What Makes a President Great?(48.5 page636)

• Read the evaluations from three historians in regard to President Kennedy.

• Place the historian’s name on the spectrum accordingly & explain why.

• Which historian do you think you agree with?

GreatMiddle of the Road

Over Rated

Was J.F.K a great president?Essay

• Due Friday

• Rough draft due Thursday

• Thursday: Peer Review/Questions

• Tomorrow (Wednesday): Introduction Paragraph, Will Check for Credit

• Essay in lieu of test (60 points)

Developing Your Thesis• The thesis is the main point of your essay. It

reflects your opinion of a topic.

This is where you are telling me whether you believe JFK to be

greatnot so great

somewhere in between

“JFK should be remembered as a great president because even when faced with crisis he was able to respond in a calm manner.”

…some more examples of thesis

“President Kennedy is often remembered as a great president but…

“It is difficult to determine where to judge Kennedy in relation to the best presidents in our nation’s history. His record indicates…

Writing the IntroductionThe introduction, or opening paragraph, prepares your reader to read your essay. It “hooks” the reader’s interest, draws the reader into the issue or topic you plan to discuss, and presents your thesis statement.

Consider these possibilities:a quotation from an expert

an anecdote or real-life examplea striking statistic

an intriguing questiona statement of opinion

an interesting or controversial fact

Paragraph One Checklist (Intro. & Thesis)

• Use this checklist when writing your thesis:

– Does my thesis statement clearly communicate the main point I want to make about the topic?

– Will I be able to explain my thesis statement?

• Use this checklist when writing your introduction:– Does my introduction

create interest in the topic of my essay?

– Does my introduction summarize the arguments I plan to make?

– Does my introduction contain a clear statement of my thesis?

Body Paragraphs

• The key elements of a body paragraph are the topic sentence and supporting details.

• These details can take two forms: – evidence, such as statistics, examples, or

quotations that prove your argument– explanation, in which you emphasize the

importance of the evidence and show how it supports your argument.

Topic Sentence

This sentence starts your paragraph and makes reference to the two pieces of evidence you are going to use to support your thesis.

“JFK inherited a failing space program, but how he responded to the Soviet’s apparent technological superiority showed how his calm demeanor was advantageous to the US.”

Paragraphs 2 & 3

Domestic (Paragraph 2)

Use info from your spectrum on section 48.2 to support your thesis.

Foreign (Paragraph 3)

Use info from your spectrum on section 48.3 to support your thesis.

Which Historian Supports Your View (Paragraph 4)

• In this paragraph you should provide information on the historian that supports the view of whether JFK was a great, good, or over rated president.

• Don’t forget to provide evidence – quote from text!

• OPTIONAL: If you do it, it is an extra five points!

Conclusions

• The last paragraph of your essay is the conclusion.

• Here you should summarize your main arguments, restate your thesis, and leave your reader feeling you have pulled everything together in a convincing way.