1. WRITING THESIS STATEMENTS AN INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE WRITING SKILLS

2. THESIS STATEMENTS: Give direction to the author of a paper Give readers an idea as to what the paper will be about You will see this on a test next week!

3. Where am I going? ESSAY An essay without a thesis statement is like a car without a driver

4. WHAT IS A THESIS STATEMENT? A thesis statement is a sentence used in an essay that serves as the guide for the essay and directly answers the question or task asked of you. A thesis statement express the main idea of your paper. This will be on the test, too!

5. NOT WHAT IS A THESIS NOT? A factual statement A topic sentence TOPIC SENTENCE: Big Spring is a small town in West Texas. (This is factual, topic sentence; therefore, it is not a thesis statement.) Yep, you guessed it—on the test.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF A THESIS STATEMENT Addresses the prompt clearly Makes a claim, or Presents an argument Is arguable (an opinion) In first paragraph of essay You should be great at this!

7. IT’S TIME TO SPOT A THESIS! ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, READ THE WRITING PROMPT AND THE TWO SAMPLE STATEMENTS. CLICK ON THE ONE THAT IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR A THESIS.

8. 1. EARLY ON IN LIFE, PEOPLE DEVELOP AN ADMIRATION FOR HEROES. IN A WELL-DEVELOPED ESSAY, DISCUSS A PERSON YOU ADMIRE AND WHY YOU CHOSE THIS PERSON. Option A Option B One person I admire is Babe Ruth, who played baseball from 1914 until 1935. One person I admire is Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time.

9. INCORRECT Option A One person I admire is Babe Ruth, who played baseball from 1914 until 1935. Although this does address the writing prompt, this is a factual statement. A thesis statement should be something you can argue for or against.

10. CORRECT! GREAT JOB! One person I admire is Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time. Option B This statement addresses the prompt, and presents and opinion that can be argued.

11. 2. …DISCUSS THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR II ON THE UNITED STATES. Option A Option B World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of the United States World War II not only affected the economy of the United States, but also altered the role of the American government and the American people forever.

12. INCORRECT World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of the United States Option A Although this is meets all the criteria for a thesis statement, it only addresses part of the writing prompt. Remember, the statement tells the reader what to expect. With this as a thesis, one would only expect to read about the economic effects.

13. CORRECT AGAIN!!!! Option B World War II not only affected the economy of the United States, but also altered the role of the American government and the American people forever. This is correct because it addresses the social, economic and political effects as stated in the prompt. Notice that the words people (social) and government (political) were used in this statement. This makes the sentence more original and shows the reader that you know what “social” and “political” refer to.

14. 3. … DESCRIBE THREE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF LATIN AMERICA AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO THE REGION. Option A Option B The Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and Yucatan Peninsula are the three most significant physical features in Latin America. Three physical features found in Latin America are the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and the Yucatan Peninsula.

15. CORRECT! YOU ARE GETTING THIS! The Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and Yucatan Peninsula are the three most significant physical features in Latin America. Option A This statement gives an argument, it presents the three physical features asked for in the prompt, and makes reference to the importance (significance)

16. ALMOST! BUT NOT QUITE. Option B Three physical features found in Latin America are the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and the Yucatan Peninsula, which are all vital to the region. This is a topic sentence. The reason it is not a good thesis is because it does not present an argument or address the whole prompt. It is a factual statement. To make it a strong thesis, you must add to it.

17. 4. DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE AND THE VEGETATION ON SUB- SAHARAN AFRICA. BE SURE TO DISCUSS THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE, AND THE IMPACT HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS ON THE VEGETATION. Option A Option B Even though the climate and vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa varies as a result of latitude and human activity, they are still the two most important factors in determining the quality of life. Human activity is altering the the vegetation of Sub- Saharan Africa and causing desertification, which will have devastating effects on the people of the region.

18. THIS ONE IS TRICKY! Option A Human activity is altering the the vegetation of Sub- Saharan Africa and causing desertification, which will have devastating effects on the people of the region. This one would be perfect for a thesis, there is only one thing wrong with it. It does not address all of the writing prompt. It only addresses the vegetation, but not the climate or the factors for climate.

19. CORRECT! YOU ARE ON A ROLL! Option B This statement gives an argument, and address all aspects of the writing prompt (topic, effect, factors). Notice how you do not have to go into detail, just give the reader a hint of what you will write about. Even though the climate and vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa varies as a result of latitude and human activity, they are still the two most important factors in determining the quality of life.

20. 5. IN SOUTH ASIA, GLOBALIZATION HAS PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THE DEVELOPING ECONOMIES OF THE REGION. DISCUSS THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION IN ONE SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRY. Option A Option B Globalization in India has offered solutions to poverty for some and created more severe poverty for others. In India, globalization has meant new jobs for India’s emerging middle class.

21. YOU ARE READY TO WRITE! Option A There is an opinion (it has offered solutions, it has created more severe poverty). It addresses the positive (solutions) and negative (poverty) effects. Globalization in India has offered solutions to poverty for some and created more severe poverty for others.

22. PRACTICE. YOU WILL GET THERE. Option B In India, globalization has meant new jobs for India’s emerging middle class. Again, this would be a perfect thesis statement, if the prompt only asked for the effects of globalization. The prompt, however, specifies positive and negative effects. This is only positive.

23. HAVING TROUBLE? TURN YOUR TOPIC INTO A QUESTION (OR MULTIPLE QUESTIONS). THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IS THE THESIS STATEMENT FOR THE ESSAY. Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?” A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth- grade class are....” OR A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve... “

24. TEST YOUR QUESTION Determine as many questions as possible  No question is too broad or narrow in the early stages Treat each question as a “possibility” Test each question with these others:  Is the question or answer plausible enough to be made convincing?  Is the question sufficiently challenging?  Is the question within your reach, given the limitations on time, your access to pertinent information, and the length of the assignment? Do not forget Who, What, When, Where, and Why if you are stuck.

25. AN EXAMPLE: START TO FINISH SUBJECT AND TOPICS Subject: College Education Topics: upward mobility, first- generation, consumerism, price of books, tuition costs, overall college costs, availability of financial aid, technology, preparedness  Choose preparedness

26. AN EXAMPLE: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS  Does high school adequately prepare students for college?  Answer: No, high school does not adequately prepare students for college.  What do students need to be prepared for college?  Answer: High school students need to be made aware of the demands required to receive a college education.  What consequences result from underprepared students?  Answer: Underprepared college students usually do not succeed in college; some even fail out.

27. AN EXAMPLE: THESIS STATEMENTS Thesis statements:  High schools fail to prepare students for entrance into college; therefore, colleges should offer more remedial courses.  The lack of prepared freshman entering American universities indicates a need for high school teachers and counselors to reiterate the rigors of college curricula.  High schools fail to prepare students for entrance into college; therefore, many students fail to finish.

28. AN EXAMPLE: ALL TOGETHER NOW... Q: Does high school adequately prepare students for college? A: No, high school does not adequately prepare students for college. T: High schools fail to prepare students for entrance into college; therefore, colleges should offer more remedial courses. Q: What do students need to be prepared for college? A: High school students need to be made aware of the demands required to receive a college education. T: The lack of prepared freshman entering American universities indicates a need for high school teachers and counselors to reiterate the rigors of college curricula. Q: What consequences result from underprepared students? A: Underprepared college students usually do not succeed in college; some even fail out. T: High schools fail to prepare students for entrance into college; therefore, many students fail to finish.

29. A STRONG THESIS TAKES SOME SORT OF STAND. WHICH THESIS STATEMENT BELOW TAKES A STAND? HOW DO YOU KNOW? There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement. Vs. Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, and therefore poses a potential danger to customers.

30. A STRONG THESIS JUSTIFIES DISCUSSION. WHICH THESIS STATEMENT BELOW JUSTIFIES DISCUSSION? HOW DO YOU KNOW? My family is an extended family. Vs. While most American families would view extended family as a burden, African American families rely on extended family for support.

31. A STRONG THESIS EXPRESSES ONE MAIN IDEA. WHICH THESIS STATEMENT BELOW EXPRESSES ONE MAIN IDEA? HOW DO YOU KNOW? Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer support. Vs. Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.

32. A STRONG THESIS IS SPECIFIC. WHICH THESIS STATEMENT BELOW IS SPECIFIC? HOW DO YOU KNOW? World hunger has many causes and effects. Vs. Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

33. WORK CITED Rodriguez, Mr. "Thesis Identifying Activity." Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. Web. 30 Mar. 2011.. Even I use easybib.com

34. THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

35. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH? Get the reader’s attention Set tone for the rest of the essay Make a contract with the reader - what will be covered in this piece?

36. THE PARTS OF THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH The Hook - Designed to grab attention immediately and give some indication about the essay’s topic The Transition - Moves the reader from the hook to the driving force of the essay…. Set Up for a Thesis: provides background information, explains underlying information, describes the complexity of the issue, introduces various layers of the subject, and helps transition from these more broad ideas to the narrow thesis. The Thesis - Makes the contract with the reader about what will be discussed without a blatant announcement.

37. IN THE INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH NEVER EVER EVER... bluntly announce the essay's intent ("In this essay I will...), make unreasonable statements, apologize for the material that is being written ("In my humble opinion..."), go into a detailed account of the writing, include random information that has nothing to do with the essay, dilly-dally. Get to it. Move confidently into the essay.

38. IN WHAT ORDER DO I WRITE THE INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH? Even though the reader will read the hook first, you actually write the thesis statement first. Type your thesis statement into your document. Review your thesis statement. What comes to mind when you think about the thesis? Set your cursor before the thesis and insert your hook. Once you have a hook, develop a transition to guide your reader to the thesis statement.

39. WHAT IF I’M HANDWRITING MY ESSAY? If you are handwriting an essay for a test or other situation, make sure you still write the thesis statement first. On a separate piece of paper, write the thesis statement. Then read over the thesis and generate a hook that will grab the reader’s attention. Finally, transition to the thesis and recopy the thesis statement as the last sentence in the paragraph.

40. TYPES OF HOOKS 1. Personal examples 2. Quotations 3. Facts or statistics 4. Rhetorical questions 5. Current events

41. PERSONAL EXAMPLES Provides strong, dramatic incidents to use. Honesty in expressing thoughts and feelings will ring true with the reader. While you can make up the personal experience, be careful that it sounds credible. Personal observation - different from a personal example, an observation is something you saw happening.

42. On Friday, February 19, 2011, life changed for an eighteen-year-old young man. He became very ill from a bacterial infection. His body could not fight the infection. Why? After a week of tests and examinations by several specialists, the diagnosis was made. He had leukemia, a cancer of the bone marrow. I am that young man. When a person finds out that he has cancer, just as I did, his whole world changes. A cancer patient is affected physically, psychologically, and socially by the impact of cancer. EXAMPLE 1

43. One morning a young mother had her seven- month old son in his stroller under the peach tree near the family pool. She walked to the kitchen to get a knife so she could peel the peach for him. Ten seconds later, she found him facedown with the stroller at the bottom of the pool. She immediately pulled him out and administered CPR to her son. If she had been gone any longer, he might have been one of the statistics that plague our country every year. These child drownings could be greatly reduced if parents never left their children unattended around water, if pools were properly fenced, and if other safety devices were installed in or by the pool. EXAMPLE 2

44. USING QUOTATIONS Content of quote should be:  Dramatic  Emotionally appealing  Surprising  Humorous Quote does not have to be from a famous person Must be relevant to thesis statement

45. EXAMPLE 1 “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven” (255). This thought by John Milton was recorded over four hundred years ago, but it is still timely for us today. He seems to be saying that we are the ones to control our lives. We can be miserable when things are going well, just as we can be happy when things are going wrong. With this thought in mind, we can control the way we face life through our attitude, our determination, and our ability.

46. EXAMPLE 2 “I am stupid. I am never going back to school.” These are the words spoken by a learning disabled child when he was in first grade. He cried as he slowly walked to his bedroom, shredding his schoolwork into small pieces. This was the first of many times when he and his parents would feel frustrated because there was nothing that they could do. Parents of children with learning disabilities have often felt unprepared to help their children with their handicaps and frustrated with attempts to seek the proper placement of them in the public- school system. The experience of school can be overwhelming for children who have trouble learning. The learning disabled student in the public educational system must deal with academic, social, and emotional problems.

47. USING FACTS OR STATISTICS Must be startling or unusual Must be from a credible source Use journal as a place to record both quotes and facts or statistics that might work for an introduction “Just the facts, please.”

48. EXAMPLE 1 In the desert regions of Arizona, solar homes date back to the pre-Columbian Indians. These people carefully designed their homes in the recesses of south-facing cliffs to receive the warmth of the winter sun. In the summer, shade was provided by overhanging cliffs. Today, solar homes are becoming popular across the country. These solar homes, as then, must be carefully designed to use the sun efficiently in the orientation, the exterior, and the interior.

49. EXAMPLE 2 According to an article in Family Safety & First Aid, published by Berkley Books, “… every 45 seconds a fire breaks out in an American home – 700,000 residences aflame each year. And 16 times a day somebody dies in one of these burning homes” (45). These statistics are frightening and should not be taken lightly. The best way to deal with the possibility of loss from fire is to plan ahead before it happens. Otherwise, it is too late. In order not to become one of these statistics, Americans need to equip their homes with safety devices, set and adhere to safety rules, and practice a family escape plan in order to protect their families.

50. USING RHETORICAL QUESTIONS A rhetorical question is a question that you ask and then answer yourself A rhetorical question can be "an effective persuasive device, subtly influencing the kind of response one wants to get from an audience" (Edward P.J. Corbett).persuasiveaudience Use the text or the prompt the help you create a rhetorical question

51. EXAMPLE 1 Can education reduce crime? German police are embarrassed after a 27 year old man whom they had just booked for burglary walked out of the police station and stole an unmarked police vehicle. It is thought that the man stole the key from an officer at the station. When he was booked and released, he was observed by officers getting into the unmarked police car. The officers gave chase resulting in the man's re-arrest. Three vehicles (including the stolen police car) were damaged during the pursuit. The stolen vehicle was recovered upon arrest of its unlawful driver. This criminal seems unable to prevent himself from taking actions with bad consequences, and if this trait is common among criminals, perhaps education in this area would reduce crime.

52. EXAMPLE 2 Would you like a robot classmate? Qrio, a humanoid robot developed by Sony Intelligence Dynamics Laboratories, has been "attending" a nursery school in California since March. Qrio is taken to the school in San Diego every day, and spends time playing with ten children under the age of two. A researcher is on-hand to observe and document the interactions that take place. The children were apprehensive about the robot at first, but have grown to accept it, and will help it up when it falls. "The children think of Qrio as a feeble younger brother", according to researcher Fumihide Tanaka. The benefits of using a robot in the classroom far outweigh the consequences.

53. USING CURRENT EVENTS Must be recent Must be important Should be made public by newspapers, television, or radio

54. EXAMPLE This morning’s news reported that a young girl, age 5, was abducted from her classroom. As a frantic search ensued, people across the Philadelphia area were shocked to find that the kidnapper walked right into the child’s classroom and demanded that the young kindergartner leave with the woman. The child managed to escape and was found, but she had been attacked by her captors. Obviously, safety procedures broke down and this poor child paid the price. In order to assure the safety of all children, schools across the country must review safety procedures, tighten safety protocols where necessary, and assure all staff members are properly trained.