Writing+a+Thesis

Thesis Statements //Click on the links to download a document for that specific section of the thesis statement.//

Analysis Essay

How does diction and syntax alter tone in the play? How does that affect the outcome of the play?
 * Sample Analysis Essay Prompt:**

In //The Crucible//, Arthur Miller indicates that fear can be a powerful force, which is revealed through freight-train style syntax, literal diction, and religious imagery leading to a shift in tone from angry to fearful , showing that the mixed emotions Puritan people felt prior to the hysteria of the Salem witch trials leads to the community's downfall.
 * Table for creating an Analysis thesis statement:**
 * Thesis Element || Explanation || Examples ||
 * 1. Topic || The issue || fear can be a powerful force ||
 * 2. Claim || [[file:Causal Verbs.pdf|Causal Verb]] || revealed ||
 * 3. Direction || 3 specific (examples) || freight-train syntax, literal diction, and religious imagery ||
 * 4. Shift || in [[file:Tone Words (List).pdf|tone]] || angry to fearful ||
 * 5. Qualifier || "proving that" or "showing that" || showing that ||
 * 6. Universal Idea || general idea about life ([[file:Abstract Nouns.pdf|abstract noun]]) || mixed emotions ||
 * [[file:Syntax Handout.pdf|Syntax Handout]]
 * [[file:Syntax Chart.pdf|Syntax Chart]]
 * [[file:Diction Handout.pdf|Diction Handout]]
 * [[file:soapstone reading strategy.pdf|SOAPStone Analysis Tool]]
 * [[file:Rhetorical Triangle.pdf|Rhetorical Triangle]]
 * [[file:DIDLS (Analyzing for Tone).pdf|DIDLS Analysis Tool]]
 * Sample Analysis Thesis:**
 * Sample Analysis Thesis:**

Argumentative Essay

Authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman published "The Creativity Crisis" in //Newsweek.com// in July 2010. They reported that the Torrance Test, a test of creativity that has been administered to millions of people worldwide in 50 languages, indicates that the public’s "creativity quotient" has steadily crept downward since 1990. In their article, Bronson and Merryman cite the claim of Professor Kyung Hee Kim at the College of William and Mary: "It’s very clear, and the decrease is very significant." Kim reports that it is the scores of younger children in America—from kindergarten through sixth grade—for whom the decline is "most serious."
 * Sample Argumentative Essay Prompt:**

Bronson and Merryman state that "[t]he potential consequences are sweeping. The necessity of human ingenuity is undisputed. A recent IBM poll of 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the No. 1 ‘leadership competency’ of the future. Yet it’s not just about sustaining our nation’s economic growth. All around us are matters of national and international importance that are crying out for creative solutions, from saving the Gulf of Mexico to bringing peace to Afghanistan to delivering health care. Such solutions emerge from a healthy marketplace of ideas, sustained by a populace constantly contributing original ideas and receptive to the ideas of others."

One possible approach to this reputed decline in creativity is to explicitly teach creative thinking in school. Write to your school board explaining what you mean by creativity and arguing for or against the creation of a class in creativity.

and passionate about creative writing and thinking, then a creativity class should be implemented in schools ||
 * Table for creating an Argumentative thesis statement:**
 * Element ...................................... || Explanation ................................................................... || Examples ................................................................................... ||
 * 1. Topic || The issue || As long as classes are taught by educators who are qualified
 * 2. Claim || [[file:Causal Verbs.pdf|Causal Verb]] || which **mirrors** ||
 * 3. Direction || 3 specific (examples) || # CEOs' need for more creative thinkers
 * 1) the lack of creative short fiction
 * 2) the decline of artistic advertising ||
 * 4. Qualifier || "proving that" or "showing that" || proving that ||
 * 5. Universal Idea || general idea about life ([[file:Abstract Nouns.pdf|abstract noun]]) || without advancing creativity, our **society** is bound for negative changes. ||
 * **Sample Argumentative Thesis:** As long as classes are taught by educators who are qualified and passionate about creative writing and thinking, then a creativity class should be implemented in schools, which mirrors CEOs' need for more creative thinkers, the lack of creative short fiction in today's writing, and the decline of artistic advertising, proving that without advancing creativity, our society is bound for negative changes
 * Additional [[file:Argumentative Template.pdf|Argument Formula]]

Synthesis Essay How to approach the synthesis essay:
 * 1) There are two types of AP synthesis essays. 1. requires you to evaluate items and rank them by importance (Ex. What needs to be considered when deciding where to place a monument?) 2. requires you to take a position (agree or disagree).
 * 2) Basically, a synthesis essay is just an argumentative essay that requires you to use provided sources as evidence to support your argument (**DO NOT** use your own experiences or examples).
 * 3) Like all arguments, you want to **qualify** your argument, which means that you agree or disagree under certain conditions.
 * 4) Here are some sample **qualifying phrases**: as long as, only if, under these conditions, because, whenever, in the case that, and even if. There are many other qualifying statements; choose the one that fits best into your writing.
 * 5) **For example**: __I agree__ that parents should have the right to choose whether or not to vaccinate their child, **__as long as__** they are educated on the dangers of not vaccinating and maintain regular check-ups with a doctor.
 * 6) You DO NOT use first-person pronouns in an AP synthesis essay. Even though you should have your own opinion, you are not using your personal experiences to defend your opinion; you are using the provided sources, so there is no need to use first-person pronouns such as I, me, we, us, and our.

Here is a sample synthesis prompt without the attached sources. To view the sources, please click here.

Many recent college graduates have faced record levels of unemployment. This situation has led people to question what they value about higher education. Some high school students and their parents are wondering if a college education is worth the cost. Others, however, believe that a college education prepares students for more than just a job or career.

Carefully read the following six sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that evaluates whether college is worth its cost.

Your argument should be the focus of your essay. Use the sources to develop your argument and explain the reasoning for it. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. You may cite the sources as Source A, Source B, etc., or by using the descriptions in parentheses.


 * Table for creating a Synthesis thesis statement:**
 * Element ........................... || Explanation ................................................ || Examples ...................................................................................................... ||
 * 1. Topic || The issue || It seems that the ultimate function of American high schools has become to funnel as many young minds as possible into college. This should be the focus of high schools **as long as** they are honest about the fact that some majors and some courses will benefit more than just a high-paying job, ||
 * 2. Claim || [[file:Causal Verbs.pdf|Causal Verb]] || which can be **connected** to ||
 * 3. Direction || 3 specific examples from sources || # freedom of thought,
 * 1) ability to innovate, and
 * 2) creativity ||
 * 4. Qualifier || "proving that" or "showing that" || proving that ||
 * 5. Universal Idea || general idea about life ([[file:Abstract Nouns.pdf|abstract noun]]) || earning a college degree can land a student an enjoyable, high-paying career, but the focus should be on developing as a person and becoming a more useful member of society. ||