English Final quizlet
Poor thesis statement
The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.
Best thesis statement
While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.
good thesis statement
While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.
What is a thesis statement?
a miniature outline, a roadmap for the paper
a strong thesis statement...
answers the question, takes a disputable position, passes the "so what" test, doesn't wander
level 3 questions
apply to bigger world, provoke thinking and feeling
outline tips
begin early, refer to it often, be specific
how to write a draft
begin to write chunks of text, refer to thesis, integrate sources, move point to point
what is important for choosing your topic?
breadth, originality, sources
a thesis statement...
directly answers the question asked
how to narrow your topic
focus on specific: text, place, time period, aspect, population, or relationship between two
thesis formula
focused topic + assertion = thesis
benefits of an outline
helps organize ideas, stay on topic, aids writing process
level 2 questions
how/why, analyze/interpret an issue
level 2 questions may require
inference
brainstorming strategies
list, map, freewrite
a thesis statement must...
make a claim others might dispute
a typical thesis statement:
mentions each main point and states overall argument
level 2 questions may have
more than one answer
level 3 questions have
no right or wrong answers
the writing process consists of
outline, draft, revise, edit
topic selection
previous knowledge, course content, personal interests
research paper writing process
prewriting, writing, post-writing
how to survey a source
read abstracts/headings/subheadings, make note of charts/graphs, read references, read introduction/summary paragraphs, skim body
Revision Checklist
read assignment sheet, underline thesis, read aloud, label paragraph topics, revise main ideas, revise details, check for cohesion, format, and grammar/spelling
3 levels of questions
recall, analyze, synthesis
outline creation process
research, brainstorm, organize, order, label
sources of help
teachers, librarians, sunrise/sunset sessions, communication
Where is a thesis statement located?
the last sentence of the introductory paragraph
narrowing topic tips
use journalistic questions, review recent literature, recall questions from class, apply paper to career
level 3 questions deal with
values and opinions
level 1 example
what do reptiles need to survive?
level 3 question example
what makes a great film?
level 1 questions
who/what/where, fact that can be simply recorded
level 2 example
why is it important to recycle?