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Identify & write a thesis statement

Hery Yanto TheWiziq online class English 3.0 series, spring 2012February 3, 2012

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English 3.0 Series @ Hery The WizIQ Public Class

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What is a thesis statement?

• A sentence uses to introduce the focus of writing.

• This sentence tells readers what they will found in writing if they continue read it.

• It is a road map for readers to follow the writer story, argument, interpretation, or description.

• Some writings have implied thesis statements, especially narrative writings.

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Examples

• An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.

• The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

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Examples (Continue)

• High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/1/

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How can I identify a thesis statement form a writing?

• It is usually a single sentence somewhere in the first paragraph. [essay, short report, newspaper article, student’s paper]

• It is usually a single sentence somewhere in the last paragraph of the introduction section. [journal article, book, research report]

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How can I identify a thesis statement form a writing? (continue)

Attention!• Some writings do not have explicit

thesis statement.• Some writings used more than one

sentence to propose thesis statement.

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Practice #1.1: Identify the thesis statement

Math and science strategies for English Language Learner (ELL) students with disabilities include learning centers, instructional games, and techniques to develop conversational language, academic language, scaffolding, concrete materials, and visual learning. Teachers can use these techniques to provide best practices in math and science instruction integrated with modifications for teaching ELL students with disabilities.

[Johnson & Showalter. (2012). Math & Science Strategies for ELL with Disabilities, HIEC 2012 proceedings]1/31/2012

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Practice #1.2: Identify the thesis statement

• Our plane touched down on the tarmac in Juliaca, Peru. At 13,000 feet elevation, this is one of the world’s highest airports. The DC-3 was unpressurized and we sucked on oxygen tubes as the flight took us onto the altiplano. I was in the first group of Peace Corps volunteers sent to this remote region in the southern Peruvian highlands. [Anthropology News, December 2011, p.4]

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Practice #1.3: Identify the thesis statement

(1st paragraph) The lives of Indonesian Chinese communities before the Reformation, the era of democratic government, was not as good as today. … (2nd paragraph) In fact, the assimilation policy did not successfully eliminate Chinese culture from Indonesia. This article will analysis three important questions related with the unsuccessful of assimilation policy. Those questions are: 1) … 2) … and 3) …

[The. (2009). Indonesian Chinese & Assimilation Policy, Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa]

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What is a good thesis statement?

• Specific: propose dominant idea, explanation, evaluation, or recommendation used to impress readers

• Purposeful: provide question and answer

• Guiding: use as a road map to navigate readers to understand the purpose

• Tentative: open to change during the writing process

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What is a good thesis statement? (continue)

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

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• Takes some sort of standWeak:There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.

Good:Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers.

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What is a good thesis statement? (continue)

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

1/31/2012 English 3.0 Series @ Hery The WizIQ Public Class

• Justifies discussionWeak:My family is an extended family.

Good:While most American families would view consanguineal marriage as a threat to the nuclear family structure, many Iranian families, like my own, believe that these marriages help reinforce kinship ties in an extended family.

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What is a good thesis statement? (continue)

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

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• Expresses one main ideaWeak:Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and Web pages can provide both advertising and customer support.Good:Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using Web pages that offer both advertising and customer support

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What is a good thesis statement? (continue)

http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml

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• SpecificWeak:World hunger has many causes and effects.

Good:Hunger persists in Glandelinia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable.

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Practice #2Which one is weak and which one is

good?

• The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

• While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

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http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements

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Practice #2 (Continue)Which one is weak and which one is

good?• In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain's Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave "civilized" society and go back to nature.

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http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/thesis-statements

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Topic, Purpose, & ThesisReid (2003, p. 23) The Prentice Hall Guide for College

Writing

No Topic Purpose Thesis

1 Childhood experiences

To express your feelings and explain how one childhood experience was important

The relentless competition between my sisters and me distorted my easygoing personality

2 Heart disease

To inform readers about relationships between Type A personalities and heart attacks

Type A personalities do not necessarily have an abnormally high risk of suffering heart attacks

3 The death penalty

To persuade readers that death penalty should be used

Despite our belief that killing is wrong, a state-administrated death penalty is fair, just, and humane

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Practice #3Use the thesis statement for improving

your reading skill

• The main purpose of reading: constructing meaning from a text

• Prior knowledge + Expectation + Meaning making (synthesize)

• Identify a text thesis statement and question your self:– What main idea and purpose support

the thesis?– Do you agree or disagree with the idea?– Based on what you know, does the

thesis statement rational or not?1/31/2012

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Write a thesis statement

• Indicate the topic• Indicate the point to write

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Topic Point to write

Chinese’s dim sum restaurant

has varieties of breakfast meals to choose with low prices

Many people in India failed to get a job in the call center

because they do not have a British or American accent

Japan business system Is highly influenced by the culture

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Practice #4

• Complete these thesis statements!– The most important day in my life

is …– Some regulation of the Internet

used is necessary …– High school graduates should have

additional skill beside content knowledge …

• Write a thesis statement for your own writing!

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Conclusion

• Determine the topic and the purpose

• Based on the topic, indicate the point to write

• Specific, purposeful, guiding, tentative

• Improve writing skill• Review – Read – Identify – Practice

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I love to hear from you

• Write on my WizIQ comment box • Send me an email.

• Join and participate in the FWF

• Is this course help you to improve your writing skill and self confidence to write

in English?• What do you expect to learn later from

this course?• What do you want me to improve from

this course? •

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Thank You

English 3.0 Project Hery Yanto The

http://www.wiziq.com/uhmherytheherythe@hotmail.co.uk

http://freewriting.ning.com

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