Writing an Academic Essay High School Level Thesis

Writing an Academic Essay

High School Level Thesis Statement

What is it? � Statement of an argument that you intend to prove � The first thing I will read � The Engine that will drive your entire paper

Thesis � Last sentence of your first paragraph � Complete � Clear � Strong � Easy to Find

It Should… � Be contestable � Be specific and focused � Clearly assert your conclusion � Provide reader with a map � Avoid the first person � Avoid vague language � Should pass the “so what test”

Bad � There are many positive and negative aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

Good � Because the Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to consumers.

Step One � Brainstorm a rough sketch of your chosen character. Describe: ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ personality appearance preferences tendencies beliefs values actions

Step 2 � Consider if any of the character traits you brainstormed are tragic flaws, character traits that lead to a character's downfall. � Think about how the character's traits affect her relationships with others. � Precisely describe the various relationships the character has with others in the story. � Decide what motives contribute to the character's behavior.

Step 3 � Assess the character's role or function in the story, based on the evidence you have gathered so far. The answer to this question is your thesis. � Your thesis should answer the question "Why? " or "To what effect? " in an attempt to reveal something about the significance of the character

Step 4 � Formulate your thesis in one sentence. State your observations and then give your reasoning. ◦ Example: Sponge Bob is niave, often to the point of his own detriment, as is illustrated by his relationship with Squidworth, his tendency to be stung by jellyfish, and his inability to see fault in others.

Three Main Points

Can you prove it? � Brother Leon is Cruel because… � Goldie Locks is curious because… � The Big Bad Wolf is manipulative because… � Spiderman is heroic because…

Hooks

Why? � Hooks your reader and reels him in ◦ “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. ” Austin, Pride and Prejudice ◦ “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. ” Salinger, Catcher in the Rye ◦ “It was the day my grandmother exploded. ” Banks, The Crow Road

Types � Quote ◦ “To be or not to be? That is the question. ” A question William Shakespeare’s Hamlet pondered in 1603 and one that Mr. Toad is faced with in 1908. � Question (The ONLY place for “you”) ◦ How would you feel if on your twelth birthday, your world was flipped completely upside down? That is exactly what happened to Harry Potter when a giant knocked down his front door.

Types � Anecdote (ONLY place for “I”) ◦ My uncle Dave recently hiked 400 miles across Spain on a trail called the Camino de Santiago. During his trek, he discovered new foods, shared his campfire with pilgrims from across the globe, and learned just how small a world it is after all. Inspired by his journey, I dove into Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and learned that Uncle Dave’s experience is not so unfamiliar.

Types � SHOCKING statistic ◦ In a recent article put out by US News, it is estimated that upwards of 10% of high school males suffer from moderate to severe depression (Mc. Mullen). This is certainly the case for “Charlie” in Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Answer These Questions �When I was thinking about this, I couldn't believe that______. �It was amazing to me that ____. �Imagine what it's like to_______. �The image I can't get out of my head is ______.

BRIEF Summary

A Brief Summary � Gives only the MOST important information � Assumes that your reader is familiar with the text, but doesn’t know it well � Avoids pronouns ◦ He, me, she, it, they, us, them

Three Little Pigs � “The Three Little Pigs” by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps is the story of three brother pigs who are setting off on their own for the first time. Each constructs a house from different materials (straw, sticks, and bricks), but only one will stand up to Big Bad Wolf; an antagonist who is hungry for pork chops.

Napoleon Hill once wrote “The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail” (Brainy. Quote). Green Eggs and Ham author Dr. Seuss must have taken this heart as he created the now infamous character of Sam I Am, who goes to great lengths to convince his friend to eat the strange food from which the book gets its title. Sam I Am comes up with a variety of plans, whether it be enlisting a mouse in a house or a driving his car onto a train, to accomplish his goal. Sam I am is a persuasive character because he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to eat the green eggs and ham.

Body Paragraphs � Each MUST have a quote � Each MUST support one of your main ideas from your thesis � Each MUST prove your character trait

Topic Sentence � The unifying, main idea of a paragraph. � The first sentence in a paragraph or the sentence following a brief introduction. � Answers the question, “What am I trying to prove in this paragraph? ” � If someone were to read only thesis statement and the topic sentences in your essay, they should be able to identify the main idea of the essay and both the organization of the essay and its underlying argument.

Topic Sentences Just because most kids who are musically inclined seem to get good grades doesn’t make them geeks. � Most US universities require a 550 point TOEFL score for a number of reasons. � Animals in danger of becoming extinct come from a wide range of countries. �

What is a Transition? � Bring out the logical relation between ideas � Words like ‘however’, ‘so’, ‘additionally’ do indicate a logical relation between paragraphs, but they are weak. � A strong transition makes the relation explicit. � Helps your ideas flow together � Keeps your paper from being “jumpy” or “choppy”

What does it look like? � In spite of the boom in women’s sports, a backlash is brewing against Title IX.

My Thesis Sam I am is a persuasive character because he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to eat the green eggs and ham.

Body Paragraph Throughout the book, Sam I Am never gives up on his goal of getting his friend to eat something he adamantly does not want to. As soon as one course of action fails, Sam immediately comes up with another. After his friend refuses to eat green eggs and ham in a house with a mouse, Sam suggests, “would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox? ” (Seuss 15). Again, his grumpy friend refuses. Sam, always quick on his feet suggests yet another course of action, bound and determined to see his goal met. After introducing ten different plans, the two characters, a mouse, a fox, a goat, and various other characters wind up crashing into a lake. Submerged in water but still as cheerful as ever, Sam makes one last attempt.

Conclusion

Your Conclusion � Should answer the question “so what? ” � Synthesize, don’t summarize ◦ I have already read it ◦ Prove how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together � Don’t introduce new information

Echo Introduction � Finish the narrative from the introduction ◦ Dave returned home to Kansas City, Missouri with a broader perspective of the world around him.

Challenge the Reader � Help redirect the information from your paper to apply it to their own lives ◦ Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges Americans to be interested and responsible citizens.

Looking to the Future � emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers' thought process � may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally. ◦ Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.

Pose a Question � either to your readers or in general � may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic � which they may not have held before reading your conclusion � may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning

Post a Question � Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?

Strategies 1. Rewrite each main point into sentence form 1. One sentence for each summing up its significance as discussed in your paper 2. “Because Sam I Am is unrelenting in his pursuit of his friend, he creates a situation that his friend probably feels there is no escape from. He eventually concedes and tries the repulsive food.

Strategies 1. Rewrite thesis as if drawing a conclusion 1. Therefore, Sam’s refusal to give up on his goal, his unyielding determination to follow his friend, and his eventual success make him a very persistent character. ** Original Thesis: Sam I am is a persuasive character because he never gives up on his goal and he does not leave his friend alone until it eventually pays off and he convinces his friend to eat the green eggs and ham.

Strategies � Do not introduce new ideas in the conclusion. The essay is over--this is the end. It will be very confusing for the reader if you begin discussing something new.

Strategies � Concluding sentence should answer the question “Why should I care? ” ◦ Put it in perspective for your reader � “Dr. Seuss’ Sam I Am is a children’s character who shows his readers that persistence pays off when a challenging goal is at hand. ”

Title

� Humorous/Witty title plus a subtitle that explains exactly what the paper is about To Eat or Not To Eat The Persuasive Nature of Sam I Am Lost Boys Perpetual Childhood in Peter Pan

� Use a quote! “You Can Be My Hero Baby” The Heroism of Horton “What You Must Understand About Me” Depression in The Professor’s House

Must Tie To Thesis!!!

Stating the Obvious �I came to the conclusion � I researched � I think ◦ I KNOW!! � These cults are both similar and different