Strategies for Effective Thesis Development
Thesis development
How, why, what’s important
Overview
It’s not easy because you’re trying to come up with
something new
Be patient with not knowing, & not quite nailing it the
first time.
That’s because you’re pushing outside your comfort zone
and what you already know.
The basic question: What’s at stake here?
What matters to me and most people about this
topic?
What could people disagree about?
Could be an interpretation of a book, not always moral
or political questions
A couple tricks of the trade
Example: Your dumb topic is McDonalds’ food.
Your 3 part thesis: “McDonalds food is cheap, fatty and full of
sugar.”
Have you said why it matters? Arguable? What will we learn?
When you have a statement that’s not quite arguable, or is
simply boring, try these quick fixes:
Rank
which your topics is more important
Add a “
Because
” statement
Rank
which of these is most important:
“McDonald’s food is cheap and sugary, but the high fat content is
the most unhealthy part about it.”
Now you have something to prove and explain—a high fat diet is
worse than sugar.
Use a
Because
statement to improve it
“McDonald’s food is greasy and fattening, but because it is so
cheap, poor people are lured into making poor health choices.”
Try that with our topics
With a partner:
Rank which is most important
OR
Add a “because” statement
Thesis 1: I disagree with the article “Race and Beauty in
America’s Next Top Model.”
Thesis 2: I believe that competition hurts small children
and destroys the freedom of true play.
Thesis 3: Competition in the business world can be
harsh but it can also push a company to new heights.
Developing a thesis involves exploring new ideas, understanding what's at stake, and making your argument engaging and compelling. Learn how to refine your thesis statement and make it more arguable and impactful with helpful tricks of the trade. Practice with example topics to strengthen your thesis development skills.
Uploaded on Sep 26, 2024 | 0 Views
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Presentation Transcript
Thesis development How, why, what s important
Overview It s not easy because you re trying to come up with something new Be patient with not knowing, & not quite nailing it the first time. That s because you re pushing outside your comfort zone and what you already know. The basic question: What s at stake here? What matters to me and most people about this topic? What could people disagree about? Could be an interpretation of a book, not always moral or political questions
A couple tricks of the trade Example: Your dumb topic is McDonalds food. Your 3 part thesis: McDonalds food is cheap, fatty and full of sugar. Have you said why it matters? Arguable? What will we learn? When you have a statement that s not quite arguable, or is simply boring, try these quick fixes: Rank which your topics is more important Add a Because statement Rank which of these is most important: McDonald s food is cheap and sugary, but the high fat content is the most unhealthy part about it. Now you have something to prove and explain a high fat diet is worse than sugar. Use a Because statement to improve it McDonald s food is greasy and fattening, but because it is so cheap, poor people are lured into making poor health choices.
Try that with our topics With a partner: Rank which is most important OR Add a because statement Thesis 1: I disagree with the article Race and Beauty in America s Next Top Model. Thesis 2: I believe that competition hurts small children and destroys the freedom of true play. Thesis 3: Competition in the business world can be harsh but it can also push a company to new heights.
