MIT Visualizing Cultures


Yokohama Boomtown Curriculum, Lesson 07

DBQ: The Changing Relationship between Japan and the West

Practice Exercise

Making a general statement (position statement) from specific statements
Creating a thesis statement

Read the following statements:

Statement 1: Many people use the Internet to shop.
Statement 2: Many students communicate through instant messaging.
Statement 3: People are able to complete distant education courses over the Internet.
Statement 4: More people are subscribing to newspapers online.
Statement 5: College students often use online reference services rather than hard-copy books.

Now think about a general statement you can make that each of these specific points supports. That’s how to make a generalization and form a thesis statement.

Examples of possible thesis statements that fit the statements above:
The Internet has many uses.
The Internet has changed the way people conduct their daily business.
The Internet has many positive effects.



Lesson developed by Lynn Parisi.






Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2008 Visualizing Cultures