Warm Up

2. Warm Up • What is a thesis statement? Define • What is the biggest problem you are having so far with your thesis statement? Minimum one, in sentence format.

3. A good thesis statement will usually include the following four attributes: • take on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree • deal with a subject that can be adequately treated given the nature of the assignment • express one main idea • assert your conclusions about a subject

4. Thesis Statement •  A thesis statement is an explanation of the topic or purpose of a research paper. • THESIS = topic + comment or claim about topic

5. Your thesis should…. • Say something that someone could reasonably disagree with. It should contain an attitude, belief, or strong observation. • THINK….Are there two sides to your argument? Pro’s and Cons? If not then maybe you need to change your thesis statement.

6. How Can You Tell a Strong Thesis Sentence from a Weak One? • 1. A strong thesis takes some sort of stand. • 2. A strong thesis justifies discussion. • 3. A strong thesis expresses one main idea. • 4. A strong thesis statement is specific.

7. Bad vs. Good • Poor: The Lion King is a film that Disney released in 1994. • Poor: Most college students take more than four years to earn their bachelor’s degrees. • Better: The Lion King's themes echo many of those found in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. • Better: Taking summer classes is well worth the trouble if it means that one will be able to complete college in four years or less.

8. Be as specific as possible. • If your topic is too general you may find too much information and become overwhelmed. • The more specific you are in your topic, your research paper/presentation will be much more focused instead of all over the place.

9. Bad vs. Good • Poor: Franklin Roosevelt was an interesting man. • Poor: Television programming can get incredibly annoying at times. • Better: Franklin Roosevelt was a complex, courageous man who led his country out of its worst economic crisis ever. • Better: The high number of reruns and brainless reality programs on the major networks are the reasons cable stations such as HBO, Showtime, and Animal Planet are flourishing.

10. Be as forceful as possible. • Be assertive; avoid sounding wishy-washy. • Make sure you have chosen a specific side. • After you have done your research and are writing your paper you may explain that you are able to see both sides of the argument yet support one side.

11. Bad vs. Good • Poor: It is my opinion that the Senate needs more women members. • Poor: Nobody knows how things will turn out, of course, but it’s possible that an attack on Iraq may prove more controversial than some people think. • Better: The Senate needs more women members because . . . • Better: If the President plans to attack Iraq, it is essential that he explain his reasons to the country and get Congressional backing first.

12. Be as clear and concise as possible. • Do not be general • Make sure you are being as specific as possible.

13. Bad vs. Good • Poor: Air pollution, land pollution, and water pollution are all harmful, but air pollution causes more problems than any other type of pollution. Better: Air pollution poses a tremendous danger to the health of humans and other animals. • Poor: Filling up one’s gas tank is a risky proposition these days, because one might just max out one’s credit card after five or six gallons, and we all know that money is not easy to come by, so something must be done to pressure the oil companies to lower their prices. • Better: Oil companies have been gouging the public for years, and it needs to end soon.

14. ACTIVITY DIRECTIONS • By yourself, read through the thesis’ and determine what is the flaw. • There may be more than one flaw per thesis.