Practice

I would like to become a chef when I finish school Although both chefs and cooks can prepare fine meals, chefs differ from cooks in education, professional commitment, and artistry.
 * Are these proficient thesis statements? How might you improve them?**

I enjoy white water rafting. A first water rafting experience can challenge the body and spirit and transform an adolescent into an adult

Men are chauvinists. Our American family structure encourages men to repress their true feelings, leaving them open to physical, psychological, and relationship difficulties.

Steroid abuse Steroids, even those legally available, are addictive and should be banned from sports.

Hip hop is the best thing that has happened to music in twenty years Though many people dismiss hip hop as offensive, hip hop music offers urban youth an important opportunity for artistic expression, and allows them to articulate the poetry of the street.

Many people object to today's violent horror movies. Despite their high-tech special effects, today's graphically violent horror movies do not convey the creative use of cinematography or the emotional impact that we saw in the classic horror films of the 1940s and 50s. [|Other examples from St. Cloud University]

**Sample Thesis Statements: Do these work? How might they be improved?** E-coli contamination should not happen.

The causes of the Civil War were economic, social, and political.

//The Simpsons// represents the greatest animated show in the history of television.

//The Simpsons// treats the issues of ethnicity, family dynamics, and social issues effectively.

Often dismissed because it is animated, //The Simpsons// treats the issue of ethnicity more powerfully than did the critically praised //All In The Family//.

Although many parents of teens struggling with body image may blame television models and other such stars, these body issues and their disorders stem back to their daughters' younger days of pigtails and Barbies.

Despite their high-tech special effects, today's graphically violent horror movies do not convey the creative use of cinematography or the emotional impact that we saw in the classic horror films of the 1940s and 50s.

**Your turn:** Now let’s work together to develop thesis statements around areas in which we already have some background knowledge. Here’s a few ideas: high school sports, school uniforms, high stakes testing, steroid abuse, divorce, school dances, music censorship Let's start by brainstorming keywords and concepts.