Teaching Writing

Write an effective intro

• Introduction
• One paragraph long
• Starts with general information
• Narrows to the thesis
• Contains
• context for the problem
• problem
• why it is worth solving (“So what?”)
• proposed solution (or the promise for a solution).
• Label each (on a draft)

Write a “because” thesis

• A working thesis
• Start with a (controversial) topic
• Take a stand on it (your position)
• Develop a thesis sentence
• What’s your position?
• “Because”
• Why?
• “We should abandon rehabilitation programs because they don’t work and they leave crime victims feeling cheated out of punishment.”

• ?

Write a “because” thesis

• After drafting your thesis, ask yourself:
• Do my arguments “add up” to my position? If I prove my arguments, will a reasonable reader be willing to entertain my position?
• Does my thesis show the organization of my paper? Is each argument in my thesis the subject for a paragraph in my essay?
• Do I have specific, concrete evidence that supports each of my arguments?

• ?