Writing A Working Thesis
One of the most important elements of a National History Day Project is writing a strong thesis statement.
An effective thesis statement does 3 things:
1. It tells your reader or viewer what to expect from your project. In a sense, it is a road map to your project.
2. It tells your reader or viewer what your position is about your subject.
3. It ties your project to the National History Day theme.
An effective thesis statement does 3 things:
1. It tells your reader or viewer what to expect from your project. In a sense, it is a road map to your project.
2. It tells your reader or viewer what your position is about your subject.
3. It ties your project to the National History Day theme.
You should begin your project by creating a simple "working thesis". This will help you focus on what to research and save you time in the long run. A strong History Day thesis should have three elements:
TOPIC+THEME+IMPACT=THESIS
You probably have an idea of what topic you want to explore, and you know that the theme this year is "Taking a Stand in History". You probably don't yet know the impact of the stand you are researching. That is expected as you begin your project. The point is to discover the impact through your research. This is a "working thesis" because it will change as you learn about your topic.
Because this year's theme is fairly straight-forward, you can use a formula to figure out your working thesis:
____________________________ took a stand (for/against) _________________________. This stand led to
_____________________________________________________________________.
_____________________________________________________________________.
FINAL THESIS STATEMENT
Once you understand the impact of your person/event, you can revise your thesis statement to reflect the importance of what you have learned through your research. Below are some examples of poorly written thesis statements along with examples of how these thesis statements could be revised to be better.
Once you understand the impact of your person/event, you can revise your thesis statement to reflect the importance of what you have learned through your research. Below are some examples of poorly written thesis statements along with examples of how these thesis statements could be revised to be better.
THESIS STATEMENT EXAMPLES:
Poor example: I am going to tell you about the Reformation.
Better example: Martin Luther's 95 Thesis led to the Reformation disagreed with several practices of the Catholic church, including the selling of indulgences and corruption within the church. The development of the Protestant Church, as well as changes within the Catholic Church, were both turning points.
Poor example: Jackie Robinson was the first black major league baseball
player.
Better example: Jackie Robinson played baseball at a time when teams
were segregated, black from white. With the help of
manager Branch Rickey, Robinson brought change to
major league baseball when he was signed by the Brooklyn
Dodgers, breaking the color
Click here to find a worksheet that might help you write a better thesis statement.
Poor example: I am going to tell you about the Reformation.
Better example: Martin Luther's 95 Thesis led to the Reformation disagreed with several practices of the Catholic church, including the selling of indulgences and corruption within the church. The development of the Protestant Church, as well as changes within the Catholic Church, were both turning points.
Poor example: Jackie Robinson was the first black major league baseball
player.
Better example: Jackie Robinson played baseball at a time when teams
were segregated, black from white. With the help of
manager Branch Rickey, Robinson brought change to
major league baseball when he was signed by the Brooklyn
Dodgers, breaking the color
Click here to find a worksheet that might help you write a better thesis statement.