Persuasive Thesis Statements

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Persuasive Thesis Statements

• Sands
• English II

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What is it?

• A thesis statement is a clear statement of your
  position.
• It is the claim you will make and support with
  evidence throughout your essay
• Every paragraph in the paper should relate
  directly back to the thesis

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The Working Thesis

• As you read and revise your paper, you can expect
  to change your thesis sometimes you dont
  discover what you really want to say about a
  topic until youve started (or finished) writing!
• We will create an initial thesis today

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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement

• It takes a stand
• It is the main idea, not the title
• It is narrow, not broad
• It is specific, rather than general
• It is debatable

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Which of these statements is a thesis, and which
is simply an observation?

• Hip Hop music is popular among young people
  today.
• Though many people think hip-hop is offensive,
  this type of music offers urban youth a powerful
  outlet for expressing the challenges and dreams
  of growing up in inner city America, and is as
  legitimate an art form as jazz, and rock and
  roll.

Fact/observation
Thesis
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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement
(continued)

• A thesis statement takes a stand rather than
  simply announcing a subject or giving both sides

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Of these statements, which is the thesis, which
does not take a stand, and which is simply an
announcement?
Announcement

• The thesis of this paper is curfews for
  teenagers.
• There are positive and negative aspects of
  curfews for teenagers.
• It is not the right of a city government to place
  curfews on teenagers it should be the sole
  responsibility of parents.

No Stand
Thesis
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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement
(continued)

• A thesis is the main idea, not the title. It must
  be a complete sentence or sentences that explain
  in some detail what you will be discussing in the
  essay

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Which of these statements is a thesis, and which
is simply a title?
Title

• Bullying Is Bad.
• The issue of middle school students bullying each
  other has lasting, negative ramifications for
  both the bully and the victim, and it is the
  school officials responsibility to ensure that
  it does not happen.

Thesis
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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement
(continued)

• A thesis statement is narrow rather than broad.
• If the thesis statement is sufficiently narrow,
  it can be fully supported.

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Which of these statements is too broad?
BROAD

• Violent video games cause many problems.
• Because of their realism, todays video games
  increase the likelihood that teenagers who play
  them will handle real life situations with
  violence.

NARROW
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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement
(continued)

• A thesis statement is specific rather than vague
  or general.

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Which of these statements is too vague?

• Smoking cigarettes is unhealthy for teenagers.
• The tobacco industry purposefully targets
  teenagers in its advertising campaigns, because
  it knows once they get hooked on this deadly
  habit they are hooked for life and, in many
  cases, death.

VAGUE
SPECIFIC
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Characteristics of a strong thesis statement
(continued)

• The claim must be a statement that people could
  possibly disagree with, because the goal of your
  paper is to convince your audience that your
  claim is true based on your presentation of your
  reasons and evidence.

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Which of these statements is debatable (arguable)?
NON-DEBATABLE

• Pollution is bad for the environment.
• At least 25 of the federal budget should be
  spent on limiting pollution.

DEBATABLE
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Guidelines for a persuasive thesis statement

• A persuasive thesis statement shares all of the
  general characteristics weve gone over already,
  but it has some of its own special
  characteristics too.

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Steps to writing your persuasive thesis statement

• Know your opinion on the issue and state it
  clearly.
• Give at least 3 reasons for your belief that will
  be addressed in the body of your essay.
• You may choose to list a single counterargument
  that you plan to address.
• Remember to clearly state your point of view.
  Dont be wishy-washy!!

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Introduction Paragraph

• The introduction has a hook or grabber to
  catch
• the readers attention. Some grabbers
• include opening your paper with a/an
• 1. Unusual Detail
• Manitoba, because of its cold climate, is not
  thought of as a great place to be a reptile.
  Actually, it has the largest seasonal
  congregation of garter snakes in the world!
• 2. Strong Statement
• Cigarettes are the number one cause of lighter
  sales in

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Introduction Cont

• 3. Quotation
• Elbert Hubbard once said, Truth is stronger than
  fiction.
• 4. Anecdote (story)
• An anecdote can provide an amusing and
  attention-getting opening if it is short and to
  the point.
• 5. Statistic or Fact
• Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis
  or interest to your topic. It may be wise to
  include the items authoritative source.
• 6. Question
• Have you ever considered how many books we would
  read if it were not for television?
• 7. Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement
• The whole world watched as the comet flew
  overhead.

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Persuasive Essay Outline

• Introduction (end with Thesis)
• Body Paragraph I Topic Sentence Support/Facts
  Commentary Sentences Repeat
• Body Paragraph II see above
• Body Paragraph III see above
• Counter Argument State the other side of the
  argument Counter that position with
  facts/research
• Conclusion Paragraph (restate thesis)