1. Egypt v. Mesopotamia Paragraph * Thesis Focus
Prompt:
Which culture, Egypt or Mesopotamia, would provide more opportunities for its residents to be happy and successful?
Egypt v. Mesopotamia Paragraph * Thesis Focus

2. Pargraph: The Component Parts
Thesis (claim)
Evidence
Analysis
Conclusion

4. Translation
In “The Lady with the Little Dog,” Chekhov uses food and drink and motifs to demonstrate Gurov’s shift away from indulgence and materialism, using these changes in characterization to criticize the lifestyle of the Russian upper class.

5. Rubric. 4 is best.

6. That’s why we did the Venn diagram first!
The Strategy, Thesis
That’s why we did the Venn diagram first!
Use your evidence to create a thesis with …
… arguable point.
… specific point.
… importance (answers “so what?” question)

7. Thesis Statement Fun Read your partner’s thesis.
Mark it up: arguable topic, specific detail, importance
Get a piece of paper with thesis statements on it.
Read them.
Mark them up; rank them. Why is the best the best?
Look at other pairs: who has the same color paper with the same letter in the corner?
Meet with them; discuss. Try to agree on dominant thesis statements.

8. The Strategy, Thesis Thesis don’ts: Use the word “I.” EVER!
Answer the question with the question’s words.
“The best place to live …”
So, no “best!”

9. The Strategy, Thesis Thesis dos
Create an original statement that answers the question specifically.
Minimize the amount of words. Make each one count.
Narrow down the scope so that is as specific as possible.
Claim the most significant, coolest thing you can based on your evidence. (What can you prove?)

10. Any Thesis Share
While I read the thesis statements on the next slide, use your arms:
Make a “T” for topic.
Make an “A” for specific argument.
Make an “W” for the answer to the “so what?” question. The important part!

11. Any Thesis Share
The Vikings’ hard word and dedication will eventually lead them to the Super Bowl.
Arts programs are vital to healthy societies because they give a way to support the creativity used to invent important things later.
Jeremy Lin is the most important basketball player because he has given hope to others who want to play in the NBA and now know they could .
Expanding our language would bring greater thinking capacity and help solve the world’s problems.

12. Great Mongol Thesis Reminder
The Mongols’ civilized violence brought new technology and cultural diversity to all of Asia.

13. Other Peoples’ Paragraphs Write: Read by ____________
Highlight (or mark) and label the different pieces:
Thesis statement ___/4
Evidence: cited correctly? 3+ pieces of evidence? Smoothly integrated in paragraph? ___/4
Analysis: 2+ sentences after each piece of evidence? ___/4
Conclusion: powerful? ___/4

14. Final Paragraph, due M0nday - start of class to turnitin
Final Paragraph, due M0nday - start of class to turnitin.com + hard copy
Revise your paragraphs!
Thesis, graded /4 according to rubric
Evidence, /4 for 3 solid pieces from 3 sources (readings, videos, or your own)
In-text citations
Works cited (don’t worry about being perfect)
Analysis, /4 for 2+ sentences after each piece of evidence connecting the information
Conclusion, /4 for the same idea as thesis but restated powerfully