This week you will select a potential research topic and submit a thesis statement for instructor approval. Please note that this activity is graded pass/fail and your instructor may ask you to revise and re-submit your thesis after providing feedback until you have passed the assignment.
Not all essays will require an explicitly stated thesis, but most argumentative essays will. Instead of implying your thesis or main idea, in an argumentative essay, you’ll be required to write out your thesis statement for your audience. A thesis statement is a one (sometimes two) sentence statement that presents the main idea and makes an assertion about your issue. Remember, in an argumentative essay, the assertion you present in your thesis is going to be particularly important.
When you make your assertion in your thesis, it should be clear and direct. You want your audience to have no doubt about your point. Of course, how assertive you are in your thesis and the content you choose to include depends upon the type of argumentative essay you are writing. Your thesis should not make an “announcement” about what your essay will cover. Instead, it should present your assertion.
A thesis like this makes an announcement and would be incorrect:
In this paper, I will persuade you to vote for candidates who support education reform.
A thesis like this makes an assertion and would be correct:
Because our education system is in need of reform, we should vote for candidates who are willing to make the necessary changes.
Your thesis statement is the most important sentence in your essay. It’s your chance to make sure your audience really understands your point. Be sure your assertion and your writing style are clear. While there is no such thing as a “required” place for your thesis statement, most academic essays will present the thesis statement early on, usually at the end of the introduction. There is a reason for this. Audience members are more likely to understand and absorb each point as readers if you have told them, in advance, what they should be getting out of your essay. So, please include the thesis at the end of your introductory paragraph in this course.
Last week you spent some time brainstorming potential arguments. This week, select an argument that you may want to address in your final research paper and develop a good thesis. You can find a list of suggested topics below. However, you can select another topic. Keep in mind the elements of a good argument and thesis statement from the instructional material and contact your instructor if you’d like to get feedback on your selection.
Resources:
Potential Research Topics
You are not limited to these ideas. However, if you are unsure if your assertion will make a good argument, contact your instructor for feedback.
Formatting Requirements:
Include just your thesis statement in the text entry box.
Since this is a pre-writing activity, there are no other formatting requirements.
