You will explore possible topics for your compare and contrast essay and draft a working thesis. Instructions: Review the Writing Guidelines for drafting a comparison/contrast essay on pp. 248-49, as well as the discussion of the Writing Process in Chapter 2. Then review the section “Understanding the Rhetorical Situation” in Chapter 2 (pp. 28-29) to help you identify the rhetorical context of your essay and follow the steps of the writing process. Make a list of possible topics for your essay with subjects that are similar and/or different in ways that you find interesting and worth investigating more. Remember to choose two examples or instances of the same type of thing: Two fictional characters, two cultures, two presidents, two types of climate, two dietary lifestyles, etc. Think about how you would compare and contrast each pair. Focus on one of the possible sets of topics and using the strategies in the Writing Guidelines or a Venn diagram, list three or more key points that your subjects have in common. Using the template in the textbook, develop a working thesis. “Whereas __________ and __________ seem similar, they are different in several ways, and the difference is important because __________.” This will not be your final thesis and you might word it differently, but it is a good beginning to establish your topics, the terms for comparison, and the relevance of such a comparison.