Compare and Contrast Chaos

[Mich Page]

Hey guys!

So on Wednesday I have an in-class compare and contrast essay in History, to do with Mengistu of Ethiopia and either Mao or Hitler. I know it's a key component of the paper 2, but I also want to do well as it will finally give me that push up to a 6 with a really strict, demanding teacher. I thought I was ready but in class today we did some review for it and I remembered, I SUCK AT COMPARE AND CONTRAST!

So any documents, tips, rules from you guys would help. I'm going into HL and I really need to make an impression on a teacher for the class I care a lot for. I'm not sure what you can do here, but either upload it here or send to _________ and then post on here once you have please.

Thank you sooooo much it's very appreciated

Edited February 4, 2013 by Sandwich
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[t.r. barrows]

If you want to get a 6 in history you should probably learn the very simple way to compare and contrast -- otherwise any impression you make on your teacher will be short-lived.

Compare just means to answer the question "how are they similar," while contrast is "how are they different." Nobody sucks at this! You just need to organize your notes into themes -- include economic, political, social/cultural, etc and begin to compose the essay that answers how they compare along these thematic lines and how they differ (contrast). Ultimately,to do this well you need to thread an argument into this essay or at the very least attempt an analytical tone. I recommend creating a list along these thematic lines that helps you "think through" this essay so that you can develop a clear argument, ultimately sort of taking a side on whether they are more similar than different.

[Arrowhead]

A 'compare and contrast' essay is actually one of the easiest formats. Try this structure:

Example question: Compare and contrast Mengitsu and Hitler's methodologies in leading their countries during wartime. (Terrible question, but the first thing that came to mind.)

1. Make an outline with two sections:

Section 1: All the things that Mengitsu and Hitler did that were similar.

Section 2: All the things that they did that sharply contrasts with each other.

2. Structure your essay whilst writing, therefore:

Paragraph 1: Both Hitler and Menjitsu heavily relied on the use of propaganda to spread their message. Historian X said Hitler's use of propaganda was very effective and the German people were completely fooled, Historian Y, however said that Mengitsu's propaganda was only effective in the northern parts of Ethiopia and posited that this was due to the rampant lack of education in that area.

Paragraph 2: Hitler believed that a strong military was the key to a thriving economy and Historian X thought that was a great idea! Mengitsu however focused all his attention on forcing labourers to build...tiny exotic toothpicks for the rich and Historian Y found that that was the cause of his downfall and the ruining of the Ethiopian economy at the time.

Paragraph 3: Hitler and Mengitsu had Point A in common. Historian X agrees, Historian Y says something else about this.

Paragraph 4: Hitler and Mengitsu differed on whether or not deflecting soldiers should be hanged to death or sent to concentration camps, Historian X said something and Historian Y commented something else.

Therefore, in many ways, while Mengitsu and Hitler shared many similarities, the fundamental differences in their ideologies and manners in which they ruled their countries sets them apart from each other more than it brings them closer.

You get the idea?

[Mich Page]

Ok thank you so far.

Follow up question: What's the best way to structure your thesis? What do you include, and how specific does it need to be?

[Arrowhead]

Follow up question: What's the best way to structure your thesis? What do you include, and how specific does it need to be?

Specific enough that it outlines the main ideas you plan on exploring, but vague enough to give you some flexibility while you write. So for the trite example above, I would have a thesis along the lines of:

The aim of this essay is to highlight the militaristic similarities in the reigns of Mengitsu in Ethiopia and Hitler in Germany, in the manner in which they handled their wartime economies, capital punishment of deflecting soldiers, their effective uses of propaganda, and Point A. This exposition is supplemented with an evaluation of the analytic views of various relevant historians.