1. Perfecting the Thesis Statement Or how to win written arguments and blow your readers away in just a few simple steps

2. Guiding Question What is the best way to win an argument?

3. What is a thesis statement? In simple terms, it is the “main idea” of your argument– it is the claim that you are promising to prove A thesis statement is the driving force or center of your essay, found in the introductory paragraph It often presents some sort of problem and then offers a solution A good thesis statement can always be argued against, but it is your job to persuade readers that your declaration is right

4. What a thesis statement is NOT A thesis statement is not a simple summary of ideas or facts (ex. Romeo and Juliet is a play about love.) A good thesis statement is not too broad or unspecific (ex. Over the history of mankind it has been proven that girls like some colors more than other colors) A thesis statement is not the same as an introductory paragraph, but should be a point of focus for the rest of the paper

5. Tips for Writing a Thesis Know your position! Know the facts! Do all of the gathering of information FIRST! Revise. Then revise again. Then revise again!

6. Drug use is detrimental to everyone in society. America's anti-pollution efforts should focus on privately owned cars because it would allow most citizens to contribute to national efforts and care about the outcome Good/Bad Examples

7. Model Prompt: Why do authors leave out vital information? Stance: Reasons: Thesis:

8. Know Your Position Essay Prompt: Is Hamlet’s madness genuine? What are the features of his madness and how do they impact how we perceive his character?

9. Supporting Details Reason 1: Reason 2: Reason 3:

10. Find Your Evidence Textual Evidence that supports your claim: 1. 2. 3.

11. Thesis Frames If you’re not sure whether you have a good thesis statement, see whether you can fit your ideas into one of these basic patterns. [Something] [does something] because [reason(s)]. Because [reason(s)], [something] [does something]. Although [opposing evidence], [reasons] show [something] [does something]. *** Resources on Mrs. Goodenough’s website***