1. Your Thesis Statement: The Only Sentence Worth More Than A Thousand Words

2. Your Introduction Paragraph Attention Grabbing Brief Explanation of topic Thesis First, grab you readers attention with a general statement about your topic. End your introduction with a strong statement/claim that tells your reader what you intend to prove to them about your topic. Then, give your reader a brief explanation (2-5 sentences) of what you will be explaining about your topic.

3. What to think about… Define a problem and state your opinion about it Put forth a possible solution to a problem Look at an issue/topic from a new, interesting perspective Theorize how the world might be different today if something had or had not happened in the past Put out your ideas about how something was influenced to be the way it is or was.

4. First, let’s look at what a Thesis Statement is NOT! Thesis Statements Are Not As Hard As You May Think…

5. Your topic tells your reader what you are talking about. For Example: I will discuss WWI. This is not a thesis, it is only a topic. Your Thesis Statement is NOT Your Topic! Your thesis tells your reader your position on your topic. For Example: WWI was a direct result of the alliance system; had it not been for the alliance in place previous to the start of the war, WWI may have not involved as many countries. This is a successful thesis statement!

6. Surprisingly, your thesis should be an arguable OPINION backed on fact – NOT JUST A FACT! WHY? …Because that is what makes your paper interesting to your reader! Your thesis should always be a statement that demands PROOF! If not, what will you write in the following pages? The Thesis Statement is NOT JUST A FACT About Your Topic! You spend the rest of your paper CONVINCING your reader of why YOUR OPINION is TRUE! Your thesis prepares your reader for the facts that will prove your opinion about your topic to be true -- it can not be a fact itself. Your Thesis Should Take A STAND!

7. That is a fact, not a strong thesis! Now, that is a strong thesis! Let’s Look At An Example Since the Native Americans knew how to hunt, make weapons, and housing, they were smarter than the settlers from Europe who needed the Native Americans to help them survive. Native Americans have the ability to live off of the land without any modern technology.

8. What a Thesis Statement is… It is the sentence that answers your readers biggest question: By telling your reader your point in the first paragraph, you set the tone and make sure they are not frustrated and confused while reading the rest of your paper.

9. Requirements For a Strong Thesis: 1.It should not be TOO BROAD! 2.It should not be TOO NARROW! 3.It should not be TOO VAGUE! There Are Three (3) Requirements For A Strong Thesis Statement. Let’s look at each of these requirements a bit closer…

10. A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Broad! You may find yourself drowning in information, unable to prove your point!

11. A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Broad! Let’s Look At An Example That would definitely leave you drowning: TOO BROAD! The propaganda committee initiated by President Wilson was so effective that by the time President Roosevelt was in office, he had millions of Americans volunteering during World War II. Much Better! That definitely is an opinion narrow enough to be proven in an essay! People liked helping during World War II because of propaganda.

12. A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Too Narrow Either! You may find yourself trying to stretch your information and begin repeating yourself too much in the paper!

13. Let’s Look At An Example Most girls living in the Midwest, in the town of Oklahoma City, were married before they were 18 years old, which caused them to be mothers at a young age. Though this may be interesting, it would take some tugging to stretch it into an entire essay! At the turn of the 19 th century, females were viewed as adults by the time they were teenagers, which caused their lifestyle to be vastly different than the teenagers in 2011. That looks like a thesis statement we wouldn’t have to stretch far!

14. A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Vague! Your paper will not make anysense

15. Requirements For a Strong Thesis: A Strong Thesis Should Not Be Vague Let’s Look At An Example Getting rid of welfare in the United States is a horrible idea. The word HORRIBLE is hard to define! It makes this thesis Too VAGUE! If the United States were to eliminate the welfare system, it would aggravate an already severe homeless problem and cause a rise in crime. To Fix It Define the term “horrible idea” for your reader. Outlining the major points of your essay would also help.

16. Where To Start Once you have gathered your information, Ask Yourself a Few Questions: What would my reader want to know about my topic? What is the most important thought that I have about my topic? What will be the point of my paper? What has my research shown me about my topic?

17. Remember the structure of your THESIS

18. Thesis A Thesis is Made Up of Two Parts: AND during World War II should be viewed as best type of new technology that changed the world, especially since the Atomic Bomb was released from a plane over Japan. Planes For Example:

19. 2.Is it TOO NARROW? 3.Is it TOO VAGUE? Refining Your Working Thesis To turn your Working Thesis into a Final Thesis Statement, compare it to the requirements for a strong thesis statement: 1.Is it TOO BROAD? IT IS PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO REWORD YOUR THESIS, ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU’VE FOUND MORE INFORMATION!