ESSAY
THE THESIS
WHAT: 1-2 sentences expressing the paper’s MAIN IDEA WHERE: *Generally, at the end of the first paragraph. *For longer papers, it can be in the second paragraph as well or after intro section.
HOW: C.A.S. = Clear / Arguable / Specific 1. Clear: Your reader should be able to understand your thesis clearly. Simple and specific is better than
confusing, complicated, vague. 2. Arguable: Your reader should be able to debate your thesis.
(If, however, your paper is summative/explanatory, your thesis can be neutral). 3. Specific: Your thesis should be focused. Avoid broad or obvious statements. 4. Avoid “I/You/We” (generally) 5. Your essay must respond directly to the prompt! It is your map for your essay
THE (JUICY) THESIS
CLEAR The thesis is no exception to your writing: it needs to be as clear as possible. That means that your reader needs to understand your idea. Simplicity and specificity always win!
1. Unless you're writing a technical report, avoid technical language. Always avoid jargon, unless you are confident your audience will be familiar with it.
2. Avoid vague words such as "interesting,” "negative," "exciting,” "unusual," and "difficult." Avoid abstract words such as "society," “values,” or “culture.”
Can you think of a few alternatives to the above words?
ARGUABLE The thesis statement should do more than merely announce the topic; it must reveal what position you will take in relation to that topic, how you plan to analyze/evaluate the subject or the issue. Let’s take a look at some tips and revisions:
1. Avoid simply announcing the topic; your original and specific "angle" should be clear. In this way, you will tell your reader why your perspective on the issue matters. Boring thesis: This paper will discuss the relationship between fairy tales and early childhood.
Juicy thesis: Not just empty stories for kids, fairy tales shed light on the psychology of young children. 2. Avoid making universal or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues. Boring thesis: We must save the whales.
Juicy thesis: Because our planet's health may depend upon biological diversity, whales must be protected.
3. When you make a (subjective) judgment call, explain your reasoning.
Boring thesis: Socialism is the best form of government for Kenya. Juicy thesis: If the government takes over industry in Kenya, the industry will become more efficient.
MAKING A THESIS ARGUABLE How could the below thesis be made arguable and juicy?
Cats are more independent pets and dogs are more dependent pets.
The Patriots are a popular American football team.
Your thesis should be limited to what can be accomplished in the specified number of pages. The opposite of a focused, narrow, juicy thesis is a broad, boring, superficial thesis. Compare boring thesis (too general) with three possible jucy revisions (more focused, each presenting a different approach to the same topic):
BORING THESIS:
1. There are serious problems with today's horror movies.
SPECIFIC
JUICY THESIS:
1. Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.
2. The pornographic violence in "bloodbath" slasher movies degrades both men and women.
3. Today's slasher movies fail to deliver the emotional catharsis that 1930s horror films did.
A FEW THESIS STRUCTURES... 1. (A) is a true because of (1), (2), and (3).
A puppy's cuteness is specifically derived from its floppy ears, fluffy fur, and playfulness. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
2. (A) is a result of (1), (2), and (3).
The rise in populism on the 2016 political stage was in reaction to increasing globalization, the decline of manufacturing jobs, and the Syrian refugee crisis. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
3. (A) should/should not happen because it will lead to (B).
Hiring managers should focus on promoting diversity in the office because it leads to richer ideas, more cooperation, and more empathy between people with different skin colors or backgrounds. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
A FEW MORE THESIS STRUCTURES... 4. (A) may be true, however (B) should be considered (because of …)
Magazines have done a lot in the last five years to include a more diverse group of models, but there is still a long way to go to promote a healthy woman's body image collectively as a culture. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
5. Although (A) and (B) are different, they share an important commonality.
Though the plot lines in A Doll’s House and Animal Farm differ greatly, the two share a core theme: oppression. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
6. Although (A) and (B) are similar, they are different because of ...
Even though many people cannot tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi, there are distinct differences in taste, nutritional content, and advertising. (Is this thesis C.A.S.?)
THESIS CREATION EXERCISE With your group, take 30 minutes to respond to each prompt with a C.A.S. thesis!
Prompt 1: These days, many people enjoy using pineapple as a topping on their pizza. Argue why or why not pineapple should be included on pizza.
Prompt 2: Many people believe that gun violence in the media has a negative effect on society because it promotes more gun violence. Argue for or against this.
Prompt 3: Many people believe that honesty is the best policy. Is it ever okay to lie? Explain your answer using specific reasons and examples.
Prompt 4: What would improve your hometown? (Remember, don’t use “I.”)
Prompt 5: Compare the effectiveness of single-sex vs. coed classrooms.
Prompt 6: What is the most important leadership skill (at the managerial level) to promote teamwork?
THE ACADEMIC ESSAY
THE INTRODUCTION An introduction is the first paragraph of your academic essay. If you’re writing a long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to introduce your topic to your reader.
A good introduction does 3 things - H.I.T. 1. [H]OOK - Gets the reader’s attention. You can get a reader’s attention by telling a story,
offering a statistic, pointing out something strange or interesting, providing and discussing an interesting quote, etc. Be interesting and find some original angle via which to engage others in your topic.
2. [I]NFO - Explains background information on the topic for your reader.
3. [T]HESIS - Provides a clear, arguable, specific thesis statement. The thesis statement is usually one sentence long, but it might be longer—even a whole paragraph—if the essay you’re writing is long. A good thesis statement makes a debatable point, meaning a point someone might disagree with and argue against. It also serves as a roadmap for what you argue in your paper.
The Benefits of Regular Exercise COMMENTS
In recent years many people have become increasingly aware of the need for physical fitness (1). Almost everywhere people turn, whether it is to a newsstand, television, or billboard, (2) advice for guarding and improving health bombards them. Although much of this advice is commercially motivated by those eager to sell vitamins, natural foods and reducing gimmicks, (3) some of it, especially that advocating a regular exercise program, merits serious attention. Such a program, if it consists of at least thirty minutes three times a week and if a person's physician approves it, (4) provides numerous benefits. Regular exercise releases tension, improves appearance, and increases stamina. (5)
(1) The introduction begins with a broad view of physical fitness, but also engages the reader by connecting with general experience
(2) Notice that the writer reaches past the general "anywhere one looks" to the more specific and concrete "newsstand, television or billboard."
(3) Again notice the specifics—not just "to sell products" or "to sell stuff." The specifics make the idea more convincing, and create more associations for the reader.
(4) Notice how the introduction is a good place to present background, definitions and limitations that affect the thesis and topic generally.
(5) By placing the thesis at the end of the introduction, the writer not only makes the main point clear and emphatic, but also makes sure that the essay’s main point is at the forefront of the reader’s mind as the reader begins the body of the essay.
Body paragraphs help you prove your thesis and move you along an interesting trajectory from your introduction to your conclusion.
If your thesis is a simple one, you might not need a lot of body paragraphs to prove it. If it’s more complicated, you’ll need more body paragraphs. An easy way to structure your body paragraphs is to think of them as the M.E.A.T. of your essay.
1. Main topic 2. Evidence 3. Analysis 4. Transition
THE BODY PARAGRAPHS
BODY PARAGRAPHS 1. MAIN IDEA This is the topic sentence that states the main idea of the body paragraph. All of the sentences in the paragraph connect to it. Keep in mind that main ideas are…
● LABEL. They appear in the first sentence of the paragraph and tell your reader what’s inside the paragraph.
● ARGUABLE. They’re not statements; they’re debatable points proved with evidence.
● FOCUSED. Make a specific point in each paragraph and then prove that point.
2. EVIDENCE This part of a paragraph proves the main idea. You might include different types of evidence in different sentences. Keep in mind to ALWAYS add a citation if you use someone else’s ideas. Examples of evidence include… ● quotations and/or paraphrases from sources. ● facts, e.g. statistics or findings from studies you’ve conducted. ● narratives and/or descriptions, e.g. of your own experiences.
BODY PARAGRAPHS 3. ANALYSIS This part of a paragraph explains the evidence. Make sure you tie the evidence you provide back to the paragraph’s main idea. In other words, discuss the evidence.
4. TRANSITION This part of a paragraph helps you move fluidly from this paragraph to the next paragraph. Transitions appear in topic sentences along with main ideas, and they look both backward and forward in order to help you connect your ideas for your reader. Don’t end paragraphs with transitions; start with them.
Keep in mind that M.E.A.T. does not occur in that order. The “Transition” and the “Main Idea” often combine to form the first sentence—the topic sentence—and then paragraphs contain multiple sentences of evidence and analysis. For example, a paragraph might look like this: TM. E. E. A. E. E. A. A.
The first of these benefits, the release of tension, is immediate (1). Tension builds in the body because of an overaccumulation of adrenaline produced by stress, anxiety, or fear. (2) Doctors agree that performing calisthenics or participating in an active sport such as tennis or volleyball for thirty minutes releases tension (Banyan 2019). If a person swims, jogs or rides a bicycle for half that time, he or she should sleep better at night and have a better temperament the next day. In addition, after the release of tension, petty irritations and frustrations should be less troubling. (3) For example, an employee upset by the day's work and by traffic congestion may rush home, argue with the family, and eat excessively. Taking about thirty minutes to release frustrations through physical exercise could help him or her to avoid this behavior. Planned physical exercise, therefore, can eliminate, or at least control, tension (4).
(1) This sentence offers the paragraph idea (release of tension), renews the essay idea (these benefits), and also alerts the reader to the underlying logic of the arrangement of main ideas ("is immediate" suggests to the reader that the essay will follow a chronological order, the order in which the benefits become available).
(2) Again, notice the specifics in the next two sentences—specific activities and specific benefits. (3) Note again how the general term, "petty irritations and frustrations," is followed by specific examples. Whether you use the exact words or not, "for example" is a helpful concept to employ. (4) This closing sentence reinforces the paragraph idea and the essay idea.
THE CONCLUSION - SO WHAT?? A conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay, or, if you’re writing a really long essay, you might need 2 or 3 paragraphs to conclude. A conclusion usually summarizes the essay AND explains the significance
SIGNIFICANCE: It should also explain the significance of the argument. Some instructors want you to avoid restating your main points; they instead want you to explain your argument’s significance.
In other words, they want you to answer the “so what?” question by giving your reader a clearer sense of why your argument matters.
○ For example, your argument might be important to studies of a certain time period. ○ Alternately, it might be significant to a certain geographical region. ○ Alternately still, it might influence how your readers think about the future. You
might even opt to speculate about the future and/or call your readers to action in your conclusion.
Although easy solutions to the goals of losing weight and achieving an attractive, energetic body saturate the media, (1) actually acquiring these benefits is not easy. The rewards, however, are fully worth the effort of an established exercise program that makes a person feel relaxed, look healthy, and have adequate strength for strenuous as well as routine activities. (2)
(1) This is an example of the "circle close." The conclusion returns to the opening, repeating the initial example, question, problem or statement that opens the essay. This provides a satisfying sense of overall design and completeness, and strengthens unity. This is not the only approach to an effective conclusion, and sometimes it seems artificial or forced, but it’s often smooth, effective, and easy. Be sure to note how it works here by rereading the introduction to see how it is repeated here.
*Note how clearly the essay idea and the main supporting points are reinforced through their restatement here. The overall pattern of the essay follows old advice for effective public speaking: "Tell 'em what you’re gonna tell 'em; tell 'em; then tell 'em what you told 'em." In a short essay, this approach can sometimes seem like overkill—but there’s little risk of your readers being confused.
THE REFERENCE PAGE
USE WWW.CITETHISFORME.COM
Input all of your references with detailed information and copy/paste them onto a SEPARATE LAST PAGE. Use APA format.
ESSAY 2 PROMPT Using the outline I sent you, create an outline for your second essay and turn it in Monday, 6/22/2020.
To prepare for our second essay, we will be watching a Ted Talk about innovation from entrepreneur and founder of Canva, Guy Kawasaki. First, watch his Ted Talk video on the top 10 tips for innovation and take notes on each tip:
“The Art of Innovation” on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtjatz9r-Vc Now, write an essay where you apply one or two of Guy’s tips to your dream company arguing for one of the following:
1.) How the company could innovate more.
2.) How the company is a leading innovator in its industry already.
3.) How the company is a leading innovator in its industry but could still innovate more.
REMEMBER, DON’T USE “I” “YOU” “WE.” THIS SHOULD BE WRITTEN OBJECTIVELY