On How to Develop a Thesis

Developing Your Persuasive Speech Thesis- Be Clear, Be Accurate, Be Engaging



Now that you've committed to your persuasive speech purpose, have read about how to create a thesis statement (and taken the quiz), it's time for you to formulate your thesis here. Remember a thesis is your central idea or primary "message." It may sound awkward, but you could think about a thesis statement this way:



For an Informative Speech: A thesis is what you want your audience to walk away thinking about.



For a Persuasive Speech: A thesis is what you want your audience to walk away planning to do OR change their minds about.



Since our over-arching purpose with this speech is to persuade our audience to change their minds about a particular value or to urge them to incorporate that value into their lives, you will want to make sure the message is clear early in the speech, throughout the body of the speech, and definitely as you wrap up your speech.



So, in creating that primary message/thesis, you might want to use the following 4-step formula:



Step 1. Begin with a strong "I" statement-



Step 2. Include your topic-



Step 3. Add your thought or perspective about the topic-



Step 4. Keep your audience in mind (in what specific aspect of their lives are you going to focus?)-



Here's an example using the value of "self-confidence".



4 step process to develop thesis.jpg



So in putting it all together, a thesis for this Persuasive Values Speech could look like:



Thesis Statement .jpg



There is another formula we can follow when organizing the main points in the body of our speech, but we'll discuss that in our next lesson.



Right now, you'll want to create and post your thesis to the discussion board. Follow directions carefully. For full credit you'll want to make sure you include all aspects of the assignment. Your thesis must reflect the guidelines above.



Remember: Be Clear, Be Accurate, Be Engaging. (Focus on connecting with your audience.)



Once you've posted, make sure you review as many of your classmates' thesis statements as possible. Provide comments to at least 3. Can you make suggestions to help your peers clarify their thesis? What suggestions might they have for you? Stay open-minded. Work together. Help each other out. Trust one another.