Final Thesis Statement Rundown

 Every final project should have a main point, the main idea, or the central message. The argument(s) you make in your project should reflect this main idea. The sentence that captures your position on this main idea is what we call a thesis statement.

A thesis statement focuses your ideas into one or two sentences. It should present the topic of your project and also comment on your position concerning the subject. Your thesis statement should tell your viewers what the project is about and help guide your writing and keep your argument focused.

​This short video should help you figure out how to create your thesis statement.

Thesis Assignment Rundown:

• Answer the questions of the Thesis Statement Assignment on Blackboard.
• Once it is approved, you may begin working on your project.
• You must pick out a finite topic. You cannot do a thesis on the Civil War, as there are countless books and entire classes dedicated to the topic. You could, however, have your topic be about women in the South during the Civil War, or African Americans that serves at the Battle of Bull Run.
• It must be an event/person that occurred/lived during the timeframe of your class. (Ex: if you are in HST 201, your thesis may not include Ronald Reagan, as he was born after 1877. UNLESS it is a compare/contrast with an event within the timeframe)
• This assignment is due by the end of WEEK SEVEN (or WEEK THREE in 8 week courses).​

NOTE: Make sure you keep a copy of your approved thesis statement, seems students forget them halfway through the class! 

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Here are the actual questions that are a part of the assignment post on BLACKBOARD. Make sure you can answer the following:

1. What time frame or event is this taking place during? (Ex: The US Occupation of Haiti, 1914-1935)
2. What aspect will you be looking at? (Ex: The destruction of Vodun practices by U.S. Marines)
3. What is your actual thesis? (Ex. due to Jim Crow mentalities, a lack of cultural empathy, and imperialistic tendencies lead to the destruction of many Vodun practices in Haiti at the hands of U.S Marines in 1917.)

Still need help picking out a thesis? Maybe Billy Joel will help!

Some Key Pointers to Writing a Great Thesis

1. A strong thesis statement takes some stand. Remember that your thesis needs to show your conclusions about a subject. 
2. A strong thesis statement justifies the discussion. Your thesis should indicate the point of the debate. A good strategy for creating a solid thesis is to show that the topic is controversial. Viewers will be interested in watching the rest of the video essay to see how you support your point.
3. A strong thesis statement expresses one main idea. Viewers need to be able to see that your video essay has one central point. If your thesis statement expresses more than one idea, you might confuse your readers about the subject of your project. Many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like because, since, so, although, unless, and however.
4. A strong thesis statement is specific. A thesis statement should show exactly what your video essay will be about and will help you keep your project to a manageable topic.
   

​Wanting to learn more? Check out these links for other portions of the class:

Final Project

Modules

HST 201

HST 202