1. Let’s Write Theses
Almost all of us—even if we don’t do it consciously—look early in an essay for a one- or two-sentence condensation of the argument or analysis that is to follow. We refer to that condensation as a thesis statement.

2. Why a Thesis
Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question.
Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?”
A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .” OR
A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”

3. What does a Thesis Do?
tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject.
is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself: The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
Makes a claim that others might dispute.
is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader.

4. Thesis # 1
World – Pg 19 – “Villages Grow”
U.S. – Pg 580
A system of social classes was an inevitable part of society.
After Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, WWI was inevitable.

5. Short Answer Quiz # 1 World – Pg 19 U.S. – Pg 580
Sickles and Plows made ____ easier.
Social relationships became more complicated as the ______ of villages increased.
In order to produce more crops people built ______ to water the land.
The ____ allowed people to move goods over long distances.
In the old stone age the type of religion of most people was _____.
______ Was known as the “Powder Keg of Europe.”
____ Wanted Access to the Mediterranean sea.
The Serbian Assassin was a member of a group called _______.
This country declared war on Serbia for killing the archduke.
Britain declared war on both _________ and ___________.

6. When to use a Thesis
If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you need to convey that position in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft.
The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one.
When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it.

7. Thesis # 2 Ancient Egypt was an ideal place to begin a civilization.
World – Pg “Geography of Egypt”
U.S. – Pg 626 – 627 “Scandal hits”
Ancient Egypt was an ideal place to begin a civilization.
In the 1920’s the Republican Party’s biggest problems came from its own members.

8. Short Answer Quiz # 2 World – Pg 35 -36 U.S. – Pg 627
T/F ancient Egypt was divided politically.
The Nile flows this direction _______.
The Nile floods every year in ______.
The Egyptians worshiped the Nile as a _____.
Why did Harding set up the Bureau of Budget?
What was President Harding’s main problem?
The selling of government oil to private companies in the 1920’s was known as the___________

9. How do I write a better thesis?
A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment.
Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for relationships between known facts, and think about the significance of these relationships.
Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

10. Thesis # 3
World – Pg 142 “Phillip Builds Macedonian Power”
U.S. – Pg 632 – 633 “Superficial Prosperity.”
Despite what the Ancient Greeks thought, the ancient Macedonians could be considered Greek.
Poor decisions during the prosperity of the 1920’s directly led to economic problems in the 1930’s.

11. Short Answer Quiz # 3 World – Pg 142 U.S. – Pg 633
Phillip II wanted to move against Persia for revenge and _______.
T/F the Macedonians considered themselves Greeks.
How many men did Phillip’s Phalanxes have?
In 359 B.C. _____ Became king of Macedonia.
The national income grew from 64$ billion in 1921 to $87 Billion in _______.
T/F the iron and railroads were very prosperous in the 1920’s.
This enabled people to buy goods over an extended period of time.
_____ stores sprouted during the 1920’s.
During the 1920’s the income gap grew between ______ and managers.