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Thesis statement It is a single sentence, usually in the first paragraph of the paper, which  declares the position you are taking in your paper,  sets up the way you will organize your discussion, and  points to the conclusion you will draw.

Thesis statement

Outline It helps you to...  stay on course and not get off-track when you put your final product together.  see if you have enough (or too much) material to support your Thesis Statement.  figure out the order in which your subtopics will appear in your final product.

Outline

Writing your paper Take out your outline and your note cards. Before you begin writing, take some time to put all of your note cards and borrowed material (pictures, etc.) in the order they will appear in your project. You can use your outline as a guide for this important step. You don't want to be searching for these things as you are writing. You will write your first paragraph about the first subtopic in your outline. (Your introduction will be written later.) Introduce that subtopic in the first sentence.

Writing your paper The body of that paragraph will be more information about the first subtopic and your evidence for why it supports your thesis statement. Use your note cards to get borrowed material (quotes, statistics, etc) to use as evidence. You may also include pictures here from other sources. Remember that you need to cite all borrowed material immediately after you use it. You will continue in this manner until you reach the conclusion section of your outline.

Introduction Write your introduction last-you introduce what you are actually going to say. Start with a couple of sentences that introduce your topic to your reader. You do not have to give too much detailed information (save that for the body of your paper). Make these sentences as interesting as you can—hook your readers Then state your thesis, which may be done in one or more sentences. The length of your introduction depends on the length and complexity of your project, but generally it should not exceed one page unless it is a very long project or a book. The average length of an introduction is one half a page.

Introduction Example 1: Teenagers in many American cities have been involved in more gangs in the last five years than ever before. These gangs of teens have been committing a lot of violent crimes. The victims of these crimes are both gang members and people outside of gangs. Many people do not want to travel to areas in our cities because of the danger from this problem. For this terrible situation to stop, it is going to take a combined effort on the part of many people. Excellent, supervised after-school programs, more jobs available for teens, and healthy family relationships will go a long way towards ending this crisis in our society.

Introduction Example 2: During the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East there was much armed conflict between Christians and Muslims. Christians called these conflicts the Crusades because they were fighting under the sign of the cross to save the holy lands of the Bible from being desecrated by non-Christians. However, the true reason for fighting for these lands was less than holy. It was mainly a desire for economic gain that prompted the Christian leaders to send soldiers to fight in the Holy Land.

Conclusion Conclude an essay with one or more of the following: Include a brief summary of the paper's main points. Ask a provocative question. Use a quotation. Evoke a vivid image. Call for some sort of action. End with a warning. Universalize (compare to other situations). Suggest results or consequences

Conclusion Example: The problem of teen gang violence can be eliminated. It will, however, take time, money, and a combined effort on the part of many people. Organized, free, after-school programs such as: sports teams and games; art, music, and drama activities; internships in local area businesses and professional organizations; and interesting volunteer activities in the community would help engage teens in worthwhile pursuits outside of school hours. More job opportunities for teens, especially those funded by state and local programs, would offer income for teens as well as productive work for the community. Outreach to families through schools, community organizations, and places of worship would help promote inter-generational activities that could improve family closeness, helping teens to work on their problems at the family level, instead of taking them to the streets. If these programs can be implemented, we will surely see a decrease in teen gang activity and safer streets and neighborhoods for us all.

Citing sources Why? It lets your reader know that you want to make clear to them which are your ideas/words/pictures, etc. and which are someone else's. If you do not cite your sources, you are committing plagiarism (Plagiarism is an unlawful act in which you use someone else's work as if it is your own. It can get you in big trouble. Avoid it.). It gives your Thesis Statement a lot more credibility because you obviously didn't just make up what you are claiming. You did your research! Your reader can check the original source for more information or for accuracy if they want to challenge you.

Citing Sources When? Direct quotations whether in written or oral formats (includes stories, speeches, fiction and nonfiction) Paraphrased quotations (these are quotes whose words you have changed somewhat) Statistical Data (numbers about things) Images that are attributed to someone (includes cartoons, photos, maps, artwork, computer graphics-but not free "clip art") Song lyrics Original ideas that are attributed to someone else, even if you put them in your own words

Citing Sources How? At the end of the borrowed material, put in parentheses the author's last name and the page(s) where the material is found within the source. Use the author's name in the text that you write and put the page number(s) in parentheses at the end of the borrowed material.

Works Cited Page Alphabetical Goes at the end of your paper