Post on 17-Dec-2015
What is the Big Idea?Writing a History Day Thesis
What is a thesis? A thesis is an argument or a
hypothesis – the main point of your work• Should relate to the theme• Should use primary sources to back it up
What makes a good thesis statement?
Takes a stand on a topic Incorporates the theme
• Actions and legacies Clear statement Strong focus Importance of person or event A person can read JUST IT and know
WHAT YOUR WHOLE PROJECT IS ABOUT!
How to I get a thesis? Go back to your research questions
• Your thesis should answer one or more of those questions
Decide which one seem most interesting to you
Think about how it relates to the theme
Use the thesis statement hand-out
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The following slide has some thesis statements – your job will be to rank them in order of weakest to strongest• Be prepared to explain your justifications
Rank these thesis statements
This paper is about the status of African Americans after the Civil War
After the Civil War, many freed African Americans believed that their children would have substantially better lives and greater opportunities than they had had as slaves. However, their hopes for their children were not fulfilled; in the 1880s, the lives of most African Americans were not much better than those of their once-enslaved parents.
After the Civil War freed African Americans faced many challenges but also had opportunities.
Rank These Thesis Statements
A. The Civil War was a conflict. B. The world had never seen a military conflict
such as the American Civil War. C. The political compromises over the issue of
slavery were the direct causes of the conflict that led to the American Civil war.
D. The Civil War was a conflict between the North and South.
E. The conflicts of race, politics, economics and morality defined the American Civil War.
F. The Civil War was a conflict between North and South that ended in a compromise.