THE THESIS STATEMENT You probably know a lot

THE THESIS STATEMENT You probably know a lot of this but here we are to review because its ~research paper~ season

AN EFFECTIVE THESIS… Clearly expresses your paper’s purpose and main idea. Is ARGUABLE and clearly worded

BEFORE WRITING YOUR THESIS… Think about how you feel about your topic. Start by asking questions. If you get stumped, ask your neighbor (or meeee) what he/she wants to know about your topic…

OMG WHAT QUESTIONS DO I EVEN ASK I’M IN DESPAIR RESEARCH PAPERS ARE THE WORST 1. Take inventory What do I already know about my topic? What is my experience with it? 2. Ask Questions Define: what is it? Compare: to what is thing similar? What is it different from? Circumstance: under what conditions does thing exist? 3. Look for relationships Examine the interaction between your argument and its opposition

ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS This may require some research. For now, answer what you can (maybe make some predictions)

Step 1: Topic = Teaching Huckleberry Finn in Public Schools Step 1: Questions What do students learn from reading HF? AN EXAMPLE: How many times is the “N” word used? What are themes of HF? Are they still applicable to students today? What are Mark Twain’s views on racism and slavery?

Step 2: Answer my questions (I did this in my head, promise) AN EXAMPLE: Step 3: Write my “working” thesis Despite the use of the controversial “N” word, Huck Finn teaches timeless themes such as race, slavery, morality, and ethics, that remain valuable to modern teenagers; therefore, Huck Finn should remain a part of every high school English curriculum.

The most important thing to ask yourself after writing your thesis: Could someone disagree? Look at my example: WOULD SOMEONE DISAGREE? Despite the use of the controversial “N” word, Huck Finn teaches timeless themes such as race, slavery, morality, and ethics, that remain valuable to modern teenagers; therefore, Huck Finn should remain a part of every high school English curriculum. Could someone disagree?

KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS YOUR WORKING THESIS. It SHOULD change and evolve with your paper. As you research and narrow your topic, your thesis should change to fit the focus of your paper.

DON’T FORGET… The thesis must control the entire argument. Your thesis determines what you are required to say in a paper. Every paragraph in your paper exists in order to support your thesis. Accordingly, if one of your paragraphs seems irrelevant to your thesis you have two choices: get rid of the paragraph, or rewrite your thesis.