Lecture Notes for Tues., Oct. 9 & Assignment For Thursday, OCT. 11

DO NOT use the term “similarities and differences” or “alike and different” in the introduction.  DO use backwards planning.  Choose the topics, determine the commonalities, then determine differences.

DO plan to use subject to subject approach, NOT point by point approach, and make sure each element has roughly the same amount of development, with SPECIFIC EXAMPLES THAT ARE EXPLAINED.

This paper should be 3-4 pages, if done correctly and done well.

SAMPLE Topic: compare and contrast two television shows in the same genre e.g., reality shows, police dramas, family sit-coms, cartoons of yesterday and today.

CRIMINAL MINDS                                                            DEXTER

Travels the country                                                   based in Miami

Goes into the mind of the criminal                           is the criminal & allows audience to “hear”        to determine motives                                                      his thoughts  

Analyzes the context & clues                                    uses context and clues to his advantage

CONCLUSION,  after thinking about the two shows and how different they are; in other words, the conclusion is the equivalent here of the thesis &  goes back to focus on common base between the shows: Ironically, both Criminal Minds and Dexter seem to satisfy the audience by bringing the “bad guy” to justice by smart, unconventional means; whether each show is centered on the far away or the near at hand, the criminal mind lures the audience into the show, and, like the characters, the audience is not only entertained but intelligently engaged.

Seven nights a week the American viewing audience can tune in their television and with little channel surfing find a police drama. Shows like Law and Order, Major Crimes, and NCIS see the characters with set if not grim expressions on their face as they track down the criminal. Even “cop shows” on the lighter side like Castle, Bones, and Elementary, never veer so off course that “the case” is not solved. The primary detectives and their sidekicks may crack a smile or refer to an inside joke that only long-time viewers may “get,” but they always solve the case.  But while these dramas entertain, only two dramas deal with psyche of the murderer. Criminal Minds, depicts a branch of the FBI known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (or BAU), that travels the country to solve cases by delving into the mind of the criminal, by analyzing possible motives the “unsub” (unknown subject) may have, and by investigating context and clues at the scene.  Dexter, on the other hand, presents forensic pathologist Dexter Morgan who resides in Miami, Florida, and who not only solves crimes, but becomes the judge, jury and executioner  as the audience is witness to his thoughts and motives and taken into his confidence.

NOTES: television shows, movie titles, book titles – all are italicized;

Unless the initials or jargon used are well known, like FBI, be sure to explain what each means or stands for – see BAU in the example above

The introduction may be a bit longer in this paper, in order to set up the comparison

Points of similarity and difference are set up, WITHOUT using “similarity” and “difference”

Focus of paper may be on differences but be sure that underneath the differences there are common factors

FOR THURSDAY: Choose your topic (see below); do your backwards thinking; create your thesis statement – it does not have to be perfect, but does need to indicate basics—common features AS WELL AS  distinguishing  characteristics.  Remember that as you compose your paper, you will need to supply adequate support—specific examples and explanation. 

TOPICS for YOUR comparison and contrast—Choose ONE of the following below:

• Write an essay comparing and contrasting the expectations that college professors and high school teachers have for their students. cite your own experiences as examples.
•  Since you have started college, how have you changed? Write an essay that answers this question.
• Write an essay comparing your own early memories of school with those of a parent or older relative--or with a younger child or teen.
• How are the attitudes toward education different among students who work to finance their own education and students who do not? Your thesis statement should indicate what differences  exist and why.
• Compare and contrast the experiences of commuters and students who live in dorms on campus. Interview people in your classes to use as examples.
• Compare and contrast an old movie “classic” and its modern “remake.”
• Compare and contrast two television shows of the same genre—obviously, avoid Criminal Minds and Dexter (ALSO: NO reality shows).
• Compare and contrast two different artists (e.g.  Van Gogh and Monet) or musicians (the Beatles and Mozart).