Academic Writing Kirk M. Adams Colegio Villa Rica

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Academic WritingKirk M. AdamsColegio Villa Rica

• Brainstorming Defining Your Point of View

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Different kinds of Brainstorming.

• Free writing. Write for two or three minutes on
  your topic without stopping. Dont judge your
  ideas and just let them flow.
• Make a mind map (mental map) Again, let your
  ideas flow.
• If the topic clearly has two sides consider
  making two columns (Pros and Cons/Advantages and
  Disadvantages) and just let the ideas flow.
  Dont judge them.

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Writing Your (working/tentative)Thesis Statement

• What is a thesis statement?
• A thesis statement is a considered point of view.
  Its more than an opinion.
• What characteristics should it have?
• A good thesis statement serves as an argument.
• A good thesis statement has a precise focus.
• A good thesis statement serves as a guide for the
  reader and the writer.
• A good thesis statement is a complex sentence.
• It should be an interesting, fresh point of view
  regarding a controversial or complex issue.
• A good thesis statement makes a claim that others
  might dispute. (argue against)

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Other tips

• Avoid everybody, all, and nobody. These
  kinds of generalizations will make your thesis
  easier to attack. Instead, try many and
  some.
• Avoid making moral assertions.

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Example of a good topic sentence

• Example of a weak thesis statement
• I hate San Francisco weather in the summertime.
• Example of a good thesis statement sentence
• While San Francisco weather in the summer can
  be variable and unpredictable, once one has
  mastered the art of layering, it can be quite
  pleasant.

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• Many people argue that going to school all year
  long would increase learning and performance
  among students however, much evidence suggests
  that year round schooling is not beneficial for
  students because it would create unnecessary
  stress, negativity toward school, and limited
  vacation opportunities.

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Activity Practice brainstorming and writing
thesis statements.

• Choose two topics from 250 topic ideas
• For each of the two topics, do the following
• Use one of the brainstorming techniques
  suggested to generate some ideas and formulate a
  (tentative) opinion.
• Write a (tentative) thesis statement for each
  topic idea.
• Note tentative means that it can be changed
  later.

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• Even though the United Nations Security Council
  is in charge of maintaining peace and security,
  the veto power of its member nations makes the
  U.N. Security Council a meaningless concentration
  of power of 5 nations.
• As for the problem of police corruption in
  Mexico, the utilization of the Mexican Marines to
  assist in law enforcement has been very
  successful for the short term however, for the
  long term, the problem of police corruption
  should be dealt with through an infrastructure of
  citizen support, thorough vetting procedures, and
  continual government surveillance.

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• Peer review. Have two classmates check your work
  for the following. Indicate which aspects of the
  thesis statement could be improved.
• 1. This thesis statement is a "considered point
  of view." It is more than an opinion.
• 2. This thesis statement serves as an argument.
• 3. This thesis statement has a precise focus.
• 4. this thesis statement serves as a guide for
  the reader and the writer.
• 5. This thesis statement is a complex sentence.
• 6. This thesis statement is an interesting,
  fresh point of view regarding a controversial or
  complex issue.
• 7. Does my thesis pass the So what? test?
• 8. Does my thesis pass the how and why? test?
  If a readers first response is how? or why?
  your thesis may be too open-ended and lack
  guidance for the reader.

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Sources

• How to write a thesis statement (High school
  students)
• http//www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Thesis-Statement-2
  8High-School-Students29
• How to generate a thesis statement
• http//www.clbooks.com/news/how-to-generate-a-thes
  is-statement
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
  "The Writing Center"
• http//writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-state
  ments/
• Buzzle, Thesis Statement Examples
  http//www.buzzle.com/articles/thesis-statement-ex
  amples.html
• Indiana University "How to write a thesis
  statement."
• http//www.indiana.edu/wts/pamphlets/thesis_state
  ment.shtml
• Bright Hub Education
• "How to write a thesis statement The good and
  the bad."
• http//www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writin
  g/50680-examples-of-thesis-statements/