This past week in class, all of us were surprised to see that Tina wasn’t standing behind the podium but Annalise instead. Annalise gave an informative and compelling presentation about the use of a thesis. A thesis is used to drive the point you are trying to convey. It is the crux and foundation of your argument. In doing so, it should clearly and explicitly define your claim or question. Additionally, the thesis is used as a tool to format the rest of the paper. Once the thesis is written, you are able to write your argument.
As a thoughtful writer who is very calculating when it comes to word choice, Annalise gave some very helpful suggestions and techniques for developing a thesis statement. The first technique she gave was creating a mind map. By doing this, it gives us an easier way to view how we want to branch out our argument through our topic. The next suggestion Annalise gave was to talk out our ideas. She gave numerous examples like our friends, family, roommate, and enemy, just to name a few. Talking it out assists in finding the root of your argument. It is also helpful to hear feedback from peers about your ideas and know if your argument is valid and legitimate. The last suggestion Annalise gave was to write and then summarize it with the use of a few keywords just like we do with these blog posts. I really connected with this suggestion because I am often confused with what my own topic is. Writing is scary, and Annalise’s suggestion about facing it head-on and then writing keywords seemed like a creative solution and different approach.
