Advertising in Feed

1. The article “Advertising to Teens” states “schools make deals with soda companies and sell naming rights to their gyms to the highest bidder.” Do you think this should occur?

2. How does the statement in question 1 apply to Feed? How do you think M.T. Anderson feels about the schools allowing advertising?

3. The article also states “companies glean important demographic info about kids spending habits from seemingly innocuous Internet “quizzes” and “surveys.” Is there something similar in Feed? Can you see our world becoming more like the one in Feed? Why or why not?

4. Do you agree with the article’s statement “this generation of kids is growing up in what is perhaps the most materialistic society we have ever had?” Why or why not?

5. It also states “they are surrounded by images of excess and the idea that buying ‘things’ will bring them satisfaction.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

6. Do you think M.T. Anderson would agree with the statement in question 3? Why or why not? Advertising To Teens

Author: Susan Carney Published: Feb 23, 2007

Kids and teens are a valuable market to advertisers. Helping them become more critical of marketing messages can help protect them from exploitation.

Why do marketers love teens? A number of reasons. They have money to burn, and the items they buy are largely “luxury” items, like clothing, electronics, and music. They make many, if not most, of their purchasing decisions independently. And they have significant influence on family purchases. Perhaps most importantly, companies know that once they have “branded” a child, he or she is likely to be a customer for life, or from “cradle to grave.”

How do they reach kids? Everywhere. Advertising is in magazines, movies, TV shows, and on the internet. Licensed products, in the form of clothing, toys, and accessories, abound. Schools make deals with soda companies and sell naming rights to their gyms to the highest bidder. Companies glean important demographic info about kids spending habits from seemingly innocuous internet “quizzes” and “surveys”. Marketing comes at kids from all directions, twenty-four seven.

How do marketers do it? They know how to capitalize on important teenage issues and anxieties, like body image, peer acceptance, coolness, and a need for power. They use these themes repeatedly in advertising geared towards children and teenagers. Marketers also often hone in on themes and attitudes that parents might find inappropriate or offensive, like sex or alcohol and drug use, further escalating the “coolness factor” of the product.

Why is advertising so effective? Advertising works best when it creates insecurity about something, such as appearance. A successful ad convinces the viewer that they have a problem that needs fixing, and then proposes to offer the solution, which just happens to be the product they are selling. The message is that teens aren’t good enough the way they are. Many kids unwittingly buy into that message, and as a result, end up being hypercritical of themselves because we don’t fit a certain “image” that they believe is necessary for their happiness.

What's wrong with this picture? This generation of kids is growing up in what is perhaps the most materialistic society we have ever had. They are surrounded by images of excess and the idea that buying “things” will bring them satisfaction. They are given things easily and rarely have to delay gratification. Worst of all, many of the things that are advertised to teens do not promote healthy development.

How can you help? Identify the themes the advertiser is using to try to connect with them. Ask yourself what “need” is being projected that the product can supposedly “fill”. Is the product really going to have the impact that the ad implies?

Name: Period: Anticipation Guide

Title:

Directions: Generate statements that define how you feel about the following themes. Be prepared to defend and support your opinions with specific examples. After reading the text, compare your opinions on those statements with the author's implied and/or stated messages.

Our Use of Technology (think about the impact of technology on the environment, the human body, society, your relationship with yourself, power structures, education, other cultures, future technologies . . . etc.)

Language (think about the influences of the language of text messaging and instant messaging, the use of slang, the use of spell checkers and thesauruses with Microsoft Word . . . etc.)

Education (think about the time spent in school, the skills that are taught in schools, the role that technology plays in education, your own opinion of school . . . etc.)

Consumerism (think about who profits from consumption; how teens are marketed to; the influence of advertisements; the impact of consumption on other people, the planet, and yourselves; the value of the products you buy . . . etc.)

Essay Editing Checklist

1. I have corrected misspellings.

2. I have corrected punctuation error (commas, colons, semicolons, end punctuation)

3. My writing contains correct capitalization of sentences & proper nouns.

4. All of the verbs agree with their subjects.

5. All of the pronouns & their antecedents agree.

6. I have no misplaced modifiers.

7. I have used apostrophes correctly with possessives.

8. I have written sentences using parallel structure.

9. I have eliminated all fragments.

10. I have eliminated all run-on sentences.

11. I have used all words correctly.

12. I have checked for commonly misused homonyms (there, their, they’re; to, too, two; threw,

through)

13. I have eliminated passive voice whenever possible.

14. I have varied my sentence structure so the writing uses a mix of sentence types:

 Begin with a subordinating conjunction.

 Join independent clauses with a semicolon.

 Use complex sentence structure.

 Use short & long sentence Fallacies in Advertising

The 10 most frequently used fallacies found in advertising are:

1. Ad hominem (meaning "against the person")—attacks the person and not the issue

2. Appeal to emotions—manipulates people's emotions in order to get their attention away from an important issue

3. Bandwagon—creates the impression that everybody is doing it and so should you

4. False dilemma—limits the possible choices to avoid consideration of another choice

5. Appeal to the people—uses the views of the majority as a persuasive device

6. Scare tactic—creates fear in people as evidence to support a claim

7. False cause—wrongly assumes a cause and effect relationship

8. Hasty generalization (or jumping to conclusions)—draws a conclusion about a population based on a small sample

9. Red herring—presents an irrelevant topic to divert attention away from the original issue

10. Traditional wisdom—uses the logic that the way things used to be is better than they are now, ignoring any problems of the past

Name: Period: Final Questions to Think About

1. What are the science fictional elements of this novel? Why is it categorized as science fiction?

2. What exactly is the “feed”? Is there anything similar today? List some of the advantages and disadvantages of the feed.

3. Make a list of the technological innovations that are present in this story? Do you think we will have similar innovations any time soon in our own society? If so, what effects do you think they will have?

4. Although Feed describes a different world from the one we live in today, there are still many similarities. Make a list of some of the things in the book that seem contemporary. What do you think Anderson is trying to say by creating these similarities?

5. The characters use a great deal of slang, obscenities, and made-up words (for example, “unette”) throughout the story. Most of them do not seem to have very advanced vocabularies, and often struggle for words. Why do you think Anderson chose to use these components for the novel? What purpose do they serve?

6. Why are there interludes between some chapters of the book that do not involve the main characters? How do they relate to the story?

7. How does Titus compare to his friends, as far as attitudes, beliefs, intelligence, background, etc.?

8. Given the incredibly bleak ending of the novel, do you think Anderson thinks there is no hope for our future? Why or why not?

Name: Period: Part Two Discussion Questions “Eden”

1. In the chapter called “Boring,” why does Titus think the boat picture is boring? Do you think pictures like the ones he describes are boring? Why or why not?

2. At the beginning of the chapter “Missing the Feed,” Titus compares life before the feed to “like if you carried your lungs in a suitcase and opened it to breathe.” What does this say about the relationship between the feed and humans in the story? Can you think of something similar in your world?

3. On page 48, the feed is described as knowing what you need before you do – is this really what the feed is doing?

4. In the chapter “Father,” Titus’ father uses the work “dude” – a word that is topical slang in our world – and it stands out in the book in comparison to much of the unfamiliar slang used in the novel. Why did the author have his character use this word?

5. What are the “salad days” Violet refers to on page 60?

6. Violet tells Titus on page 63 that he is the only one of his group who uses metaphor. Is this meant to be a compliment? Why does Violet choose to point out this particular characteristic?

7. Why would Violet’s father want to study the dead languages?

8. What is the purpose of mentioning the Captain Top Quark program on page 76? What is a “quark?” Name: Period: Part Four Discussion Questions “Slumberland”

1. On page 217, Violet asks, “what am I, without th efeed?” Are people anything without feed in the world of the story?

2. Violet says her mother called the feed “the brain mole.” Do you think this is an apt description? Why or why not?

3. Who are Tutankhamen and Mithridates, mentioned on page 231?

4. Why does Violet create a list of wishes? Why does she send the list to Titus?

5. Violet’s request for assistance repairing her feedware is rejected. Is it her own fault that she can’t get help? Does this have implications for things today?

6. Why doesn’t Titus want to go with Violet to the mountains? 7. On page 262, Violet admits “they’re really close to winning.” Whom is she talking about? What does she mean by “winning”?

8. Why does Titus respond to Violet’s statement in the previous question by telling her to keep “doing”?

9. Why does Violet want to be “normal” like Titus and his friends? What exactly is “normal”?

10. On pages 270-272, why does Titus act the way he does? Why does he break up with Violet?

11. At the end of the chapter “Summertime,” Titus says he felt like he has been running toward cool for a long time. What does Titus mean by this statement?

12. Who are the eloi, and why does Violet’s father mention them?

13. Why does Titus order all of those pants in the second-to-last chapter?

14. What does the feed interlude at the end of the book mean? Name: Period:

Part One Discussion Questions “Moon”

1. What are the “lesions” referred to in the “Impact” chapter? Is there anything similar today?

2. On p.8, in the “Impact chapter, Titus first mentions the “banners.” What might they be? Is there anything similar today?

3. The girls have to change their hair in the chapter “The Nose Grid” because hairstyles had changed. What does this statement tell us about trends in the novel?

4. On page 25, Titus notes that Quendy is an economy model of Calista. How does this statement reflect Titus’ viewpoint? What does this tell us about the relationship between Quendy and Calista?

5. Based on what you have read so far, what do you think the “feed” really is? Is there anything similar today?

Name: Period:

Part Three Discussion Questions “Utopia”

1. Why are Clouds trademarked?

2. On page 80, Violet says that the experience of being hacked has to change them somehow. Why would she say that?

3. What is the “ABC Afterschool Special” referred to on page 87?

4. What are the little Russian dolls referred to on page 91? What do they signify?

5. What do you think about the description of School ? Is this an ideal school? Why or why not?

6. What do you think of Violet’s father? Does she have good reason to hide him from her friends? Is his plan to save the language a reasonable one?

7. What do think about Violet’s theory of the importance of self-control?

8. Why does Violet say death is now a blank, when it used to be a hole you fell into and kept falling? Why is it different?

9. When Violet says, “it makes good times even better when you know they are going to end,” what does she mean? Can you think of examples from your own life? Do you think her analogy of grilled vegetables being better because some of them are partly soot is a good comparison in this case? Why or why not?

10. On page 161, Violet asks the question, “If something’s an acquired taste . . . how do you start to acquire it?” What’s the answer to this question? 11. One of the characters mentions the Watts Riots on page 163. What were these?

12. Why do you think Violet acts differently from the other girls in the book? Do you think she wants to be different? Why do the other girls make fun of her?

13. Why does Quendy get the lenticels? Why does Calista say that Quendy is stupid for doing so?

14. Why does Violet scream at everyone, on page 202, that they are being eaten and raised for food? Is this an accurate assessment?

15. What does Titus mean when he says the party is over, at the end of Part Three? Peer Critiquing a Read-Aloud

There are three steps to good peer critiquing:

1. Compliment the author

 What are a few things that you liked about the author’s writing?

 Pay close attention to things such as style, fluidity, interest, and voice.

2. Make specific suggestions regarding the author’s:

 Word choice

 Use of details

 Organization

 Sentence length

 Topic

3. Stay positive and be polite!

 Be a good listener and save your comments until the writer is finished reading. Peer Response Worksheet

Your Name______

Name of person you're responding to______

1. How does the author demonstrate audience awareness? (Consider whether the writing level is appropriate for an academic audience. Is the tone suitable?)

2. Identify the thesis statement. Is it well supported? If so, comment on the types of support used, and if not, make suggestions for additional support and other methods of improvement.

3. What does the author do to come across as reliable? Identify grammatical or other problems that make reading difficult or that undermine the author's credibility. Think about how the author's use of sources contributes to credibility.

4. Evaluate the introduction. It should be relevant and focused, and it should let you know what the paper topic is and what sort of audience is being targeted. Does the opening sentence catch your attention? If not, what suggestions can you make?

5. Check for clear and logical transitions both between sentences and paragraphs. If you find them, point them out and comment on them. If not, make specific suggestions for improvement. You may add transitions to the text, as suggestions.

6. Evaluate the conclusion. Is it focused and relevant? Will it leave the targeted reader with a sense of closure? If not, what suggestions can you make for improvement? Persuasive Essay Revision Checklist

1. Does the beginning capture the reader’s attention?

2. Does the introductory paragraph lead into the thesis statement?

3. Does the thesis statement clearly argue from one position?

4. Does the thesis statement list your three principal arguments?

5. Do the examples support one of the principal arguments?

6. Is the writing focused & clear?

7. Is the writing organized logically? (cause/effect; chronological; example/analysis)

8. Do the details fit the chosen topic?

9. Are the details sufficiently described?

10. Did you delete details that do not relate to the topic?

11. Are there any details that should be added to make the writing clearer?

12. Does the writing include sensory details (taste, touch, sight, sound) & vivid images?

13. Are ideas and details connected with sophisticated transitions?

14. Is the choice of words fresh, colorful, & interesting?

15. Have any words been unnecessarily repeated?

16. Have weak, general words been replaced with detailed terms?

Constructing Sociograms

1. Place the central character(s) at the center of the diagram.

2. Let the physical distance between characters reflect the perceived psychological distance between the characters.

3. Let the size/shape/symbol of a character metaphorically represent each personality, importance, one’s power or lack of, etc.

4. Show the direction of a relationship by an arrow/line, and its nature by a brief label (the lines can be creatively applied: What might the following types of lines indicate? A jagged line? A wavy line? The thickness of the line? etc.)

5. Represent substantiated relationships with a solid line and inferred relationships by a broken line.

6. Place characters that support the main character on one side of a dividing line, and antagonistic characters on the other side.

7. Illustrate the tone/theme of a piece by the use of color or visual symbols.

8. Explore creative ways to represent a character’s motivation. For example, inside each “character’s circle” might be one or more words that seem to capture the essence of that character. Immediately outside the circle could be a series of arrows that represent the forces that influence that character. Scientists: Is technology rewiring our brains?

Computer use from a young age could change the way people relate to each other, some scientists say. What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people? These sound like concerns from worried parents. But they're coming from certain brain scientists. While violent video games have gotten a lot of public attention, but some current concerns go well beyond gaming. Some scientists think the wired world might be changing the way we read, learn, and interact with each other. There are no firm answers yet, but Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the internet and smart phones can alter how the brain works. When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people, it drifts away from fundamental social skills such as reading facial expressions during conversation, Small asserts. So brain circuits involved in face-to-face contact can become weaker, he suggests. That might lead to social awkwardness, an inability to interpret nonverbal messages, isolation, and less interest in traditional classroom learning. Small says the effect is strongest in so-called digital natives--people in their teens and 20s who have been "digitally hard-wired since toddlerhood." He thinks it's important to help the digital natives improve their social skills and older people--digital immigrants--improve their technology skills. At least one 19-year-old internet enthusiast gives Small's idea a mixed review. John Rowe, who lives near Pasadena, Calif., spends six to 12 hours online a day. He flits from instant messaging his friends to games like Cyber Nations and Galaxies Ablaze to online forums for game players and disc jockeys. Social skills? Rowe figures he and his buddies are doing just fine in that department, thank you. But he thinks Small might have a point about some other people he knows. "If I didn't actively go out and try to spend time with friends, I wouldn't have the social skills that I do," said Rowe, who reckons he spends three or four nights a week out with his pals. "You can't just give up on having normal friends you see on a day-to-day basis." More than 2,000 years ago, Socrates warned about a different information revolution--the rise of the written word, which he considered a more superficial way of learning than the oral tradition. More recently, the arrival of television sparked concerns that it would make children more violent or passive and interfere with their education. Small, who describes his modern-day concerns in a new book called iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, acknowledges he doesn't have an open-and-shut case that digital technology is changing brain circuitry. Still, his argument is "pretty interesting and certainly provocative," although difficult to prove, says brain scientist Tracey Shors of Rutgers University. Others are skeptical. Robert Kurzban, a University of Pennsylvania psychologist, said scientists still have a lot to learn about how a person's experiences affect the way the brain is wired to deal with social interaction. Life in the age of Google might even change how we read. Normally, as a child learns to read, the brain builds pathways that gradually allow for more sophisticated analysis and comprehension, says Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. She calls that analysis and comprehension "deep reading." But that takes time, even if it's just a fraction of a second, and today's wired world is all about speed, gathering a lot of superficial information fast. Wolf asks what will happen as young children increasingly do their early reading online. Will their brains respond by short-circuiting parts of the normal reading pathways that lead to deeper reading, but which also take more time? And will that harm their ability to reflect on what they've read? Those questions deserve to be studied, Wolf says. She thinks kids will need instruction tailored to gaining reading comprehension in the digital world. Some research suggests the brain actually benefits from internet use. A large study led by Mizuko Ito of the University of California, Irvine, recently concluded that by hanging out online with friends--sending instant messages, for example--teens learn valuable skills they'll need to use at work and socially in the digital age. (See “Teenagers’ internet socializing not a bad thing.”) That includes lessons about issues such as online privacy and what's appropriate to post and communicate on the internet, Ito said. Rowe, the 19-year-old, said he and his buddies often debate whether technology might actually be bad for you. That includes kicking around the argument that computer use makes people socially inept. Of course, he added, "we spend a lot of time on the computer and still have totally normal and perfect social lives." Technology Survey Directions: Read each of the following statements then indicate your responses by checking “I agree or “I disagree.”

I agree I disagree

1. The more technology we have the easier and better life will be for everyone.

2. Having the latest technology is important to success.

3. It is impossible to become addicted to the Internet.

4. Teens are online too much.

5. Social-networking provides the same interaction as meeting with friends.

6. Teens should be given the freedom to choose what they do online.

7. Computer technology makes finding information faster and easier.

8. Teens should have constant Internet access while in school.

9. People should not place too much faith in technology.

10. If people let machines do too much for them, eventually people will no longer be able to do things for themselves.

11. Children who play violent video games often become desensitized to violence. The President’s Speech (from M.T. Anderson’s Feed, p.85)

. . . which the President denied in an address early on Tuesday. “It is not the will of the

American people, the people of this great nation, to believe the allegations that were made by these corporate ‘watch’ organizations, which are not the majority of the

American people, I repeat not, and aren’t its will. It is our duty as Americans, and as a nation dedicated to freedom and free commerce, to stand behind our fellow Americans and not cast . . . things at them. Stones, for example. The first stone. By this I mean that we shouldn’t think that there are any truth to the rumors that the lesions are the result of any activity of American industry. Of course they are not the result of anything

American industry has done. The people of the United States know, as I know, that that is just plain hooey. We need to remember . . . Okay, we need to remember that America is the nation of freedom, and that freedom, my friends, freedom does not lesions make.”

The President is expected to veto the congressional . . . Thesis Statement Checklist

1. Does your thesis statement contain a definite statement?

2. Is your Thesis an arguable claim?

3. Does your thesis show you have knowledge about your topic?

4. Does your thesis illustrate a passionate perspective?

5. Is your statement neither too specific nor too broad?

6. Does your thesis list the key points to be discussed in your essay?

7. Can you provide evidence to back up your thesis? Using Quotes in Essays (TLQ#)

Using quotes strengthens the concrete detail in your essay. It is only effective, however, if it is done properly. When you use quotes, you must follow the TLQ# and MLA guidelines explained below.

A. Transitions

1. Always begin your concrete detail sentences with a transition and comma.

2. Here are three simple transitions:

a. For example,

b. In addition,

c. Furthermore,

B. Lead-ins

1. Lead-ins not only orient your reader but also help your sentence flow smoothly.

2. After your transition, you must mention the situation and speaker of the quote.

3. Here are three examples of sentences with transitions and lead-ins:

a. For example, after Scout pummels Walter in the schoolyard, she says, “…

b. In addition, while spending Christmas at Finch’s Landing, Francis tells Scout, “…

c. Furthermore, when Scout and Jem are walking home from the pageant, the narrator says, “…

C. Quotes and page numbers

1. A quote may be dialogue (when characters speak) or narration (when the author speaks).

2. Quotes are words copied exactly as they are in the book and put in quotations marks.

3. If you are quoting both dialogue and narration, put the regular double quotation marks at the beginning and end of what you are quoting and put single quote marks (apostrophes) around the dialogue inside the double quotation marks.

a. Moreover, George sees something in Lennie’s hand, and he says, “’Awright,’ he said brusquely. ‘Gi’me that mouse!’” (8). 4. Only use and ellipse […] if you are leaving out words in the middle of a quote and the removal of those words does not alter meaning.

a. Moreover, George sees something in Lennie’s hand, and he says, “Awright […] Gi’me that mouse!” (8).

5. Only include punctuation inside the end quotation mark that is NOT a period or comma.

6. Follow the last quotation mark with the page number inside parentheses and a period outside the last parenthesis.

7. Here are four examples of correct TLQ#:

a. For example, after Scout pummels Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard, she says, “He made me start off on the wrong foot” (27).

b. In addition, while spending Christmas at Finch’s Landing, Francis tells Scout that Atticus is “ruin’ the family” (87).

c. Furthermore, when Scout and Jem are walking home from the pageant, they hear a man “running toward [them] with no child’s steps” (264).

d. Consequently, after George tells Lennie to give him the mouse, Lennie asks, “What mouse, George?” (8). Writing a Persuasive Essay

Make Your Case

You've gathered all the facts, now it's time to list the arguments both for and against your issue and begin planning the structure of your writing.

List the Arguments

It's impossible to persuade someone to believe your viewpoint without also considering the viewpoint of those who may disagree with you. Review your research and create a list of arguments for and arguments against your issue. Brainstorm as many examples as possible. Ultimately you will be choosing the three best arguments to include in the writing.

Plan Your Structure

Your paper will need to contain the following elements.

 Opening/Introduction: In this area you will introduce your readers to the topic and give a little background information. It works well to state your topic in the form of a question—Is the Iditarod an example of cruelty to animals sporting event? Be sure to state your position on the issue within the last sentence of the paragraph. In the opening, you want to pull the reader in and give them a reason to keep reading.  Body: The body of your essay should contain at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph must state a different viewpoint on your topic, examine the opposition to that viewpoint and provide a defense of that viewpoint. Many of the best examples of persuasive writing save the most compelling viewpoint for third body paragraph leaving the reader with the strongest point before closing. The defense must be supported with evidence documented through your research. Don't forget the reason for examining an opposing viewpoint—you're trying to prove, through the use of factual information, why your opinion is better.

Within each paragraph you need to be sure to use powerful transitional words and phrases as you compare each point.

 Closing/Conclusion: The conclusion should always restate the issue and then quickly tie in the three viewpoints examined in the body paragraphs. You should never introduce new information in the closing. Simply summarize the arguments and then close with a powerful statement relating to your originally stated issue.

Writing a Draft

A draft helps you organize your work and get your thoughts down on paper.

Before you start writing:  Using the plans created in the last step, decide on a good beginning or "hook" that will grab the reader's attention. State your topic and give a little background information.  Make a list of specific points you want to be sure and include in your final product. These points will serve as the main ideas for each of your three paragraphs within the body of your paper. Highlight quotes and content that support the ideas you choose.  Decide on an effective ending for your report. Ask yourself what thought you want to leave the reader with or a thought that summarizes the overall viewpoint.

As you write:

 Focus on information and allow your ideas to flow freely.  Don't worry about grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You will correct your work later on.

A good persuasive essay draft includes:

 all your thoughts  as many details as possible  complete thoughts and ideas  facts to support your argument

Revision Next, you'll want to revise your work. Revision is especially important in persuasive writing—you want to be certain that you've presented the most compelling argument possible. This is the time to make sure that what you've written is easy to read, factual and above all, convincing. Remember, revising your work doesn't involve making changes to spelling, grammar, or punctuation (we'll get to that in the next step). Instead, the revision process concentrates on the content alone.

Use the revision process to accomplish the following tasks:

 Add additional information that may be needed to better explain or describe elements of the story.  Rearrange existing information in a more logical order that flows well and makes your history easy to comprehend.  Remove unneeded information that may detract from the overall message of your interview.  Replace existing text with better wording or description that gives additional insight into the life and history of the person you interviewed.

As you revise your work, ask yourself the following questions

 Is my position on an issue is clearly stated and evident throughout the work?  Are my opinions clear and do my facts support my opinions?  Does my information flow easily from one paragraph to another?  Did I stay focused on my point of view throughout the writing?  Did I save the most compelling or strongest point for the end of the paper?  Does my writing make sense? Am I convinced? Will my readers be convinced?  Did I repeat any words or phrases too often? Writing Thesis Statements for Essays

Include a Definite Statement

There should be no “maybes” in a thesis statement. Students must avoid weak or wishy-washy language. Tell them to commit to the point of view they are expressing and stick to one side.

Create an Arguable Claim

This means a thesis statement is an opinion rather than a fact. Students must have something to argue, and they can’t argue with facts.

Show Knowledge of the Topic

Although students are not expected to be experts about the topic on which they are writing, they should write a thesis from the perspective of someone who has at least done preliminary research. One of the goals of writing an essay is to inform a reader, even if it just of a particular point of view. Tell students to keep that in mind when they are writing.

Convey a Passionate Perspective

Frankly, if students don’t care about their topic, neither will the reader. A thesis statement that conveys passion and commitment will entice readers and motivate them to read the entire essay.

Create Parameters

A thesis statement should be specific enough to tackle in a five paragraph essay. However, it should be broad enough to invite discussion, allow for analysis, and offer a variety of examples.

Outline the Essay

A three-point thesis statement will list the three key reasons used in the body of the essay. By listing these reasons in the thesis, readers will know what to expect in the body of the essay. A three-point thesis statement will also help keep novice writers on track. That is, the topic sentence of each body paragraph should relate directly back to a segment of the thesis statement. The order of the paragraphs should follow the order the reasons were introduced in the thesis statement.

Provide Evidence

When students are constructing their thesis, they need to ensure they can identify sufficient reasons and examples to back up their assertion. That’s why the brainstorming process should occur before students write their thesis. Students should have reflected and researched enough to have a variety of ideas in their mental file cabinet.