Agenda

(1) What is a Thesis Statement? (2) Problems in Writing a Thesis Statement? (3) Class activity (4) Quiz #1 (4%)

What is a Thesis Statement?

Recall: What is a Technical Report?

y A technical report is a series of sections, starting
y

What is a Thesis Statement?

It is a road map for the report; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the report. It directly answers the questions you asked (topic). It is a statement of argument to be validated by the technical report. It should address one message, be specific, and state your position about topic. It states the main, controlling idea in the report. It gives an assertion/conclusion, and not a simple fact. It shows how well (or not!) you understand the topic Near the end of the introductory paragraph/section.

from the introductory section and ending with the concluding section, with body sections in between.
y A technical report is centered around one main,

y y

specific message. This message is expressed in a thesis statement.

y y

What is a Thesis Statement? Chain of Proof

All sentences in a paragraph must prove that its topic sentence is true.

What is a Thesis Statement?

Report thesis Body:

Paragraph: topic sentence (first point) supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence (second point)

All the paragraphs in a report must prove that the reports thesis is true

supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence (third point) supporting sentences

What is a Thesis Statement?

What is a Thesis Statement?

Report thesis Body:

Paragraph: topic sentence (first point)

Report thesis Body:

Paragraph: topic sentence

supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence (second point)

supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence

supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence (third point)

supporting sentences Paragraph: topic sentence

supporting sentences

supporting sentences

Formula To Write a Good Thesis

One Specific Main Subject (what)
y

Examples of Good Thesis Statement

Civil engineers can successfully treat environmental problems because of their knowledge, professional skills, intellectual skills, and participation in community activities. The mastery of designing a building such as Fallingwater and the ability to unit the natural landscape with the environment are the two main reasons why Frank Wright is a great architect. Air pollution in Egypt has affected the country socially, politically, and economically.

+
Opinion / Position / Assertion / Comment / Argument / Claim (how)
y

+
Reasons / Supporting Points / Justification / Rational / Evidence / Explanation (why; so what)
A thesis can be one or two sentences (action verbs)
y

Examples of Good Thesis Statement

y y

Examples of Good Thesis Statement

Because it emits no greenhouse gasses, causes no atmospheric pollution, and harms no water or aquatic life, Nuclear power provides the cleanest source of energy to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. Nuclear power provides the cleanest source of energy to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. It emits no greenhouse gasses, causes no atmospheric pollution, and harms no water or aquatic life. There are four steps to register a student organization on campus. They are simple, systematic, and can be completed in a single day.

An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing administrators: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.
y

Engineering university graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering the profession in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.
y

Common Problems in Writing a Thesis

y Too Broad (too general, vague, not specific enough) There are some negative and positive aspects to enrolling in summer courses. y Too Limited (simple facts, observation, dead-end) Walking is a good exercise for the muscles. Child abuse is a major serious problem in Asian countries.

Common Problems in Writing a Thesis

y A healthy diet is important. (too broad) y People should include eight servings of fruits and vegetables in

their diet everyday. (too narrow)

y A healthy diet is important because it increases energy, prevents

illness and promotes well-being of people. (good)

y It is offensive for students to be forced to wear school uniforms.

(too broad) y Students who are forced to wear school uniforms have their creativity repressed. (too narrow) y School uniforms should not be mandatory in public schools because it would repress students creativity, take away students rights, and cause students to lose interest in school. (good)

Common Problems in Writing a Thesis

y Conflicting subjects / claims TV commercials are annoying because they interrupt watching a good show, but they provide an opportunity to take a snack break. y Multiple (more than one) subjects / claims Petroleum engineering is a popular discipline nowadays because it is important and gives high salaries like civil engineering.

Common Problems in Writing a Thesis

y Statement of Purpose (announcements) It states the purpose, scope and direction of the report, but not the conclusions.
Examples: This report describes the four steps required to register a student organization on campus. The aim of this report is to compare between architectural and structural systems. The objective of this report is to discuss how engineers influenced environmental problems. This report evaluates budget plans prepared by project managers

Class Activity Good or Not Thesis

y y y

Class Activity Good or Not Thesis

The Worlds Fair in New Orleans was a disaster because of the way the press criticized the way it was run, but it was exciting for little children and had many good food. y The government must do more efforts to put an end to the problem of child labour. y Summer courses in university are very useful to students because they allow students to remain active, become well organized, and make full use of their time. y The objectives of my study are to describe the recent developments in different disciplines of engineering and to compare the advantages of each discipline with the others.
y

y y

This report analyzes damage in buildings due to earthquakes. Information technology is essential in making people feel more privacy. Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support. The steel industry world-wide has many problems. Professional trainers recommend walking because it relieves the stress.

Quiz #1 (4%)

30 minutes