THESIS STATEMENTS

TOPIC + CLAIM+ SUPPORT

= General category your essay is about= What do you have an opinion about?= Ex. Summer vacation—fairly simple= The detriment of long summer vacation on the learning development of high school students – more narrow

TOPIC

= What is one thing about your topic that you believe to be true and that you wish to argue?

= The detriment of long summer vacation on the learning development of high school students should be stopped due to--must be addressed through--can be prevented/minimized by-- In order to reduce … (use at beginning)

THE POSITION OR CLAIM

= In general why do you believe your position to be correct in spite of any opposing arguments?

= This is a general statement; your specific reasons will follow in the body of your essay.

The detriment of long summer vacation on the learning development of high school students must be minimized by implementing year-round school in conjunction with educational enrichment programs.

THE JUSTIFICATION OR SUPPORT

= Is what you say always true?  = Are there exceptions?  Despite the long tradition of summer vacation and its professed value, its severe detriment on the learning development of high school students must be minimized by implementing year-round school in conjunction with educational enrichment programs.

THE QUALIFICATION

= To make absolute statements usually causes your essay’s thesis to seem foolishly simplistic. 

= Here’s a trick: begin your qualification with a word like “although,” “despite,” “though,” or “even though.”

= Example Qualification: Despite the long tradition of summer vacation and its professed value,

THE QUALIFICATION

= In one or two sentences, present your thesis, including the qualification, topic, claim, and support.

= The classic, traditional way of combining is to first present your qualification, which immediately demonstrates your interest in accuracy and fairness.

PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER.

= The thesis sentence must control the entire argument.

= Your thesis sentence determines what you are required to say in a paper.

= It also determines what you cannot say.

= Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your thesis.

=Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis.

WHAT A THESIS DETERMINES

= Contract or promise= Provides structure for your paper= It takes a side or a fresh perspective on the topic= Sufficiently narrow and specific = Don't just tell readers about something; tell them what about something. Answer the questions "how?" or "why?”

= You have 2-3 pages so consider that when you write your thesis and whether it may be too narrow or broad.

A THESIS IS …

= a good thesis statement should take a stand

= a good thesis statement should justify discussion (SO WHAT?)

= a good thesis statement should express one main idea or a clear relationship between specific ideas linked by words like "because," "since," "so," "although," "unless," or "however.”

THE “SO WHAT?” FACTOR

= A good thesis statement should be restricted to a specific and manageable focus and specific purpose - readers are more likely to reward a paper that does a small task well than a paper that takes on an unrealistic task and fails

“SO WHAT” FACTOR

1st draft

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.2nd draft

While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.3rd draft

While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

WORKING THESIS IN ACTION

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.The paper that follows should:

Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

EXAMPLE THESES

Is your thesis statement 1-2 declarative sentences?

Does your thesis statement state what you want your readers to know, believe, or understand after reading your essay?

Does your thesis statement reflect everything in the essay? Does your essay develop everything in the thesis statement?

Can you ask and answer the questions "why?" and "how?" of your trial thesis statement?

Is your thesis statement a positive statement, not a negative one?

Is your thesis statement clear and unambiguous?

Is your thesis statement precise and limited?

Is your thesis statement defensible?

THESIS CHECKLIST

Using the guidelines for developing effective thesis statements, evaluate Thompson’s thesis statement. Then evaluate the thesis statements taken from student essays below. Label them “very

effective,” “OK,” or “not effective,” and briefly explain each of your decisions.

Choose one side of the issue if your topic requires it, but you may qualify your position.

If the topic asks “to what extent” you agree or disagree with a statement, be sure to explain how strongly you agree or disagree. You may include a “because” statement, but you do not need to list all the reasons for your position.

Neither a factual statement nor a question make an effective thesis because they do not reflect the writer’s position on the issue. 

 

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING THESIS STATEMENTS

Thompson’s Thesis

 

In terms of cognitive development, as research on the human brain has shown, Brazill—and any other young teen—is far from adulthood.

 Student Thesis Statements

 

Juvenile offenders are young people under the age of 18 who commit crimes.

 

Sentencing juveniles to mandatory life in prison is necessary because it keeps them from committing more crimes. Also, it’s what the families of

victims want, and it holds the teen murderers accountable for what they did.

 

 

 

SAMPLE THESES

Children’s crimes should not be brushed off, but it is not right to throw children who don’t even understand the

enormity of the crime that they have committed into the slammer for life.

 

With a growing number of young adults being tried and sentenced as adults for violent crimes, the question arises,

“Why did they commit these crimes?”

Sentencing juveniles to life in prison is both good and bad.

Juveniles must be held accountable for their crimes, but they must be treated differently than adults.

STUDENTS’ THESES

Even though autistic children have equal opportunities state-wide, autistic students aren’t given equal opportunity because they aren’t taught common core curriculum and they presume the kids are intellectually delayed.

STARTING THESIS