Definitions
What is a thesis statement within argumentative writing?
It is one clear sentence that includes an opinion. However, the opinion is stated like a fact. It guides the paragraph and is the main claim.
Thesis statement can also be called...
Claim
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers. In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk. This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death. The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What is the closing sentence?
The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
Which concrete detail is stronger for this claim? Why?
Claim: Schools should implement a later start time because the earliness of the start time is negatively impacting students' health.
CD 1: In the article, "Sleep or Lack Thereof", James Tarson, a writer for Pew Research, says, "Studies show that when the school start time was two hours later, students performed 76 percent better in school."
CD 2: In the article, "Sleep or Lack Thereof", James Tarson, a writer for Pew Research, says, "The earliness of school is causing students to be sleep deprived, and their performance in school reflects that. It has been proven through research that sleep deprivation can eventually lead to more serious health concerns."
CD 2: In the article, "Sleep or Lack Thereof", James Tarson, a writer for Pew Research, says, "The earliness of school is causing students to be sleep deprived, and their performance in school reflects that. It has been proven through research that sleep deprivation can eventually lead to more serious health concerns."
CD 2 is stronger.
What is concrete detail? What type of concrete details could you use?
Concrete detail is evidence that supports your thesis statement. Types of CDs: direct quote, fact, statistic
Evidence is also called...
Concrete Detail
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers. In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk. This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death. The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What is the concrete detail?
In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.”
Create a thesis statement for this prompt:
Should students have a greater say in what they learn?
Students should have a say in what they learn because...
Students should not have a say in what they learn because...
What does commentary do? What is the sentence stem for the first commentary?
Commentary provides explanation of your concrete detail and ties it back in with your claim. C1: This means that
Commentary is also called...
Reasoning
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers. In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk. This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death. The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What is the thesis statement?
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers.
Create commentary 1 for this concrete detail:
In the article, "Sleep or Lack Thereof", James Tarson, a writer for Pew Research, says, "The earliness of school is causing students to be sleep deprived, and their performance in school reflects that. It has been proven through research that sleep deprivation can eventually lead to more serious health concerns."
This means that...
What is the sentence stem for the second commentary?
This is important because
Another way to say claim is...
Thesis Statement
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers. In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk. This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death. The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What is commentary 1?
This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk.
Create commentary 2 for this concrete detail:
Claim: Schools should implement a later start time because the earliness of the start time is negatively impacting students' health.
CD: In the article, "Sleep or Lack Thereof", James Tarson, a writer for Pew Research, says, "The earliness of school is causing students to be sleep deprived, and their performance in school reflects that. It has been proven through research that sleep deprivation can eventually lead to more serious health concerns."
This is important because...
Take it to the world!
Call to action!
Concrete Detail is also called...
Evidence
Cell phones should be prohibited from being used while driving because they are a dangerous distraction to drivers. In the article, “Distracted Driving and Risk of Road Crashes among Novice and Experienced Drivers,” The New England Journal of Medicine reported, “Drivers using a cell phone were four times more likely to have an accident than those not using a phone.” This means that drivers are not focused on the road, rather, they are focused on their conversations, leaving everyone on the road at risk. This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death. The best road to safety is to just hang up and drive.
What is commentary 2?
This is important because it can lead to unnecessary harm, legal ramifications, and death.
Create a thesis statement for this prompt:
Should celebrities have a right to privacy, or do they forfeit some of that right by choosing to live in the public eye?
Celebrities should have a right to privacy because...
Celebrities should not have a right to privacy because...