Writing Killer Thesis

Statements

“How to Head–off Weak Essays”

By Mike Burns, Concordia International School Shanghai, Shanghai, Chinawhap4fun@gmail.com

Address the Prompt!

• Understand what the task is.– Analyze, Compare, Contrast, etc

• Address ALL parts of the question– Read carefully to see what you must address

Address the Prompt continued

• Remember the Rule of Three.– Make at least three points– Supply at least three pieces of evidence in

support of each point

Address the Prompt continued

• Think in general terms of SPRITE– Social, Political, Religious, Intellectual,

Technology, Economics– Better, be more specific of the sub-categories

of SPRITE• Gender Issues, Social Hierarchy, Trade,

Philosophy, Gov’t structure, etc.

The basic…

• “Gender relations changed economically, politically, and socially from early Bedouin and Islamic societies to later Islamic societies.”

Step-by-Step to a better thesis

• How did gender relations change from early Bedouin and Islamic societies to later Islamic Societies? (C/Cot Question)– Think of THREE areas in which change

occurred• Economic influence• Marriage• Legal Status• Add more if you can think of some

Step-by-Step

• Use the question to frame your thesis

• “Gender relations changed from early Bedouin and Islamic societies to later

+Islamic societies in terms of women’s economic contributions (Economic)

+ the status of women’s legal rights, (Political)

+ and marriage practices (Social) .”

Another

• “Compare the spread, groups who joined, and universal appeal of Islam with either Buddhism or Christianity” (Comparative)

• Think SPRITE (+ Geography)– Moved from center of origin (geography)– Spread by merchants (Islam)– Spread by missionaries (Christianity,

Buddhism)

Comparative Continued

• Groups who joined– Women, poor, lower classes, slaves,

merchants, urban, etc.

• Universal Appeal (reasons for)– Equality in eyes of God (I, C)– Eternal after-life (I,C,B)– Fellowship of believers (Christendom, Umma,

Sangha)

The Thesis

• Islam and Christianity shared many similarities and differences

The Blah Thesis

• Although Islam and Christianity shared some similarities in their spread and universal appeal, there were important differences in the groups they appealed to.

Better Thesis

• Although Christianity and Islam both spread significant distances from their places of origin, the methods by which they spread differed significantly; however, despite these differences both faiths appealed to many of the same groups for many of the same reasons.”

Identify the issues raised by the growth of Manchester and

analyze the various reactions to those issues…”

So, your thesis should contain….WHAT?

Compare and contrast Russia’s political and economic

interaction with the West during this time period (1450-1750) with

that of either China, Japan, or India

How can you apply the rule of 3?

Analyze the changes and continuities in Europe’s economic position vis-à-vis the rest of the

world between 1450-1750

What are key dates and events you need to know in order to Address the Prompt?

The Q is not about Euro, it’s about Euro’s change in position relative to the rest of the world.