Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

thesis as outline

I. Introduction

II. Why animals deserve respect

III. My claim: Don’t give animals human rights

IV. Evidence: Difference between humans and animals

V. Conclusion

prepares

readers

goes beyond

for what's

coming

the known

the obvious

the accepted

clear?

accurate?

specific?

not good enough

a

good

thesis

statement

suggests there are

is

Although writing requires more than a good thesis statement,

students should learn the art of crafting a solid central claim

since all good academic writing depends on a clear, focused argument.

specific

real stakes

beyond obvious?

real stakes?

specific?

“Although animals should be treated with respect,

they should not be given the same rights as humans

because they are fundamentally different from humans.”

divide an educated audience?

will divide

an

"Chaucer's Wife of Bath from the Canterbury

Tales demonstrates feminism."

Mediocre

educated

audience

"Both Christian and pagan elements can be found in Beowulf"

[not very specific, not a new idea]

This merely restates well known facts.

what kind of claim is this?

"Although Chaucer's Wife of Bath discusses

gender issues, it is the form in which she frames

her tale that says most about the state of medieval women."

"Those themes most central to Beowulf are most at odds with Christianity, despite the presence of certain explicit Christian elements in the poem."

Improved

[note how this claim invites close analysis

comparing form and content and tying this to historical context]

[note how this claim suggests a clear pattern for the coming paper: key themes will be identified and shown to be inconsistent with Christian elements—which we can also expect to be identified]

Example Thesis

Statements

"Malory's Morte D'arthur is inaccurate about

the real King Arthur."

Mediocre

"The Tempest proves Shakespeare was a genius."

[Even if true, this is unsurprising]

[Shakespeare's reputation is already established]

"The Historical inconsistencies in Malory's Morte D'arthur suggest that Welsh and Norman influences each shaped the famous King Arthur legend very differently."

"While many have found a critique of colonialism in The Tempest, Shakespeare’s play actually reinforces contemporary attitudes in support of colonial practices. "

Improved

[note how this claim is highly specific and invites a nuanced analysis of differing literary influences]

[note how this claim will engage the audience by challenging a commonly held assumption about the play]

until the whole picture

is clear

directed on a clear path

of your writing

a t h e s i s s t a t e m e n t ...

what does a

giving readers confidence

thesis

statement

gives direction

keeps order

at every level

& clarity

do?

a t h e s i s s t a t e m e n t ...

you will keep them oriented

Dr. Gideon Burton

thesis

statement

4

--example--

qualification statements

"Although some claim that all life is equally sacred..."

"Although animals deserve respect..."

"Even if animals and humans share biological traits..."

Qualification

Give context or

acknowledge an opposing view

formula

what sets the scene?

what is a main counter-argument?

what will demonstrate I'm informed?

what will show I'm fair?

where is something at stake?

arriving at a claim

why do I care?

why do people show interest?

Claim Types

“should / should not”

policy claim

“is / is not”

definition claim

what kinds of claims can be made?

comparison claim

“is like / unlike”

evaluation claim

“is good / bad / better / worse”

causal claim

“results in / was caused from”

Which type of claim?

1.

"Animal testing has not led to general disregard for life."

E. Causal claim

2.

“It's better for animals to be tested than for humans to die.”

D. Evaluation Claim

3.

“Animals are not humans.”

B. Definition Claim

4.

“Suffering for animals is no different than suffering for humans."

C. Comparison

5.

“Animals should not be given the same rights as humans”

reading notes

A. Policy Claim

check underlined / highlighted text

explore

review class notes

check bookmarked sites

discussions

check online discussions

talk to classmates

try out ideas on others

research notes

annotations

bibliograhy

check for films

media

find amateur media

search for images

look at others' presentations

question sets

art

psychology

field-specific

questions

medicine

who?

what?

where?

when?

why?

how?

journalist's

questions

literature

sociology

business

law

science

semi-organized

notes

gather

1

example: animal rights

2

PETA?

like minority rights?

Animal rights

ethics of testing?

5

Reorder /

Revise

Topic

Claim

Combine Qualification + Claim + Rationale

qualification

Explore Your Topic & Gather Your Thoughts

“Although animals should be treated with respect,

they should not be given the same rights as humans

because they are fundamentally different from humans.”

claim

rationale

a stance

an assertion

an argument

Take a stand on the topic,

turning it into an issue

--example--

3

Why shouldn't animals be given the same rights as humans?

possible reasons

"...because humans and animals are fundamentally different from each other"

"...since giving animals rights would cause social mayhem."

of all of my reasons

which is most central?

"...because this could erode civil rights for humans."

Rationale

Create a “because” clause,

giving the main reason for your position

cautions

While a qualifying statement and a rationale can flesh out a good thesis statement, the “issue” (where you state a claim) is the core of your thesis.

A thesis statement in this form may not be the best way to outline your paper. It does, however, suggest vital elements that ought to be included.

A. policy claim

B. definition claim

C. comparison claim

D. evaluation claim

E. causal claim

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi