The goal of topic development is the rough thesis statement.

Topic: Death Penalty Research Question: Should the death penalty be outlawed? Rough thesis: The death penalty should be outlawed.

Refined thesis: The death penalty discriminates against race.

 Select two or three topics  Find introductory info on topic  Create questions based on reading  Develop a rough thesis

websites YouTube news articles movies lyrics lectures books

Read & Think

Cluster it Classify it Question it

high school students eating disorders academic achievement sexual orientation dating issues athletics

high school athletics drug use recruitment hazing academic achievement gender issues

Research Question: Who uses drugs the most: athletes or non-athletes? Rough thesis: High school athletes consume more drugs than non-athletes. Refined thesis: High school athletes are less likely to use drugs than students who do not participate in sports.

Crime

 Place: California  Time period: 19 th century  Person/group: Native Americans  Event/aspect: gold rush era  Issue: how did the gold seekers affect Native Americans?

Rough thesis: Violence among the California gold seekers had a negative impact on Native Americans.

 Topic: Interpersonal Dating  Place:  Time:  Person/Group:  Event/Aspect:  Issue:

Cluster Classify Question

 Begin with REPORTER-TYPE questions: Who? What? Where? Why? How?

Topic: Internet Place: U.S. Time: present Group: investors Aspect: online fraud

 Who are the victims of internet fraud? Who tempts them?  Why do investors become victims of online scams?  How do these scams work? How do investors avoid them?

Iraq War

 Select one or two topics  Find introductory info on topic  Create questions based on reading  Develop a thesis

A thesis contains two parts: topic opinion assertion conclusion defense attitude

 Gun control reduces the crime rate.

 Topic  gun control  Assertion  reduces the crime rate.

 Picasso is one of the most influential artists of the 20th  century.

Topic Picasso Conclusion is one of the most influential artists of the 20 th century.

Two basic types: 1. Argumentative 2. Informative

Gun control reduces the crime rate. Picasso is one of the most influential artists of the 20 th century.

During the 1960s, feminism was an important movement. Feminism has been beneficial to women.

The mass extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by a huge asteroid colliding with the earth. There are three major theories as to why dinosaurs became extinct.

 A terminally ill patient has the right to refuse medical treatment.

 TV violence does not cause  kids to act aggressively.

In most fairy tales, the monster is shown as a hideous creature with magical powers that must be destroyed.

A thesis contains two parts: topic opinion assertion conclusion defense attitude

 A thesis is not a statement of fact.  There are approximately 8,000 policemen working in New York City.

A thesis is not a promise or statement of purpose. The purpose of this paper is to show how the U.S. economy works.

 A thesis is not a a question. Should adult pornography be censored?

 a statement of fact  a promise or statement of purpose.  a question.

 Suicide is a serious problem.  There are too many plane collisions.  Blue is a better color than red.

Rough thesis: Global warming damages the earth. Refined thesis: Many scientists say the use of fossil fuels contributes to global warming and could ultimately threaten the planet's future.

Rough thesis: People should have their right to privacy. Refined thesis: Individuals need to guard their right to right privacy as computers make information gathering and retrieval increasingly easy.

Rough thesis: Stories about suicide cause people to commit suicide. Refined thesis: Televised news stories about suicide trigger a significant rise in teen suicides.