 sen)c. B(1-2 sen)d. so whate. transition

IV. Beginnings of Ritualsa. topic sentenceb. A (1-2 sen)c. B(1-2 sen)d. so whate. transition

V. Conclusiona. emphasize major

tiesb. so what?c. evaluate

Transitions To Compare To Contrast

•Also•As•In the same way•Like•Likewise•Similarly•Comparable•Equally•In addition

•Although•Even though•However•On the other hand•Otherwise•Yet•Still•Conversely•As opposed to •Different from•Whereas