Mapping Your Mind

Your Task: You will analyze and compare Beowulf with Hamlet. First in the form of a prewriting activity using an interactive, online graphic organizer called a mind map, and secondly in an essay. In each of the two texts, the author reflects on political and societal themes of the time period in which both works are set. You will write an essay that compares a common theme that relates to the time period of the two texts. Some of the areas you may choose to evaluate are: age, gender, final rites, loyalty, warrior or honor codes, expectations of wealth, or religious beliefs. However, you are not limited to these examples.

Requirements for your essay: Form an original thesis and use specific textual evidence with line numbers to support it. Conduct research to inform your thesis. Include a Works Cited page. Use proper MLA or APA format. In order to organize your ideas before writing your essay, you will use the Web 2.0 application called Mindmeister to make a mind map. This tool will allow you to: Separate and/or connect ideas Connect textual evidence to your ideas Identify your thesis, strong points, areas for development, etc. with highlighting and checkmark or smiley face tools. Export your map to Google Drive or Microsoft Office Print it out to submit with your essay for evaluation

Once you have determined which theme you wish to analyze in your essay, you can begin to organize your ideas using Mindmeister. Here is what you need to do: 1. Start a new map within the class account using the Username 104 Class of

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2014 and the password english104 on Mindmeister. Use your name as the maps title. Choose a theme for your map in the bottom left hand corner which will act as the layout for your organizer. Begin building your map. Use the issue you are going to analyze as your centerpiece of the organizer to establish the main concept of your essay. (It may be best to start two separate webs within your map so you have one for each text.) Expand the map by connecting branches with your important information such as the ideas that will act as your topic sentences, concluding statements, and dont forget your textual evidence! Each of these should have their own box or bubble that connects to your main idea bubble in the center of your map. Use the icons on the right side of the page to sequence your ideas and to mark your essential parts of the essay. For each piece of textual evidence, include a number icon to sequence the order in which you plan to use them. Consider using two icons in the same bubble if you plan to use more than one quote per paragraph. For example, if you have two quotes in your first body paragraph, include a 1 icon for the paragraph number and a 2 icon for the quote number. Label your thesis statement using the star icon. After you finish your map, print it out and use it to begin writing your essay.

Evaluation: Most, but not all, important aspects that you plan to develop in your essay should be introduced in your mind map organizer, with the exception of your introduction, conclusion, transitions and supporting statements. Therefore, you must have: (70 pts)
A clear thesis statement (clearly identifiable by the star icon): 10 pts. A representation of ideas that will become your introductory and concluding statements for each paragraph: 10 pts. Clear understanding of the theme that you are analyzing and how the two texts compare: 25 pts. At least 3 pieces of textual evidence: 15 pts. An organized structure which displays your sequence of ideas: 10 pts.