H Eng101 ComparisonTechniques ReadingDiscussion SS15

8/20/2019 H Eng101 ComparisonTechniques ReadingDiscussion SS15

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Eng 101 SS15Comparison Techniques

Reading Discussion


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What are the elements of a

comparison? Purpose

Selected items

Points of comparison

Organization

Analogy

Ethics

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Purpose

Helps choose between alternatives

◦ Pizza versus hoagie

◦ Buying versus renting

◦ Mac versus PC

Acquaints us with unfamiliar things

◦ Compare rugby to football to increase

American understanding of rugby rules◦ Compare short story to movie to

explain adaptation process


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Item selection

Items must have a common ground Compare chicken to charcoal

Compare two cars

◦

Appearance, gas mileage, warrantyItems must have dividing and meaningful

differences that relate to purpose

Compare two workers to determine

promotion◦ Eye color, hair style, religion irrelevant

◦ Salesmanship, attendance, leadershipqualities are relevant


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Points of comparison

Well chosen points

◦ Help reader grasp meaning and purpose

◦ Are interesting and significant

Must be specific and concrete

◦ Thing versus decaying wooden stairway

Are selective

◦ Only comparisons made relate to purpose


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Organization & Arrangement

Block

◦

All points of comparison for one item andthen the other

◦ Works best for short essays

Reader can forget details of comparison in longerpieces

◦ Points of comparison presented in sameorder for each item

Alternating

◦

Presents a point about an item then givescorresponding point about the other

◦ Emphasizes individual points of comparisonmore than subject as a whole

◦

Works in any length of essay


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Organization & Arrangement

Appropriate order

◦ Closely related points one after the other(grouping of ideas)

◦ Depends upon purpose

Similarities to differences Differences to similarities

Least significant to most significant

Most significant to least significant


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Analogy

Calls attention to one or more

similarities of items that seem to have

nothing in common

Often explains something unfamiliarby likening it to something familiar

◦ Earth to a window

Highlights unfamiliar in order toilluminate the familiar

◦ An unfamiliar mountain guide to the

practice of teaching


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Analogy

Readers must be well acquainted with

familiar item

Items must have significant similarities

◦ Laser to cheese

Analogy cannot be overly obvious or

offer few revealing insights

◦ Battle to an argument

Lengthy analogies overwhelm readers

◦ Multiple pages comparing heart to a

pump


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Ethics

Avoid skewing any items in order toensure a particular outcome

◦ Altering findings to make one view seembetter (political ads, product advertising)

Items should be properly matched

◦ Comparing student essay to professionalessay to point out inadequacies

Analogies must be appropriate andnot extreme

◦ Comparing immigration officials to Nazistorm troopers


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Eng101SS15Reading discussion

Lee’s “Invasion of the Body Builders”

Rodriquez’s “Private Language, Public

Language”

Jenkins’s “Art for the Digital Age”


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Freewriting

Given a topic

Write for given time

Do not stop writing…if you get

stuck, pick a word and just keep

writing it until your next thought

comes through


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Freewriting Charlemagne said, “To have another language is to

possess a second soul.”

According to Mark Rippetoe, “Strong people areharder to kill than weak people and more useful ingeneral.”

“Visual arts cultivate thinking, innovation andcollaboration,” elucidates Bette Fetter.

Choose one of the quotes. Write it down.How does it line up with one of the readings? Do youagree or disagree with the quote? Why?


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Read each of the following essays:

Chris Lee’s “Invasion of the Body Builders”

Richard Rodriquez’s “Private Language, PublicLanguage”

Henry Jenkins’s “Art for the Digital Age”

In a Blackboard thread, discuss your assignedcomparative techniques for each essay.

Purpose, item selection – Anthony, Blanche, Karen,Ce-Ce

Points of comparison, organization & arrangement – Misty, Unique, Grace, Pamela

Analogy, Ethics – Ryan, Chad, Kam

You must post by Saturday at noon.


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Comparison Analysis

Choose ONE of the readings Write a 3-4 page essay discussing the

effectiveness of the author’s comparisontechniques◦ Writing process; MLA format

◦ Introduction

◦ Body paragraphs

◦ Conclusion

◦

Grammar & mechanics Rough draft conferences & Peer review

rough drafts – Wednesday 7/15 Final copy due – Thursday – 7/16


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For Monday

Set timer for 5 minutes; completefreewriting activity

Discussion board by noon Saturday

Start working on your essay!

Documents

H Eng101 ComparisonTechniques ReadingDiscussion SS15