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Title page Abstract Intro topic 1 topic2 topic3 topic 4 Conclusion References w/thesis
Page 1: TITLE Page = title of paper, name, class, date, professor etc.
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Page 2: ABSTRACT (if necessary)
The Abstract is a brief description (summary) of the highlights (research, methodology and results) of an experimental study, and is one paragraph in length. Abstracts should be written in an active voice (“Results showed” . . . . not “It was found that”), should be 100 words or less, has no indentions, and should be arranged in the same order as your paper.
Page 3-??: HOW TO CHOOSE A PAPER TOPIC & WRITE A THESIS
I. The Paper Question A. Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can be reduced to a single question. Your first step, then, is to distill the assignment into a specific question.
Example Q: “What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class?”
___________________________________________________________ . (Write yours, following the example in the space above).
B. After you’ve chosen the question your essay will answer, compose one or two complete sentences answering that question.
A: “The potential benefits of using computers in a fourth-grade class are . . .” OR A: “Using computers in a fourth-grade class promises to improve . . .”
___________________________________________________________ . (Write yours, following the example in the space above).
The answer to the question is the idea for the paper.
II. Generate a thesis statement from your question & answer idea. A. Brainstorm the topic. Let’s say that your class focuses upon the problems posed by changes in the dietary habits of Americans. You find that you are interested in the amount of sugar Americans consume. You start out with a thesis statement like this:
“Sugar consumption.”
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(Write yours, following the example in the space above).
This fragment isn’t a thesis statement. Instead, it simply indicates a general subject. Furthermore, your reader doesn’t know what you want to say about sugar consumption.
B. Narrow the topic. Your readings about the topic, however, have led you to the conclusion that elementary school children are consuming far more sugar than is healthy. You change your thesis to look like this:
“Reducing sugar consumption by elementary school children.”
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(Write yours, following the example in the space above).
This fragment not only announces your subject, but it focuses on one segment of the population: elementary school children. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree, because while most people might agree that children consume more sugar than they used to, not everyone would agree on what should be done or who should do it. You should note that this fragment is not a thesis statement because your reader doesn’t know your conclusions on the topic.
C. Take a position on the topic. After reflecting on the topic a little while longer, you decide that what you really want to say about this topic is that something should be done to reduce the amount of sugar these children consume. You revise your thesis statement to look like this:
“More attention should be paid to the food and beverage choices available to elementary school children.”
___________________________________________________________ .
(Write yours, following the example