Practice with Persuasive Thesis Statements

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Cecilia Higgins
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1 Practice with Persuasive Thesis Statements Thesis Statements: Express and support an opinion, a proposal, a position, an evaluation, a cause-andeffect statement, or an interpretation. Criteria for Thesis Statements for Persuasive Writing Is it an arguable conclusion? Does it take a stand rather than just announce a topic? Could reasonable people disagree with it? Is the assertion more than simply your opinion? Can you back it up persuasively with evidence, reasons, or examples? Is it specific rather than vague? Is it narrow enough to fully support rather than being too broad or too general? Is the scope appropriate for the length of paper you will be writing? Does it give the reader a guide or map to the argument or organization of your paper? Will the reader know what to expect in the paper by reading the thesis? Is written in the third person (not first person I or me )? Working with a partner, evaluate these statements using the criteria above. Write GOOD beside the ones that meet all the criteria for good thesis statements. For others, jot down which criteria the statement does not meet. THEN, improve three by rewriting them to meet all of the criteria. 1. I have always loved the sound of wild geese flying overhead, ever since I was a child and heard them at night. 2. Marine animals should not be kept in captivity because of the damage to their physical and mental health. 3. It is cruel to release marine animals born and raised in captivity because they lack the foraging, defensive and social skills they would need to thrive in the wild. 4. Exploitation of animals by the entertainment industry is wrong, and I think it should be stopped. 5. Captive elephants treated humanely and allowed to live in social groups live longer than their wild counterparts because they are protected from natural and man-made dangers, provided ideal nutrition and exercise, and given state-of-the-art medical care their whole lives. 6. Breeding programs in zoos are valuable. 7. Some animals that are rare in the wild are fairly common in zoos. 8. Animal abuse is cruel to animals. 9. I heard that some poachers kill the mothers in order to capture the babies to sell to zoos. 10. Lots of people think zoos accomplish many valuable goals. On your own: Working individually, write two persuasive thesis statements on topic(s) of your own choosing. You might write about topics we have talked about today, or any others. 1 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

2 Thesis Statement Practice: Persuasive Research Paper Working Thesis: This thesis statement may change after you write your paper, but the basic idea of it should stay the same. ALL of your REASONS/SUPPORT listed must connect to your thesis statement. Follow these guidelines: a. Your thesis statement is one sentence in length. b. Your thesis statement will be the last sentence of your introduction. c. Your thesis will take a stand/position on your topic. d. All of your reasons/support must connect to your thesis statement. Thesis Statement Examples: (topics are bolded) Americans must take responsibility for their own obesity rather than blaming the fast-food industry. TomTom offers GPS navigators that are better for consumers than Garmin GPS navigators because they tend to be less expensive, are more user friendly, and offer more features than similar Garmin GPS navigators. Reducing the exposure of children to violent media is essential to prevent a large portion of brutally aggressive crimes. A major goal I would like to accomplish in the next few years is getting a better job. My plan is to get a better job is to finish school, prepare a résumé, and then search for jobs. NOTICE: A. Many of the thesis statements above inform the reader what must be done in order to resolve problem addressed. Do you see the word must repeated? (You do not have to use the word must ) B. The topic of the research paper is included in the thesis statement. C. The authors of the thesis statements provide a single reason or three points as to why their position must be accepted by the reader. Your Turn: For each of the topics below, write a one For each of the topics below, write a one-sentence persuasive thesis statement. It does not matter what position you take on each topic. Follow all the above guidelines and review the examples. 1. Teen driving age: 2. Drug testing in school: Practice: Creating Thesis Statements Using what you ve learned in English class, change the following topics into thesis statements. Don t remember how? Here s a hint: subject + your opinion = thesis. Example Topic: Controlling the pet population through spaying and neutering Thesis: Controlling the pet population through spaying and neutering is very important because it helps prevent the birth of unwanted and neglected animals. 1. TOPIC: School uniforms 2. TOPIC: Your parents and trust 2 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

3 3. TOPIC: Going to college 4. TOPIC: Drinking and driving Thesis Statement Practice Directions: Carefully read the following prompt and the Bad thesis statement. Then, rewrite a Good thesis statement. State the subject and tell the author s purpose for writing or the point to be proved. A good thesis statement will directly respond to each part of the writing prompt. Writing Prompt: Explain why young people especially enjoy hobbies. Bad: One hobby many young people especially enjoy is reading. Good: Writing Prompt: Discuss the t benefits of playing team sports. Bad: Good: Playing team sports has many benefits. Writing Prompt: Persuade the school board to lengthen summer vacation. Bad: Many people think that summer vacation should be extended. Good: When we write any kind of essay, the first task we must address is the creation of the THESIS. This handout is designed to help you IDENTIFY, CREATE and CORRECT thesis statements so you can use them effectively in your own essays. Part 1 The Basics 1. Explain what a thesis is in your own words. 2. Why does an essay need to have a thesis? 3. Write the formula for creating a thesis on the lines below. + and + A Good Thesis Statement 3 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

4 Part 2 Create Add your opinion to the following topics to create your own thesis statements. 4. Topic: Pesticides used for controlling pests which can damage crops. 5. Rainforest depletion caused by logging. Part 3 Correct Take a look at the following thesis statements and re-write them correctly on the lines below. Remember that a complete thesis statement must have more than just a topic it should also state the position or opinion of the author on that topic. 6. Air pollution is caused in part by the fossil fuel emissions, which are given off by gasoline burning vehicles. This thesis is incorrect because: A correct thesis might be: 7. This is a dangerous practice which should not be continued. This thesis is incorrect because: A correct thesis might be: Practice Writing Thesis Sentences Topic: Virginia is a good place to live. Supports: 1. It has a changing climate with warm summers and cold winters. 2. It is near exciting cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. 3. It has interesting activities in its historical and recreational areas. Thesis Sentence: Virginia is a good place to live because of its changing climate, good location, and varied activities. Directions: Create a thesis sentence based on the following information. Topic: What is the most important thing about your generation that you would like the older generation to know? Be sure to tell why it is the most important, and explain your reasons. Supports Thesis Sentence: 4 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

5 Research Paper Guidelines for Developing Thesis Statement 1. Start Big: Guidelines What is your main idea? Why is this idea important? 2. Break it down: What have you learned about this idea through your research? 1. Start Big: Example My main idea is Pearl Harbor. It is important because the United States was attacked and it caused the United States to enter World War II. 2. Break it down: I have learned who was in charge of the attack, what was attacked, where this occurred, when the attack happened, why the attack happened, and how the attack changed America s willingness to enter the war. 3. Break it down even further: Of all the things that you have learned, what are the four to seven most important? 3. Break it down even further: The four most important things I have learned are why the Japanese attacked, how the attack was carried out, how the United States soldiers defended themselves, and why the United States decided to enter the war. 4. Put it all together: Combine the reason why it is important with the four to seven main things you have learned. Turn all of this into one or two detailed sentences. 4. Put it all together: The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor was designed to limit the United States role in the planned conflict in Southeast Asia. This attack was initially successful, but ultimately it caused the United States to enter the war on the side of other Allied nations. 5 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

6 It s Your Turn! History Day Thesis Draft A thesis has 3 parts. The topic, opinion or belief and the 3 points you will use to prove your belief or opinion are true. A thesis is NOT AN OBVIOUS FACT. One way to go beyond telling a story/narrative is to think about cause and effect. Why do we care about your topic? What changed, was impacted or influenced? Why is it significant? The formula for History Day is a 5 paragraph persuasive paper. This means you will have 3 points that prove your thesis. These 3 points will be explored in your 3 middle/body paragraphs. Fill in the worksheet to help you in your quest for a good thesis. Sample thesis: Abraham Lincoln s Emancipation Proclamation was significant because it kept Europe out of the war, allowed blacks the right to fight and gave the North a new reason to fight. Underline the topic, circle the belief and number the points. 1. This year s theme is. (Key words to put in my thesis are.) 2. My topic is. 3. My stance/opinion, what I can prove to be true about my topic is. 4. Key words I need to put in my thesis are. (BIG HINT! Good key words are: significant, impact, influenced, changed) 5. My 3 points that will prove my stance or opinion are Point #1 6. My thesis is Point #2 Point #3 6 compiled by Mrs. Carol Yuen

Writing Thesis Statements. An Interactive Activity to Develop Effective Writing Skills

Writing Thesis Statements. An Interactive Activity to Develop Effective Writing Skills Writing Thesis Statements An Interactive Activity to Develop Effective Writing Skills 1 Learning Objective Given the definition and components of a thesis statement, along with a sample writing prompt