Thesis+generator

A tentative thesis should look something like this: **Specific topic** + ** Attitude/Angle/Argument ** = ** Thesis ** **What you plan to argue +** ** How you plan to argue it = Thesis **
 * 1. Equations:** Think about the thesis equations as you ask questions and move toward a tentative thesis.

**2. Thesis Stems**: Consider using these stems to help students move from proficient to advanced thesis statements.


 * //Rank with justification// **
 * Most important to least important
 * Least important to most important
 * //Contrasts (of perspectives of sources)// **
 * Although newspapers at the time claimed X, the most significant cause/explanation/reason, etc. is
 * While So and So maintains that ................, more accurately/importantly, etc, # 2's position is the stronger one. (Substitute "most historians" for So and So and the appropriate person or view or source for #2.)
 * //Perception versus reality:// **

Although Turner himself may have believed X, the real causes were Y and Z.


 * //Good versus bad reasons:// **

Historians generally list six reasons as the cause for X, but among these are four that are valid and two that are not.


 * //Cause and Effect:// **
 * Certainly, X was the cause and Y was its effect, but between the two are two other factors of equal importance.
 * Separately the causes would have not necessarily led to a rampage; however, together their effect was inevitably murderous.
 * Although the effects of the rampage were . . ., the causes were understandable/justifiable/inevitable.
 * The more important effects of Nat Turner's rebellion went beyond those of the local rampage [|Gclub].


 * //Challenge:// **

Nat Turner's rebellion not a righteous response to the injustice of slavery; it was motivated purely by disturbing psychological issues.

**3.** **Question Stems**: Good questions help students brainstorm their possibilities and focus a [|Royal1688] thesis. These question stems should lead students toward developing thesis statements that would generate a variety of different structures for essays, papers, presentations.
 * What should the **audience**/reader do/feel/believe? they should agree with me.
 * Who are the major players on both/each side and how did they contribute to?
 * Which are the most important?
 * What was the impact of?
 * Can I compare? How is X like or unlike Y?
 * What if? Can I predict?
 * How could we solve/improve/design/deal with?
 * Is there a better solution to?
 * How can you defend?
 * What changes would you recommend to?
 * Was it effective, justified, defensible, warranted?
 * Why did this happen? Why did it succeed? Why did it fail?
 * What should be? What are/would be the possible outcomes of?
 * What are the problems related to?
 * What were the motives behind?
 * Why are the opponents protesting?
 * What is my personal response to?
 * What case can I make for?
 * What is the significance of?
 * Where will the next move(s) occur?
 * How is this debate likely to affect?
 * What is the value or, what is/are the potential benefit(s) of?
 * What are three/four/five reasons for us to [|Holiday Palace] believe?