Formulating a thesis statement Monday, November 7, 2016

Objective Develop a clear thesis statement for your argument essay.

Thesis statements Sometimes called a claim statement, a thesis statement presents the main idea of an essay as well as its supporting ideas (sometimes called a blueprint). Main idea: Your position on your topic Supporting ideas: The reasons for your position

For example: Main idea: The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs. Supporting ideas: Predators restore ecosystem balance. Predators maintain healthy game herds. Predators support biodiversity.

Thesis Statement Example The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs. Predators not only restore ecosystems and support biodiversity, but they also maintain healthy game herds. The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs because predators restore ecosystems, support biodiversity and maintain healthy game herds. Because predators restore ecosystems, support biodiversity and maintain health game herds, the federal government should direct more resources toward reintroduction programs.

Thesis Statement Example The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs. Predators not only restore ecosystems and support biodiversity, but they also maintain healthy game herds. The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs because predators restore ecosystems, support biodiversity and maintain healthy game herds. Because of their role in restoring ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and maintaining healthy game herds, predators are a vital part of nature. Therefore, the federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs.

Thesis Statements Tips: Use parallel structure! Put your supporting ideas in the order in which they will appear in your essay! Order your supporting ideas in a logical way. How do they relate to one another? Will one naturally lead into another?

Thesis Statements When writing your essay, your goal is to use your supporting ideas to prove your main idea, so keep your eye on the ball! For example, if I am writing the paper with this thesis statement: The federal government should direct more resources toward predator reintroduction programs because predators restore ecosystems, support biodiversity and maintain healthy game herds. I need to prove NOT ONLY that predators restore ecosystems, but that this justifies federal funding.

Thesis Statements In order to accomplish this: In your outline, include a “connection to your thesis” section. Predators help restore balance to ecosystems. Predators keep prey populations in check Elk and deer breed quickly and large populations can be devastating to the environment. Wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone Healthy ecosystems are valuable. Inherent value of nature Economic value added to National Parks Economic value of increased vegetation Value of healthy ecosystems justifies federal funding Preserves nature for future generations Adds value to National Parks, which are funded by federal government

Writing your thesis… Develop your main idea Choose your supporting ideas. Focus on 3 – 4 Choose the strongest supporting ideas Put them together into a clear 1 – 2 sentence thesis statement. Parallel structure In the order you will address them