Helpful Tips for the Thematic Essay

Remember: M.A.I.N.

M - Militarism

A - Alliance Systems

I   - Imperialism

N - Nationalism


Checklist for Thematic:

(1) Do you Know the Task? 

The political, economic, and social causes of World War I as well as the outcomes of WWI.


(2) Does the reader understand the theme of the essay when reading your intro?

If it is not clear what the topic/theme is for the essay then you must be sure to modify your introduction to do so. You must set the tone for the essay.


(3) Did you attempt to answer the task questions in the introduction briefly?

If you did not go back and do that!


(4) Is your thesis in the introduction?

In the last sentence of the introduction you should have told the reader what you intend to prove over the course of the paper. The thesis is the weakest point of most high school writers and is something that college professors expect from you on day one.

For additional help visit the following site: Thesis Statements


(5) Do You have 8-10 pieces of outside information in your paper (minimum)?

In order to achieve the highest grade, you must write a cohesive essay that answers both task questions with at least 8-10 pieces of outside information on this essay.


(6) Does a large portion of the essay have topic sentences and transition sentences when needed?

Be sure to introduce the reader to paragraphs that are on different topics (Ex: The political differences between European nations were a driving force behind the conflicts that would erupt in the form of WWI) and transition at the end of each paragraph to the new topic about to be discussed (Ex: The causes of the First World War were numerous, but the outcomes would go on to effect the political landscape of Europe for decades).

AND DO NOT USE ANY OF MY EXAMPLES. COME UP WITH YOUR OWN!


(7) Are the 5 W's in your essay?

All essays should, at one point, have answered the following:
   
     Who was there? (Participants, People, Countries)
     What happened during this time? (Events Explained)
     Where did this happen? (Locations of where major events occurred)
     When did this happen? (General Time Period - WWI, WWII, 1918, Great Depression, etc)
     Why do we care? (This should be relevant throughout the essay and needs to be in the conclusion)


(8) Did you develop the task evenly?

This is listed as the requirement for all essays on the regents and in this class. You MUST be sure that all questions/requirements listed in the task are given the same amount of effort. One part of the task cannot and should not have more depth and detail than another.


(9) Does your conclusion restate the thesis, summarize each topic mentioned, and did you explain the importance of this topic? 

The thesis needs to be mentioned again in your conclusion. All topics mentioned in the body paragraphs have to be summarized. Most importantly, you must justify the importance of the writing on this particular topic.