C O M PA R I S O N E S S AY & P R I M A RY D O C U M E N T S

DAY FIVE

FIRST TEN

• Please get out your “Illustrative Standards” I distributed last class.• Turn to the 2nd page containing the primary

documents (Hammurabi’s Code, Epic of Gilgamesh, Rig Veda, and the Book of the Dead).• Read each passage and answer the questions

below each passage.• http://www.icr.org/article/noah-flood-gilgamesh/ • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WceVwMdN0eE

HOOK

• Review BLQ results• Comparison Video (Football v. Baseball)• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-638Vd6Hteg

COMPARATIVE ESSAY

You are to answer the following question. You should spend 5 minutes organizing or outlining your essay. Write an essay that:

• Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with appropriate historical evidence.

• Addresses all parts of the question.• Makes direct, relevant comparisons.• Analyzes relevant reasons for similarities and differences.

Compare and contrast the characteristics of TWO of the following civilizations. Choose no more than two traits

[characteristics] to compare. [Remember S.P.I.C.E.]• Egypt

• Mesopotamia [Sumerians, Babylonians]• Indus River [Harappa]• China [Shang, Zhou]

THE THESIS

• A thesis should be a specific argument that answers the question at hand. • Example Test Question Prompt: Compare and contrast the Roman Empire during 206 BCE-

220 CE with the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century. • Your thesis should include one comparison and one contrast while referencing

both empires and time frames. A generic thesis would be:• “There were many similarities and differences between the Roman Empire during 206

BCE-200 CE and the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century.” • For AP World History you need to do more than what is stated above. It is too general and

simply repeats the prompt. In other words, you need to create a better thesis. An AP World History thesis would read:

• “There were many similarities and differences between the Roman Empire during 206 BCE-220 CE and the Spanish Empire of the sixteenth century. The Roman Empire was land-based while

the Spanish Empire was sea-based, yet they both grew rich from conquest of territory outside their boundaries.”

• All you must do is present an argument in your thesis. A short thesis is always better than a long one. A thesis that is too long may cause you to lose points. Additionally, do not split up your thesis. Make sure it is all in one place.

• Developing better thesis writing is simply by practice. You will be offered multiple opportunities to develop you thesis-writing skills. Please utilize them!

WORK SESSION

• Writing a thesis (Writing Guide)• Write your thesis! • Let’s share.

• Starting the Comparison Essay (Writing Guide)• Read, questions? Concerns?

LAST TEN

• You should leave here today with an acceptable thesis statement and an idea of an outline for your essay. • Test next class will be multiple choice, map

analysis/identification, and the comparative essay.