AWED Research Paper

1
AWED Research Paper

• Writing your THESIS STATEMENT

2
(No Transcript)
3
What is a thesis statement?
4
? Statement of the subject (one or two
sentences), purpose, and focus of an essay,
which must be supported by your research.
? This thesis statement will serve as the core of
yourpaper, enabling both you and your reader to
follow atrain of thought through the paper. It
will also helpyou from wandering off track.
What is a thesis statement?
5

• Write the thesis statement in a declarative
  sentence, never a question.
• Write a statement that is somewhat open to
  argument,debate, or speculation. Your reader
  will then wantto read on to see how you prove
  your position with facts, data, and well-formed
  opinions.
• Make sure that your thesis statement covers only
  what you plan to discuss in your paper.
• 4. Do not state the obvious
• 5. Avoid using statements like Im going
  to write about
• This paper is about

Points to Remember when Writing a Thesis Statement
6
Ex Long term drug use has lasting negative
effects.
This should already be obvious to the reader
and is too general of a statement.
Better Example
Long term drug use has lasting negative
effectson family dynamics.
Do not state things that are obvious to the reader
7
Ex Topic Irish migration in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries.
Thesis Statement The Great Potato Famine,
combined with the restrictivepolicies of the
English government, drove millions of Irish from
their country during the mid to late 1800s and
early 1900s.
Try to be specific with your focus.
8
Ex Topic The effect of chemical
fertilizers on coral reefs.
Thesis Statement In Hawaii, the chemical
fertilizer runoffs from golf courses and lawns
flow into our oceans and negatively impact our
coral reefs by causing bleaching.
Try to be specific with your focus.
9
For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten
page paper on hunger, you might say
World hunger has many causes and effects.
This is a weak thesis statement for two major
reasons. First, world hunger cant be discussed
thoroughly in seven to ten pages. Second, many
causes and effects is vague. You should be able
to identify specific causes and effects.
Dont bite off more than you can chew.
10
A revised thesis might look like this
Hunger persists in most South American countries
because jobs are scarce and farming in the
infertile soil is rarely profitable.
This is a strong thesis statement because it
narrows the subject to a more specific and
manageable topic, and it also identifies the
specific causes for the existence of hunger.
Dont bite off more than you can chew.
11
1. Start with a Research Question What do you
want to find out about? Some examples are
below. Notice how each question would take some
research to answer. Why was Thomas Jefferson
opposed to slavery? What happened to the
Juvenile Court system to bring it to the crisis
point?
How to write a thesis statement.
12
2. Research enough to be able to take a stand
What is the issue or concern? What are you
wanting to discover through your research and why
is that important? Make sure its arguable.
Even though Thomas Jefferson had slaves, he
showed that he valued every human being in his
words and actions. The Juvenile Court system
was established to remove children from the adult
criminal justice system and help youth reform,
but over the years it became a source of
punishment and imprisonment for many
participants.
How to write a thesis statement.
13
Asking why? Why does soccer appeal so strongly to
sports fans in Europe and Latin America? Asking
how? How does rap music effect American
society? Asking what? What are the effects of
violence on television on children?
How to write a thesis statement.
14
Asking which? Which president had the greatest
negative impact on foreign relations in the
Middle East? Asking when? When did suicide
bombers become an important part of
terrorism? Asking should? Should the torture of
terrorists be allowed by the American government
in order to gain information
How to write a thesis statement.
15
Contemporary research shows television violence
devalues the importance of developing healthy
relationship.
Violence on television desensitizes children and
is making violent acts more acceptable in our
culture.
What are the effects of television violence?