Make Your Case An Introduction to Thesis, Claims, and Evidence Chicago Metro History Education Center Special thanks to National History Day for the use of material from “A Guide to Historical Research through the National History Day program.” This presentation is made possible by National History Day, Inc., and the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. The contents of these educational resources were developed under a grant from the Department of Education, with additional support provided by the Fry Foundation. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education or the Fry Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

Bell Ringer What does a History Fair student have in common with an attorney in a courtroom?

Your thesis statement tells the reader or viewer in 1-2 sentences what your project will attempt to prove or analyze.

How do I write a Thesis Statement? 1. Start with a Research Question. What do you want to find out about? Some examples are below. Notice how each question would take some research to answer. Why was Thomas Jefferson opposed to slavery? What happened to the Juvenile Court system to bring it to the crisis point? 2. Research enough to be able to take a stand. Add your opinion about the topic. What is the issue or concern? Make sure it’s arguable. Even though Thomas Jefferson had slaves, he showed that he valued every human being in his words and actions. The Juvenile Court system was established to remove children from the adult criminal justice system and help youth reform, but over the years it became a source of punishment and imprisonment.

A good thesis statement: Takes a stand by making a point which will be proven by evidence Has a narrow and specific focus Expresses one main idea Tells the viewer why the subject is historically significant, and often suggests change over time Is presented as a statement, not a topic or question Is historical, not a statement about current events

Individually: Read thesis do’s and don’ts sheet

Let ’ s help this student from Milwaukee strengthen their thesis statement.* What ’ s wrong with this thesis statement? Immigration to Milwaukee *Taken from A Guide to Historical Research through the National History Day Program

How did Lizzie Black Kander make a difference to Milwaukee’s Jewish immigrant community?

Lizzie Black Kander and Jewish Immigration to Milwaukee from

Lizzie Black Kander used her cooking classes and The Settlement Cookbook to teach Milwaukee ’ s Jewish immigrants about American culture.

Through her cooking classes and The Settlement Cookbook, Lizzie Black Kander introduced Milwaukee ’ s Jewish immigrants to American culture, which helped them assimilate and learn how to avoid ethnic discrimination.

Judge these thesis statements! Does it… Take a stand? Is the topic narrow? Is the thesis clear and specific? Can the assertion be backed up by evidence? Does it express one main idea? Does it tell the viewer why the subject is historically significant? Does it answer the “ So what? ” question or show change over time? Is it presented as a statement, not a topic or question? Is it historical?

Check these theses. Are they strong? Why or why not? Rewrite 2 of the weak thesis. 1) Pesticides kill thousands of farmworkers and must be stopped. 2) How did The Jungle make an impact on the foods we eat? 3) Artists of Chicago: ) Before Title IX, there were few female basketball players 1) After the 1919 riot the means of enforcing segregation became more accepted, more formal, often more violent, and completely legal.

If you were creating the Lizzie Black Kander project, what types of primary and secondary sources would you seek out in order to develop and support your thesis? What’s your evidence?

PRIMARY SECONDARY Photographs Map Census Letters Interviews or Oral Histories, Memoirs Newspapers Cookbooks “Rights” organizations or protective associations Encyclopedias of… Books and articles about settlements, immigration, Milwaukee, Jewish community, food and cooking, assimilation Biography Interview with expert