Writing

1. A thought deeper than 256 characters
2. Thoughtful expression of opinion (PSSST. Your voice matters!)
3. Professional communication
4. Logic, organization, structure.

Argument Writing

I can write a coherent argument on a specific/relevant topic in response to a prompt

​

I can write claims with valid reasoning, and relevant evidence

THESIS STATEMENTS

• Arguable! You are entitled to an opinion. Your opinion is valid and has value. �
• Supportable! The thesis statement itself is not a fact statement but is stated as fact (does not have an "I think" or "the reader can see" statement) and can be backed up with evidence.�
• Specific! Make it one sentence! This opinion should be more than just agreement or disagreement with an idea. Your opinion loses its value if you cannot communicate it effectively and efficiently.

THESIS STATEMENTS

• The focus on newness and the next best thing is dangerous

​

• The focus on new trends creates a population that is shallow and materialistic.

​

• The social focus on new trends is a problem in society because it can emphasize a focus on financial success.

​

​

​

Prompt: American school system

• American schools are not good.

​

• Low-income schools are not equipped with up-to-date technology.

​

• Schools in low-income areas need more funding and community involvement to help student's futures.�
• Low-income schools without up-to-date computer labs fail to prepare students for college and the workplace in a world increasingly dependent on computer literacy

Being healthy and having freedom are two major things that every person wants to live with. Although they can conflict with each other. For example, smoking is prohibited in most public places, which restricts the freedom of some individuals for the sake of the health of others. So we must create a balancing act between the two.

​

Part of America's number one defense is that we are a "free country", therefore allowing people to think what they want and do what they want. I think there is really no way to win in the health v. freedom conflict. On one hand, people should care about what they are putting into the environment, such as exhaust from fancy cars or cigarette smoke at a children's park. On the other hand, people should be allowed to do what they want in this so called "free country".

Write a thesis about the importance and your stance on this idea

Education and the Workplace

Many high schools have started to shift their attention much more definitively toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and away from ELA (English, Language Arts). Both school boards and government organizations suggest this move is necessary to help better prepare students for the changing work force. Given the urgency of this debate for the future of education and society, it is worth examining the potential consequences of this shift in how students are educated.

•Because learning how to think is just as important as the content one covers in their education, English Language Arts provides valid and necessary skills, like logical writing, analysis, and communication, that can translate into any current or future tech field.

HOLD UP!

What three things does a thesis need to be?

EVIDENCE Be specific

• ACTUAL RESEARCH! What research studies or experts show
• REAL WORLD! Current events/trends
• Companies like Apple and Samsung or Snapchat and Instagram vie for attention of humans daily, coming out with newer, flashier models and apps.
• REFERENCES! Books and stuff
• Charlotte Perkin’s Gilman warns of the dangers of isolation in her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• HYPOTHETICAL! Imagine that!
• Imagine if everyone in a city or school only communicated through text.
• PERSONAL EXPERIENCE! From my experience!
• Daily I experience the reality that cursing Youtube or watching football highlights is exponentially easier than picking up that book I’ve been meaning to read or going to the gym.

Bad Thesis - Not Specific

I agree with perspective 1 because…