Cultural Comparison Project

Cultural Comparison Project

Cultures to Compare Choose two of the following historical cultures for your comparison: Medieval Islamic Middle East (during the Ottoman Empire, 1481-1683) Medieval Japan (during the Golden Age of Heian, 794-1185) Medieval Europe (choose a region under feudalism: England, France, or Germany, 1066-1485)

Topics to Research and Analyze Choose one of the following topics to research and use for your comparison: Diet/food Architecture/housing Role of women Sports/recreation Weaponry

A. Research your topic for each culture Write answers for the following questions about your topic for each culture. (List your sources and use correct citations in your answers. See the handouts.) 1. Give a general description of your topic. (materials used to make it, describe different styles, who used the items, how it was made or created, etc.) 2. Describe one example of the topic or style. For example, give specific information about a specific weapon, a house or church, a type of sport, or a job women had. 3. Did the items or style differ depending on who you were in the society? (rich or poor, man or woman, the religion one followed) 4. Can you see similar items or style in our culture today? How?

B. Draw a picture or print a photo of the example. Use labels to explain its parts or important features. (Glue or draw a picture on the handout.)

C. Next compare the two cultures you have researched with the information you have found for your topic by using a Venn diagram. Think about how the cultures are similar and different for your topic. Complete the Venn diagram handout to illustrate the comparison.

D. Finally, you will write a Compare/Contrast paragraph. You will include a topic sentence, supporting details with citations and a concluding sentence. The paragraph must be 8-9 sentences long and have proper MLA citations.

Source Sheet

Examples of How to Cite Sources

What s the difference between a quotation and a paraphrase? A quotation uses the exact same wording from the source of the information (book, article, webpage, etc.). When you quote a source (use the wording from a source), you must put the quote inside quotation marks so the reader knows the words are not yours, but are the words of the author of the source. You need to give the author and source credit for the quotation (with a citation) to indicate that the words belong to the author and source.

An example of a quotation: Look at the definition of the Spanish Inquisition on page 284 in your textbook: To ensure that Christianity alone was practiced, they created the Spanish Inquisition, an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion. A quotation of this definition in a research project would look like this: The Spanish Inquisition was an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion.

So what is a paraphrase? A paraphrase uses different wording to express an idea or fact from the source of the information (book, article, webpage, etc.). You do not put a paraphrase inside quotation marks because the words are yours. You do need to give credit for the paraphrase to the author and source (with a citation) because you got the idea or fact from them, and it wasn t your original idea or fact.

An example of a paraphrase: Look again at the definition of the Spanish Inquisition on page 284 in your textbook: To ensure that Christianity alone was practiced, they created the Spanish Inquisition, an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion. A paraphrase of the definition in a research project would look similar to this statement: The Spanish Inquisition was a group of priests that punished people in Spain for not following Christianity.

Original Source: To ensure that Christianity alone was practiced, they created the Spanish Inquisition, an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion. Quotation: The Spanish Inquisition was an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion. Paraphrase: The Spanish Inquisition was a group of priests that punished people in Spain for not following Christianity.

So how do I cite the source in my paragraph? Original text: To ensure that Christianity alone was practiced, they created the Spanish Inquisition, an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion. Quotation: The Spanish Inquisition was an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion (Burstein and Shek 284). Paraphrase: The Spanish Inquisition was a group of priests that punished people in Spain for not following Christianity(Burstein and Sheck 284).

So how do I cite the source in my paragraph? Quotation: The Spanish Inquisition was an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion (Burstein and Shek 284). The Spanish Inquisition was an organization of priests that looked for and punished anyone in Spain suspected of secretly practicing their old religion (Authors page number).

Here s how the source for the citation would look on the page with your sources: Burstein, Stanley M., and Richard Shek. World History: Medieval to Early Modern Times. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. Authors. Title of the work. City where the work was published: Name of Publisher, Year of publication.

How about an internet source?

The citation in your paragraph: During medieval times in Europe, barley was the main part of the diet of poor people ( Medieval Food ). [If there is an author listed, you put his or her last name. If there is no author, you put the title of the article in quotation marks.] The citation in your list of sources: Medieval Food. Kidepedia: History and Science for Kids 7 Mar. 2013 <http://www.historyforkids.org/ learn/medieval/food/> Title of web article. Name of website. Date accessed. Full web address. [Start with the author s name if there is one listed.]