1. THESIS PRACTICE DAY 2 Exercises to build a strong thesis in Mrs. Warren’s class.

2. A strong thesis should: ◦ Contain a topic, claim, and reasons. ◦ Avoid vague language such as “good, bad, it, seems.” ◦ Avoid opinion such as “I think.” ◦ Not be a fact. ◦ Be specific and focused without discussing all the details.

3. Select the appropriate thesis from each group: ◦ Smoking in public areas should be banned. ◦ Smoking in public areas should be banned because nonsmokers and children are adversely affected by second-hand smoke. ◦ Living in a large city is good for many reasons. ◦ Living in a large city is preferable to a small town because jobs and cultural opportunities are readily available. ◦ Living in a large city is preferable because there is more to do, more jobs, more friends, m ore restaurants, and more sports.

4. Select the appropriate thesis from each group: ◦ Driving too fast is dangerous. ◦ The driving speed on highways should be limited to 65 MPH for cars because the wrecks that occur at fast speeds are more destructive and the deaths at high speeds are more numerous. ◦ Dogs make great pets; everybody should have one. ◦ Dogs are great companions and guardians of their families, so everyone should consider purchasing one for his household. ◦ Dogs are great. ◦ Dogs are friendly.

5. Select the appropriate thesis from each group: ◦ School calendars should be year- round. ◦ School calendars should be year-round so students can do good. ◦ School calendars should year-round to enhance student learning because learned skills are reviewed and thus not forgotten. ◦ The legal age to purchase cigarettes should be 17. ◦ The legal age to purchase cigarettes should be 17 because students cannot comprehend the health effects nor fight the peer pressure until that age. ◦ The legal age to purchase cigarettes should be 17 because cigarettes are dangerous. ◦ Cigarettes are bad stuff.

6. Thesis generator machine: Topic 1.Owning a car 2.Keeping up with food fads 3. Holding a class office 4. My prized possession 5. Running for student government 6. The telephone 7. Writing a composition 8. Overhauling a car’s motor 9. Exercising in the gym 10. Today’s recording artists Claim a.Requires technical knowledge and skill b.Teaches a sense of responsibility c.Is detrimental to health d.Requires leadership qualities e.Is the modern invention most valued by teenagers f.Is both challenging and satisfying Claim g. must have some talent and much perseverance h. is indispensable to today’s teenager i. requires creative genius and mathematical precision and logic j. provides relaxation k. Is a waste of time l. Is a worthwhile pastime Create two of your own reasons for each thesis.

7. ONCE YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR THESIS STATEMENTS, HIGHLIGHT IN DIFFERENT COLORS YOUR TOPIC, CLAIM, AND REASONS.

8. What’s next on your journey? ◦ Learn to break down a prompt. ◦ Learn what “expository” means. ◦ Learn the rubric for STAAR expository. ◦ Learn to organize your paper. ◦ Learn to create interesting examples using the ROSE technique. ◦ Learn to add a hook and conclusion. ◦ Learn to add transitions ◦ Learn to replace weak words. ◦ Learn to reorganize/rearrange sentence structures. ◦ Learn to remove “be” verbs for more sophisticated writing. ◦ Learn to proofread from bottom up and right to left.