Definition: a statement that is put forward as the basis of something to be proved What is a Thesis Statement?

It is not the first thing you do It is the development of an argument 1.collect & organize evidence 2.look for possible relationships between known facts 3.think about the significance of these relationships Where Do I Start?

How Do I Know If My Thesis Statement Is Strong? Your thesis statement is an answer to a question Do I answer the question? Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Is my thesis statement specific enough? Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test?

A good thesis statement will include: 1.A position on a subject which reasonable people could disagree 2.Deal with a subject that can be adequately covered given the nature of the assignment 3.Express one main idea 4.Assert your conclusions about a subject

The Process

Start With A Topic Let’s say you start out with a topic like this: sugar consumption This fragment is not a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.

Narrow The Topic Your research has led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy. You alter your topic to look like this: Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children

Why Is That Better? This narrowed topic: announces your subject focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree (note that this fragment is not a thesis statement yet because your reader doesn’t know your position on the topic)

Take A Position After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar that elementary school children consume. So you revise your topic to look like this: More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.

Take A Position After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar that elementary school children consume. So you revise your topic to look like this: More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children. Now you have the beginnings of a good thesis statement

Take A Position The statement asserts your position, but the terms ”more attention” and ”food and beverage choices” are vague.

Use specific Language So you explain what you mean about ”food and beverage choices”: Experts estimate that half of elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar. (This statement is specific, but it isn’t a thesis. It merely reports a statistic without making an assertion)

Bring It Home! Finally, put all the pieces together. You revise your thesis statement to look like this: Due to the fact that half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Bring It Home! Finally, you revise your thesis statement to look like this: Because half of all American elementary school children consume nine times the recommended daily allowance of sugar, schools should be required to replace the beverages in soda machines with healthy alternatives.

Summary Start with a topic Narrow the topic Take a position Use specific language Bring it home!

Visual Breakdown of the Research Project Task Source Quote TOPIC THESIS STATEMENT