What is it really? And how do I make mine interesting? The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill And C. Coyne, Flagstaff High

After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often 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 your paper.

Tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. Is also a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.

And MOST importantly: makes a claim that others might dispute. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader to agree with your interpretation.

Most of the time your thesis is a single sentence towards the end of your intro paragraph. BUT there is no holy grail that says a thesis must be one sentence – some more complex theses will be two sentences or more. At this point, I’d stick to a single sentence until you feel more comfortable with the concept.

Many of the essays you will write in this class will directly respond to a prompt. In this case, your thesis should answer the prompt. However, a good prompt should be opened ended enough to allow for many different possible theses. You should still be able to create an original thesis, that some might dispute.

Shoot for one sentence with sub-points. For example: It is the job of the government to legislate broad aspects of morality, such as major crime and homicide, but small-scale issues like dress and violent entertainment should be left up to parenting.

1.Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? 2.Is my thesis statement specific enough? 3.Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue. 4.Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? Is it specific enough?

Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.

The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different. What makes this a weak thesis statement?

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. This thesis tells the reader where you are going, but could be even better…

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. The topic that you have researched is interpreted in your thesis and it captures your final argument in a nutshell.

We’ll talk more about this, but for now, try to remember these ideas when you write your in-class essay tomorrow.

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships.

Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

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 right from the beginning.

Weak Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

Better (getting more specific) In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

Now we’re talking! Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain's Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave "civilized" society and go back to nature.

AP Thesis Score 9 Gatsby’s “Exile”—or separation from Daisy—paradoxically creates and destroys him.

Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Explain in detail why or why not. Is my thesis statement specific enough? Why or why not. Explain how this can be improved. Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? If not, explain. If so, explain. Does it pass the how and why test? Explain.