1. Thesis Statements

2. What does a thesis statement for my paper look like?  An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence.  The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and- effect statement, or an interpretation.  The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided. (From the Purdue OWL)

3. Thesis Formula Claim + because + three reasons = one fabulous thesis.

4. Start with a claim Going to clown college should not be frowned upon by society

5. Add your three reasons Going to clown college should not be frowned upon by society because it is legitimate career, we need more clowns in the world, and they bring joy and delight to people of all ages. Claim Reason # 2 Reason # 1 Reason # 3

6. Your three reasons will turn into the topics for each one of your supporting paragraphs.

7. But Miss…  “Can I have more than three paragraphs?” YES! We encourage it. You don’t need a 57- reason thesis statement though. Keep it focused.  “How long does the paper have to be?” As long as it needs to be to prove your claim with sufficient evidence and your own reasoning. Do you want a 3? 4?

8. But Miss…  “I learned how to write a thesis statement a different way.” Cool! There are in fact, many ways to write a thesis statement. I’m teaching you this way because it is highly efficient and organized.