Thesis & Organization

1. Thesis & Organization Don’t forget the transition!

2. Exigence Context/Situation Audience Purpose Ethos Logos Pathos Organization & Structure Diction Syntax Imagery Figurative Language Tone

3. Important next steps • THESIS WRITING • How to appropriately evaluate a thesis statement. • PARAGRAPHS • Ways to develop an argument. • TRANSITIONS • Unify your ideas.

4. A Thesis statement: • Defines a specific topic. • Makes a strong point about the topic. • Provides a blueprint for the paper’s development.

5. A thesis statement: • Makes a claim that others might dispute. • The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

6. Question • “Woman can change better’n a man,” Ma tells Pa.  “Woman got all her life in her arms.  Man got it all in his head.”  In an argument utilizing examples from the text, defend, challenge, or qualify Ma’s claim that the Joad women adapt better than the Joad men during their journey to California.

7. Which is the best one? • A woman’s ability for flexibility and strength empower them to carry on and be the soul of the family; therefore, this makes them stronger than their male counterparts in a survival situation. • Even though some of the men in The Grapes of Wrath adapt, the women in the story adapted better. • The women in The Grapes of Wrath do not adapt better because women are not leaders.

8. Evaluate Q1: The specific topic is women’s adaptability. Q2: The main point is that women adapt better Q3: The thesis implies that women’s flexibility and strength allow women to be “the soul” of the family and keep the family moving forward. We expect that the writer will provide examples to illustrate the strength of the women and that the writer will also support what he/she means by “the soul” of the family and how that helps the family find success. Make sure you state why- then you know you have used your “reasoning”!!!!!

9. Paragraph development • Not defined by length • The unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph • Generally a group of sentences that support one main idea

10. Every paragraph should be… • UNIFIED: All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a single controlling idea (often expressed as a topic sentence) • RELATED TO THESIS • COHERENT: The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should follow a definite plan for development • WELL-DEVELOPED: Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately explained and supported through evidence and details to explain the controlling idea.

11. PIE 1. Decide on a controlling idea/topic sentence • Make a POINT! • Give an example or multiple examples • IDENTIFY EXAMPLES! 3. EXPLAIN the example

12. Transitions… • Signal relationships between ideas • Provide the reader with directions to piece together the ideas of a logically coherent argument. • They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular manner to your ideas. (ideas to follow) • These important cues allow the reader to understand the logic of how ideas fit together

13. Transitions & Logic • Similarity: also, in the same way, likewise, similarly • Exception/Contrast: but, however, yet, nevertheless, on the contrary • Sequence/Order: first, second, third…next, then, finally • Time: after, before, currently, now, recently, earlier

14. Transitions & Logic • Example: for example, for instance, specifically • Emphasis: even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly • Cause & Effect: accordingly, consequently, therefore, thus, so • Additional Support/Evidence: additionally, also, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover • Conclusion: finally, in brief, in sum, etc…be careful!

15. Exigence Context/Situation Audience Purpose Ethos Logos Pathos Organization & Structure Diction Syntax Imagery Figurative Language Tone