Presentations That Compare and Contrast

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Another common assignment in the arts and humanities is to compare and contrast events, stories, people, or artifacts in order to highlight similarities or differences. For example, you might compare two works of literature from different time periods or two historical figures or works of art. These presentations may be informative or persuasive. Presentations that compare and contrast include the following elements:

  1. Thesis statement outlining the connection between the events, stories, people, or artifacts
  2. Discussion of main points, including several examples that highlight similarities and differences
  3. Concluding evaluative statement about the comparison (e.g., if the presentation is persuasive, why one piece of literature was more effective than another; if informative, a restatement of similarities and differences)