What is a Thesis Statement?
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
What is a Thesis Statement?
• Almost all of us, even if we
don’t do it consciously,
look early in a paper,
project, exhibit,
documentary, or web-site
for a one-or two-sentence
condensation (meaning to
compress or concentrate)
of the argument or
analysis of the topic.
• We refer to that
condensation as a thesis
statement.
Why Should Your Project Contain a
Thesis Statement?
• to test your ideas by
distilling (reducing)
them into a sentence
or two
• to better organize and
develop your
argument
• to provide your
“reader” with a guide
to your argument
Your thesis statement will accomplish these goals if you think of the thesis
as the answer to the questions your project explores.
Four attributes of a good thesis
statement
• takes on a subject that
reasonable people could
disagree with
• deals with a subject that
can be sufficiently treated
given the nature of the
assignment
• expresses one main idea
• declares your conclusions
about the subject
It is the GLUE!
• A thesis statement is a
central thought that holds
your entire National
History day (NHD) project
together. In the
beginning, we like to call
this a working thesis,
because as you gather
your research, this
thought can evolve. By
the time you present your
NHD project, however,
you should have a
concrete thesis that is
supported by evidence.
Thesis = Topic + Theme + Impact.
Your thesis does not just introduce
your topic. You are creating an
argument that expresses your
topic’s significance and
demonstrates how the theme
plays a central part in your topic’s
impact.
A thesis paragraph BUILDS on
topic
+
person/ +
setting
theme
+
actions/
+
motivation/
personality traits
impact
=
legacy/
=
so what factor?/
your conclusions
thesis para
thesis para
Develop a Thesis Statement
• Develop your own argument of the
historical impact of the person, event,
pattern or idea you are studying.
• A thesis statement is not the same as a
topic.
• Explains what you believe to be the impact
and significance of your topic in history.
Develop Thesis Statement
• Topic: Battle of Gettysburg
Thesis Statement: The battle of
Gettysburg was a major turning point of
the Civil War. It turned the tide of the war
from the South to the North, pushing back
Lee's army that would never fight again on
Northern soil and bringing confidence to
the Union army.
Asking the right question!
All assignments can be reduce to a simple question. The first step is to
reduce the theme to that simple question.
.
Innovation in History: Impact & Change
What about the topic is new and different, and
is also the result of human ideas or actions?
http://www.chrisledoux.com/bio3.htm
Getting Started
Your first two sentences
should give . . .
• the occasion
– your individual
– the time and/or place your
individual lived in
• your position
– The actions your individual
did that lead to their legacy
– Your individual’s legacy
George Washington
played an important
part in the
Revolutionary War by
organizing and
gathering military and
civilian intelligence
thus allowing America
to win the war.
The Occasion
• Who am I writing about?
• What is their time and/or
place in history?
• George WashingtonRevolutionary War
spymaster
• Anne Frank-immortalizes the
Holocaust experience
• Chris Ledoux–a modern day
American hero–a life well
lived
• Theodore Geisel-20th century
American artist
• Osama Bin Laden and Al
Qaeda-global terrorism to go
The Position
• What
actions/personality
traits/motivations
lead to your
individual’s legacy?
• The “So What
Factor”? So why is
this person
important? These
are your conclusions
about this person’s
impact.
Sample Thesis Statements
Do’s
Don’ts
Martin Luther disagreed with aspects of Roman Catholic religious
practices, especially the sale of indulgences, religious corruption,
and the emphasis on salvation through good works. He took action
by posting and distributing his 95 theses and left a lasting legacy by
sparking a religious movement, creating a new sect of faith, and later
bringing reform to the Roman Catholic Church.
Martin Luther was born in
1483. He started the
Reformation.
Oskar Schindler disagreed with the persecution of the Jews and took
action against the Nazi party by hiding 1,300 people in his munitions
factory, risking his own life and spending his fortune in the effort,
while sparing his workers from certain death.
I am going to tell you about
Oskar Schindler.
In protest over political and social discrimination, thousands of
American Indians refused to compromise with government officials
and reclaimed Alcatraz Island in 1969 as Indian land. Though many
of the group’s aims were not met, their actions succeeded in
spreading awareness and sparking the modern American Indian
Movement, a legacy that inspires pride and action still today.
Indians fought over Alcatraz
Island. Why do you think they
would do that?
Sample Thesis Statements
Do’s
Don’ts
Susan B. Anthony fought for women’s right to vote. Through social
action and her writings, Anthony inspired thousands of women to
fight for suffrage, which eventually resulted in the passage of the
19th amendment in 1917 which gave women the right to vote.
I think Susan B. Anthony did
good things.
Jackie Robinson played baseball at a time when teams were
segregated, black from white. With the assistance of team
manager Branch Rickey, Robinson took action, desegregating
Major League Baseball as the first black ball player with the
Brooklyn Dodgers. He left a legacy opening professional sports to
African American athletes.
Jackie Robinson was a really
important black baseball
Following the “Great War,” Adolph Hitler blamed Germany’s
economic and militaristic downfalls on the Jewish people. Through
the use of established anti-Semitism, Hitler orchestrated the mass
extermination of Jews and other “non-desirables,” killing more than
twelve million people and reshaping the social and cultural
landscape of many European nations.
Adolph Hitler killed a lot of
Jews.
player
.
Brainstorming the Topic
Create a web, bullet list, or outline with the following . . .
• Innovation
• Setting – When/Where/Why (only those that lead to the innovation)
• How did it change peoples’ ideas, scientific knowledge,
everyday behavior, political process, etc. (only those that lead to
the innovation)
• What was the long term change caused by this
innovation?
• In what ways is the innovation new?
• Legacy – What difference in history came about
because of this innovation?
• Personal conclusions- Why is this a significant
innovation?
Subdivide topics by a system of
numbers and letters, followed by
a period.
Example:
I.
A.
B.
1.
2.
a.
b.
II.
A.
B.
Getting Ready to Edit
• Create a new word file for your thesis paragraph
and brainstorm/ web/ outline/ flowchart
• Put a header with your name, period, NHD
thesis paragraph and web on this document
• Save file under your name, NHD thesis
paragraph-web in both your folder and my in-box
• Write a one or two sentence thesis statement
• Evaluate you thesis statement against the
following checklist—is it strong or weak?
Weak or Strong?
1. A strong thesis statement takes some sort of stand. What is your thesis
statement’s stand?
2. A strong thesis statement justifies—gives good reason for—discussion. Will
others want to discuss what you’ve said?
3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. Do you only have one
main idea?
4. A strong thesis statement is specific—detailed with examples, quotes, and
details. Do you have evidence to support your stand that is clear and
detailed?
Strong
Weak
Because 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 customers
There are some negative and positive aspects to the
Banana Herb Tea Supplement.
While most American families would view marriage of
those related by blood as a threat to the nuclear family
structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that
these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended
family.
My family is an extended family.
Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing
potential, companies should exploit this potential by using
Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support.
Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the
Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and
customer support.
Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce
and farming in the infertile soil is rarely
World hunger has many causes and effects
So how do I write my thesis paragraph?
You may want to follow this formula for writing your thesis
paragraph . . .
1.
2.
3.
4.
2 sentences are your Thesis statement.
Remember topic + theme + impact =
thesis statement
4 sentences that include how people
react initially (within a few years), and
over the long term (in later years), to the
new idea, arrangement, organization or
technology
1 sentence that explains how it changed
people’s ideas, scientific knowledge,
everyday behavior, etc.
1 sentence that has your conclusion—
why you think the event/topic is
important.