Term Paper on "Parents Need to Realize the Importance of Both Parents in a Child's Life"

Quoted Instructions for "Parents Need to Realize the Importance of Both Parents in a Child's Life" Assignment:

I'm adding the assignment just to give you an idea of the paper I'm looking for

OBJECTIVE: To develop and support a viable thesis statement.

Thesis Statement

A complete sentence that states the main point of your paper and suggests your point of view. It should not state the obvious, and the selected topic should be *****arguable,***** meaning there will be other points of view on the subject. (You do not have to have the ultimate answer.) Please see examples below. Also see Easy Access, Section 9.

Papers 2, 3, and 4 are labeled *****analytical.***** Analysis means to explore a concept or idea by examining its component parts (cause & effect, before and after, perception and reality, particular and universal, etc.). For example,

Why and how has watching television become such an integral part of our lives?

What single event in your life had the most impact on the adult you have become?

Why can*****t we *****all just get along*****?

Why do half of today*****s marriages fail?

Why do so many young students dread school? What is *****dreadful***** about it?

How is the prevalence of cell phone use affecting our culture?

Why do we want to keep going back to a place we love?

Why do people write symphonies?

How do you know that a serve is an ace? that your hit is a home run? that you are

going to win the race? get the job?

Why do we re-read books? see movies again? play the same CD over and over?

Why do so many people want fame? define "fame"

What does it mean to be "smart?"

*****¦and so on*****¦

Analysis often begins with a question that elicits both thought and experiential responses. It does not require *****outside research***** and may use your own perceptions and experiences as support. Your Thesis Statement should suggest your focus in the paper.

Thus, your aim in this paper should be

To select a subject that is important to you

To brainstorm or mind map your ideas and possible approaches

To develop a thesis statement that expresses the point you want your reader

to think about or relate to

To include enough details and examples to support your thesis

To organize the paper in a way that complements the thesis

To consider your audience; to write to them in appropriate vocabulary and style

To start and end powerfully

To experiment with artful punctuation

Sample Thesis Statements

Bad: I hate my commute between home and school.

Better: Students who must commute a long distance to college are at a disadvantage compared to students who live close by: their access to campus facilities (library, computer labs) is reduced, their commute may be comprised by inclement weather, and study time is often eaten up by the commute itself. Thus, commuting students must be clever enough to counter the disadvantages.

Avoid using merely personal experience as your support*****”and never use a paper as an opportunity to whine; use it to clarify and find solutions to problems. Also avoid stating the obvious.

Bad: In this paper, I will discuss cheating and why students shouldn*****t cheat.

Better: Students who cheat in their college classes undermine the goal of education: learning.

Never state what you intend to write about; just write about it.

And don*****t assume your reader will know what you mean; *****the goal of education***** can mean many things to many people; clarify what you mean.

Bad: Television advertisements are designed to sell products. (States the obvious.)

Bad: Some television advertisements are really dumb. (Statement of opinion.)

Better: Three current advertisements on television are clever, entertaining, and exhibit good marketing research.

Thesis suggests you know what advertising is meant to do*****”create sales*****”and demonstrates your critical viewing of TV ads.

Additional thesis statements that open the door to thought:

Families can use several strategies to help children* avoid alcohol and drugs. (*Provide ages; *****children***** means different things to different readers.)

We often blame *****the media***** for some of the silly things we see in our culture*****”fashion fads, the emphasis on external beauty, even rude behavior*****”but can we blame the media for what we choose to do?

Today*****s high schools need to challenge students more than they do; many students are lazy because they are allowed to be.

Choosing a career path today is difficult for young people; we need to listen to many voices to make a good decision.

OBJECTIVES FOR PAPER

To experiment with the different sources of good writing

(i.e., reading, new experiences, spontaneous generation, etc.)

To see yourself as a generator of knowledge and ideas

To become an effective communicator of your ideas

To practice developing a clear and dynamic thesis

To discover and present significant support

To practice control: of topic, organization, mechanics

To improve analytical skills

To increase precise vocabulary usage

To practice effective grammar and artful punctuation

To include at least one semi-colon (identified in paper)

Suggestions: (*****ST***** = Sample Thesis)

1, If one of the options on the In-class assignment sheet appealed to you, write on that.

#3 possible thesis: My generation is sometimes called lazy by the older generation (our grandparents) because we rely on current technology (calculators, cell phones, computers, etc). What is wrong with using this technology?

#1 possible thesis: One image of my age group seems to be that we are slaves to media: we try to look like the latest rock stars; we are overly concerned with external (rather than internal) beauty, and many young women have developed poor eating habits in order to stay slim. These values, however, are more characteristic of youth than of maturity. As we age, my generation will question superficial values and develop those of mature adults.

2. Consider going without electronic access for (at least) 24 hours: no TV, no earphones, no music, no computer / computer games, no cell phones. How does your reality*****”or your perception of reality*****”change in the presence of quiet?

3. Select a movie you have seen lately and construct a thesis statement that reflects your analysis of it. (ST: In many movies today, violence and special effects have replaced a good story about people you can believe in.)

4. Describe a book (or a series of books) you have read and analyze why they were worth reading. (ST: The Harry Potter books are good for kids 10 to 14 because they include problem solving skills.)

5. Discuss one of your hobbies (cooking, fishing, playing music, etc.) in terms of what it has taught you. (ST: Cooking allows you to make serendipitous mistakes: sometimes the result of a mistake is better than the original!)