Thesis Development Lesson Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion— convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying.

Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view.

This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing: 1. Provide a STRONG HOOK (ATTENTION-GRABBER), 2. BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOUR TOPIC, AND PROVIDE NECESSARY BACKGROUND, 3. STATE YOUR POINT OF VIEW ON THE TOPIC IN ONE SENTENCE. THIS SENTENCE IS THE THESIS STATEMENT, AND IT SERVES AS A SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT YOU’LL MAKE IN THE REST OF THE PAPER.

Thesis Development Lesson:

Questions to ask as you develop your THESIS

Have I taken a position that others might challenge or argue? Is my thesis 1 sentence? Is my thesis thought-provoking?

- Does my thesis pass the “So what” test? If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

-Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument.

- Is my thesis LOGICAL? Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position from the beginning. * If your thesis contains words like “good,” or “successful,” be more specific: why is something “good,” what specifically makes something “successful”?

Thesis Development Lesson

As you are developing your thesis based upon your research:Does my paper/essay support my thesis

specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and body of your paper/essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working (preliminary) thesis to reflect what you have/have not found during your research process. ALWAYS REASSESS AND REVISE YOUR WRITING AS NECESSARY!

Thesis Practice Activity

1. Copy the thesis statements below and revise each according your notes on Thesis Development

a. Homes, schools, and educationb. My subject is the incompetence of the Supreme

Courtc. Jane Austen is the author of Pride and Prejudice

Title Formation Notes

A straightforward title is better than one that is cute or too clever. Keep it simple. The title shouldn’t leave your reader wondering, “What’s that about?” A colon is helpful. You might write the topic first,

followed by a colon, followed by your limited focus.The title should not be stated as a complete sentence.

Although it might suggest a question.Your title should be a concise version of your thesis

(identifying your paper’s topic and focus).

Title Formation Practice Activity

Copy the following faulty titles, note the title formation error(s) and revise:a. Credit Card Problemsb. Too Many Children Don’t Know What to Do in a

Firec. Mystery Novels and Moviesd. Feeding the Diet Industrye. Escaping With the Wizard of Oz (hint: refers to

Hot Air Ballooning)

Thesis Practice Activity

You are taking a course on 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You turn on the computer and type out the following:1. Copy the thesis below2. Critique3. Evaluate4. ImproveThe North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

J.E. #18: Evaluate StudentTitles and Thesis Statements

View the following titles and theses. Note why they would or would not be acceptable.

Titles1. Earnest Hemingway: Impact on American Literature2. The Spirit of Man3. Sojourner Truth’s Impact on the World4. Losing Battles by: Eudora Welty5. The Vietnam War: Tim O’brien’s Theories of War,

Courage, and Cowardice

Titles and Thesis Statements

View the following titles and theses. Note why they would or would not be acceptable.

Thesis Statements1. As a veteran of the Vietnam War, Tim O’Brien has hands

on knowledge of theories of war, courage, and cowardice and their significance during the war.

2. The United States of America’s population suffered from poverty due to loss of work while the Great Depression was in full swing.

3. Oliver Wendell Holmes’ poem “Old Ironsides,” written about the frigate Constitution, helped save the war-torn ship through the pressure of public opinion.

Claim-Analysis Test

A claim states your position on the issue you have chosen to write about. (w/o using I, me, my).→A good claim is not obvious. →A good claim is engaging. →A good claim is not overly vague. →A good claim is logical.

DOES YOUR CLAIM PASS THE CLAIM-ANALYSIS TEST?

Claim/Evidence Requirements For All

Intro. ¶: attention-grabber (INTERESTING FACT/STATISTIC., anecdote (brief personal story), INTERESTING quote)

Basic 2-3 sent. background summary of the topic

Central assertion/thesis/claim that you are PROVING in your essay Body ¶: Transitional word or phrase

Topic sentence Lead in for Evidence (in the form of a

Quote or Passage or another form of Concrete Detail)

Commentary about the provided evidence Concluding ¶: A general statement that explains how your central Claim/Argument/Thesis is resolved

Page, Susan. “Health Care Fight Tricky to Wage.” USA Today. 10 Aug. 2009: A.1. Print.

“In the study of 9 to 11-year olds, musicians performed better on several tests than did their non-musical peers. They scored significantly higher on tests of vocabulary and finger tapping. They also exhibited a strong, but statistically non-significant, trend towards better spatial and math skills ” (Page).

Psychological Effects

Brown, Susan. Personal Interview. 18 Sept. 2013.

“Being able to play music improves your social life” (Brown).

Psychological Effects

Daschle, Tom, Jeanne M. Lambrew, and Scott S. Greenberger. Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis. New York: St Martin’s, 2008. Google Books. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.

“In the study of 9 to 11-year olds, musicians performed better on several tests than did their non-musical peers. They scored significantly higher on tests of vocabulary and finger tapping. They also exhibited a strong, but statistically non-significant, trend towards better spatial and math skills ” (Daschle).

Psychological Effects