Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapter 8; pp. 48-55
- Lesson 1
- Minimum of 1 source: the essay by Ingram, Laudato, & Volpe in the textbook on page 188 and/or the following library article cited in the lesson:
Optional Resources
Review the following writing resources:
- Link (multimedia presentation): Citing References in Text (Links to an external site.)
Initial Post Instructions
Read the following in your textbook: “Kindle vs. iPad” by James Ingram, Amanda Laudato, and Daniel Volpe (p. 188). In complete sentences and with depth and detail, answer the following:
- Which specific two items do the authors compare and contrast?
- The authors use the “point by point” method. How was this an effective choice? Do you think item-by-item would have worked better? Why or why not?
- List at least two of the most effective sentences in the essay, offering a full discussion of how and why they were effective for you as a reader. Identify and explain at least one lesson you learned from reading this essay that will help you with your own comparison and contrast essay.
Next, begin work on your own essay by choosing a topic. Your topic must be very narrow, must compare very similar items, and must have a purpose. Complete the following:
- Briefly list 3 possible topics for your own comparison and contrast writing, based on the prompts provided in the Week 3 Lesson and Assignment. Your choices include the following, but your topic will be your specific and unique approach to each topic.
- Compare and contrast how two specific people you know grew and changed in different ways during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Compare and contrast one aspect of your life before and after a major event that occurred in the past year, either a personal event or a larger event that impacted you in personal ways.
- Compare and contrast two animals of the same type that you have loved or love, such as two dogs or two horses.
- After developing three specific possible topics, decide which of your specific topics you feel most passionate about and explain why.
- With this specific topic, who will be your audience, and what purpose will this essay serve?
- Brainstorm a list of three sensory details (brown, soaring, shiny, tanned, etc.) for each of the two items you are comparing in the one specific topic you have chosen.
ANSWER
- Which specific two items do the authors compare and contrast?
The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and Apple iPad Mini were the two specific items the authors compared and contrasted in the textbook: “Kindle vs. iPad” by James Ingram, Amanda Laudato, and Daniel Volpe (pp. 187-188).
- The authors use the “point by point” method. How was this an effective choice? Do you think item-by-item would have worked better? Why or why not?
There are two methods of comparison and contrast essay – The Point-by-Point method and the Block method (Item-by-Item). The authors used the “Point-by-Point” method because it is the clearest method, and it alternates arguments about the two items (Kindle vs. iPad). I think for me, the Point-by-Point method is better than… To access full answer, click on the purchase button below.