The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to compose a comparison/contrast essay that makes a clear point, is supported by several main ideas, and is organized into (at minimum) a five-paragraph essay.
Learn to identify significant similarities and differences between two websites
Practice analyzing similarities and differences instead of merely describing them
Discuss the selected similarities and differences (2-4 which will be the main ideas) in the context of a clear and arguable thesis statement
Use 2-4 main ideas (specific similarities and/or differences) to make some kind of overall judgment about the websites.
Learning the skills involved in writing this essay will help prepare you for future college work. Comparison/Contrast assignments are common in college, the workplace, and in our personal lives. For example, buying a new car or phone often requires comparing and contrasting different models in order to make the best purchase.
Task
Write a 1000-word essay that compares and contrasts two of the websites listed at the bottom of this page.
Visit the websites listed below.
Select two of the websites below to compare and contrast for your essay.
Select several (2-4) specific aspects of the websites.
These specific aspects (such as navigation, visual appeal, and user-friendliness) will be the essay’s main ideas.
A good way to approach the essay is to decide which website makes you want to visit the museum or gallery the most.
Organize your main ideas to establish the essay’s pattern of organization.
Your main ideas (aspects being compared and contrasted) must be clearly organized.
Select either the chunking or sequencing (point-by-point) method of organization (p. 500-501 in SMG).
This organization of ideas needs to be presented near the end of your introduction.
The order of ideas and website titles established in the introduction should be followed throughout the essay.
Compose at least 5 well-developed paragraphs that support a clear and arguable thesis.
5-paragraph minimum requirement
introduction paragraph
three body paragraphs
conclusion paragraph
The essay must make a point with its comparison/contrast. This overall point will be the thesis statement.
Do not merely list details for each website.
You could argue that one site is more effective than the other or that you preferred one site to the other, etc.
Please consult your textbook and/or your instructor for additional help with the thesis.
Create a Works Cited page.
The final page of the essay should be the Works Cited page.
See the sample Works Cited page provided at the end of the MLA section in your handbook and on pages 581-582 of the SMG.
The two museum websites must be cited on the WC page.
The WC page and any use of sources are worth 25% of the essay’s grade.
In-Text Citations
Quotations are not required for this essay.
Discuss your own observations instead of using specific material from the websites.
If you quote from a web page (or from anywhere else), you must follow MLA guidelines to do so.
Be sure to enclose your source’s exact words in quotation marks.
If you quote, paraphrase, or summarize specific content from a website (or any source), provide in-text citations as well as the WC page.
See the MLA section of your handbook if you incorporate quotations, paraphrases, and/or summaries.
Please Note: If you are not familiar with the qualities that make a website effective, consider what appeals to you when you visit a website. For example: Do you want websites to be mobile responsive for easy viewing on your smart phone? Do you appreciate visually appealing design, fonts, images, and videos? Do you need to find information quickly?
There are many, many web pages and articles that discuss effective web design, so a quick Google search will give you some ideas of how to evaluate a website. This article from Business News Daily is one example: “10 tips for Building an Effective Business Website” (Fabian, 2019). opens in new window
This essay is not a test of your knowledge of web design. It asks you to compare and contrast two websites from your point-of-view and based on your own experience. Focus on what strikes you as you visit these museum websites. What do you like? What annoys you? Students often quickly notice layout, organization, colors, virtual tour options, etc. Select your criteria/points of comparison-contrast based on your own experience of touring the two websites you selected.
Please contact your instructor or a librarian for help selecting criteria for comparing and contrasting.
Criteria for Success
A successful essay:
Meets the basic requirements of the assignment
Has been written by the student submitting the essay, for this class, and for this semester
Does not contain plagiarism of any kind
Has a clear thesis, main ideas, and pattern of organization
Discusses several points of comparison/contrast and makes an overall point about them and the websites
Includes a WC page as its last page
Has been carefully edited and proofread to minimize documentation, grammatical, and other editing errors
Follows MLA style and guidelines (spacing, indent, margins, etc.).
The essay will be graded with the Grading Rubric for Essays. Please familiarize yourself with this rubric before you submit your essay. Here is the condensed version of the rubric:
https://www.metmuseum.org/
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