2+-+Thesis+Statement

} How good people’s decisions are under the fast-moving high stress conditions of rapid cognition is a function of training and rules and rehearsal. } Gladwell, Malcolm. //Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking//. New York: Little, Brown, 2005. 114. Print. Here are sample thesis statements from Senior Projects:

As a result of major Hurricanes in Louisiana resident health has diminished, the mortality rate has risen, and there are more reports of physical and mental illness.

A patient’s ability to succeed in smoking cessation is positively influenced by support systems.

In order to create globally aware citizens, high school students must understand the importance of energy efficiency and how lifestyle changes can make an impact on the environment.

Even though Hospital Corpsmen receive medical training through the military, their duties and responsibilities can be compared to medical employees who have received civilian medical training.

Video advertising has been an effective method for non-profit organizations to inform and indoctrinate potential audiences.

The current offshore oil drilling moratorium contributes to the environmental preservation movement.

As modern consumers change the ways by which they access information, public relations specialists must evaluate which strategy, either grassroots or formal, will be the most appropriate method by which to reach the targeted audience.

See the document attached here for an introduction to writing a thesis statement; courtesy of Ms. Johnson. 

Once you have written a thesis statement, evaluate it with the following questions:


 * //Do I answer the question? //Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question.
 * //Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? //If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
 * //Is my thesis statement specific enough? //Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: //why// is something "good"; //what specifically// makes something "successful"?
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Does my thesis pass the "So what?" test? //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">Does my thesis pass the "how and why?" test? //<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';"> If a reader's first response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.