Writing a Thesis Statement

Triumph & Tragedy in History 2019 Theme: Triumph & Tragedy in History

Connecting to the theme Triumph A victory or conquest by or as if by military force, or a notable success. Tragedy A disastrous event.

The Thesis Statement: A Road Map to Your Project

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement An NHD thesis statement should: Do more than report the facts. Make an argument. Back up the argument with facts. Be the central component that a project rotates around.

Developing a Strong Thesis Statement A good thesis statement should also... Connect to the theme. Make a claim about historical significance. Present a focused, narrow topic.

Narrowing a Topic

NARROWING A TOPIC: Research Plan Develop a research plan: Know how you want to track research. Think of some specific questions before you start your research. Identify resources other than the internet to utilize.

NARROWING A TOPIC: Topic Funnel Theme Your Interests Broad Topic Narrow Topic Thesis Start with the theme and general interest areas. The theme is purposefully left broad so that you can choose from a variety of interest areas. History Day topics are pretty small. You don’t have enough room for a broad topic. Pick a specific, pivotal incident and focus your research efforts on that. Secondary sources are a good starting point. Once you have gathered enough information, you can start putting together a preliminary thesis statement.

WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT: Components The NHD thesis statement should incorporate three main components: Address the five W’s. Who, What, Where, When, Why Connect to the theme Use the theme words in your thesis and connect throughout the project. Historical Impact (So What?) Make a research-based claim about why this topic is important in history.

Thesis Statement Example: Topic Death of over 10,000 Union POWs at Andersonville Prison Who: Union Prisoners of War What: Over 10,000 Union POWs died in the Confederate Andersonville Prison during the Civil War. Where: Andersonville, Georgia When: 1864-1865 Why: Disease, overcrowding, and malnutrition So what?: The war crimes that occurred at Andersonville Prison demonstrate the tragic events that occur in pursuit of triumph during war.

Thesis Statement Example who when what During 1864-1865, over 10,000 Union POWs died in the Confederate Andersonville Prison in Georgia due to disease, overcrowding, and malnutrition. Although the Union ultimately triumphed over the Confederacy during the Civil War and liberated Andersonville Prison in 1865, the deaths at the prison demonstrate the tragic events that occur in the pursuit of victory. why where theme So what?

Incorporating the Thesis

Incorporating the thesis: maintaining A connection Papers Tie each paragraph to your thesis. Edit the thesis statements a few times and revisit material that may no longer be relevant. Websites Thesis statements should be identified on the home page. A lot of information can be included in websites. Stay on topic by including an element of the thesis on each page. Exhibits It’s tempting to use a lot of images to fill up space. Choose images that help them make your point. Each image should have a reason for being there. Exhibit boards should be organized so the thesis is easy to spot, the font is large enough to read, and the argument has a natural flow.

Incorporating the thesis: maintaining A connection Performances Performances should start with a thesis statement created through the same process as any other category. Use your thesis to guide the arc of the performance. The thesis should be stated near the beginning of the performance, and again as part of the conclusion. Documentaries Make an effort to separate out your thesis from the rest of the narration. You can do this by incorporating subtitles, shifting the music, or any other way you want. The thesis can be included in the conclusion as well.

Resources NoodleTools Websites & Databases noodletools.com/partners/nhd Complementary subscription for NHD teachers and students Teacher feedback Note-taking and outlining Create accurate annotated bibliography Source evaluation Group collaboration Websites & Databases OhioLink National Archives INFOhio Ohio History Connection Ohio Memory National History Day student resources Library of Congress C-SPAN Classroom

Brianna Treleven, Region 4 Local History Corps Rep Dr. David Simonelli, Region 4 Coordinator Department of History, DeBartolo Hall, Room 533 Youngstown State University dsimonelli@ysu.edu 330-941-1601 Brianna Treleven, Region 4 Local History Corps Rep Department of History, DeBartolo Hall, Room 529 Youngstown State University bltreleven.americorps@gmail.com 330-941-3459