Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions; also see the revision notes.
Understanding
- ☐ I can explain what makes a thesis defensible: needs a defence and can be defended. (Guide: “What makes a thesis defensible”)
- ☐ I can list six shapes of weak thesis. (Guide: “Shapes of thesis to avoid”; practice question 5)
- ☐ I can explain the thesis demands of the three exam essays. (Guide: “Thesis for the three exam essays”)
Skills
- ☐ I can turn a topic into a thesis with a position and a reason. (Guide: Worked example 1; practice questions 1 and 4)
- ☐ I can write a rhetorical analysis thesis that says what choices accomplish. (Guide: Worked example 2; practice questions 2, 7 and 8)
- ☐ I can revise a weak thesis using four questions. (Guide: “Revising a weak thesis: four questions”; practice question 6)
- ☐ I can tell a thesis from a restatement of a prompt. (Practice question 3)
Reasoning
- ☐ I can explain why a thesis that lists devices is weak. (Practice questions 2 and 8)
- ☐ I can choose whether to preview the structure and justify the choice. (Guide: “Does the thesis need to preview the structure?”)
- ☐ I can judge whether a thesis can be defended in the time and space available. (Guide: “What makes a thesis defensible”)