1. Building an Outline & A Thesis

2. A Thesis: Why?? A thesis is one of the most important components of an essay Usually no more than a sentence or two long It says what the author is trying to prove in the essay

3. How?? First-things first, figure out what you are writing about A thesis statement should be clear, and to the point The reader should have no doubt what the essay is about when they read the statement

4. Look and See… Have a look at this opening paragraph to a research paper What is the thesis of the paper??

5. The Power of Oaths Oaths carry with them a power, a power that has been recognized for thousands of years and in almost every culture. The act of “giving your word” or swearing an oath seems to be as old as humankind. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary definition describes an oath as: (1) : a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says (2) : a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one's words. “The use of an object, sacred or otherwise, or invoking a curse, as a pledge to tell the truth, is a custom that belongs to the primitive past, and its prevalence among the Biblical Hebrews attest to its origin” (www.positiveatheism.org). The act of swearing an oath is such a recognized tradition that such a system that is practiced in present-day courts of law, is also practiced in seemingly ignorant tribal groups, such as the Negroes tribes of Loango, an area of the Congo. This alone places the two different cultures on the same level.

6. Clarity…. It can be a little confusing, can’t it!! If the author is a little unclear about what the thesis is about, how can they can clear within the essay?? BE CLEAR about what you want to say!!

7. A “Proper” Thesis Statement Example of an persuasive thesis statement (what you’re doing): “High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.” The paper that follows should: present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

8. What about the outline?? The essay outline (the framework for your essay) can come in many shapes and sizes That’s why I have laid it out for you how I want it done This is an important tool to use to create organization for you to follow –Not simply flying by the seat of your pants, even if that works for you!!

9. What’s the moral of this story? KICS (pronounced KICKS) Keep it Clear Silly!!