Support Your Local Thesis

I know that making these tree maps is not the most exciting thing in the world but I promise you that they do pay off.  The more organized you are before you write the paper, the less work the paper will be.  You wont just show up to run a marathon after doing nothing but hang out for the past year.  No, you spent months training your body for that type of challenge. The Tree Map and outlines are apart of your prep.

Every great paper has a strong thesis.  This allows the reader to know what you are writing about and what your opinion is.  It is your opening statement, your headline, that lets the audience know what your paper is about.  Without the thesis then the paper doesn't have a direction and the reader becomes lost.

        Your paper can not stand on the thesis along though.  That is where your claims come in.  These statements are the main arguments or reasons that you are giving to support the thesis.  These claims will help you prove your point and win your argument.  If the claim contradicts the thesis then you will not win your argument.  (Lets say you are writing a paper on why your friend should break up with his g/f.  You would not mention that she volunteers at a homeless shelter would you?  No, that makes her look good, and thats not your goal.)

The claim is made up of evidence and details.  This helps you prove that your claims are accurate and that your thesis is correct.  The evidence makes up your body paragraphs and should come from a variety of sources.  The more sources that support your claim, the stronger the claim is.  Think, if you want mom or dad to allow you to go to the movies and you say, "well Jean is going", that might not be to convincing.  However, if you say Jean, Mary, Judi, Merrissa, Emily, Betty Lou, and Mrs. Vanderberg are going...well you got a stronger case.

        Your sources for these facts are your L.P.S., L.M.G., your textbook, and the notes.  Up in the library there are some books put on reserve that I encourage you to use for your paper.  The more sources you have, the more well rounded the paper will be.  This also shows that you applied yourself and took that extra effort on your assignment. No hurt in that.

     

When I think of a paper or an essay, I think of the Greek or Roman Temples.  The thesis is the roof of the temple and the columns are the claims (body paragraphs).  If the claims are weak and do not support the thesis then the whole temple will collapse.  And you dont want to be responsible for a bunch of dead Romans now do you.

Make sure you have your Rough Draft completed for class tomorrow.