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Activities to Teach How to Write A Thesis Statement

Research Writing , Secondary Literacy , Writing

If there’s any literacy skill you would want your English Language Arts students to master, it would probably be how to write a thesis statement . If you want to teach your students how to write powerful, eloquent, and exceptionally captivating thesis statements, then you’ll love the activities in this article.

The key to any good essay is a strong thesis statement. A strong thesis statement sets the tone and clarifies the author’s purpose : it tells you the writer’s opinion, along with the level of thought and criticism that has gone into formulating it.

A strong thesis statement also creates an alluring introduction paragraph. This makes each paper in your grading pile a lot more inviting.

How do you teach students to write a thesis statement to make their audience continue reading? This blog post explores six activities to teach how to write a thesis statement.

Activities to Teach How to Write a Thesis Statement in High School

1. Differentiate Between Strong and Weak Thesis Statements

Writing a thesis statement might be a new skill for your students. Thesis statements are often taught as a topic sentence or the “whole essay boiled down into one sentence.” This can be a challenging concept for your students to grasp.

To teach how to write a thesis statement, have a discussion about what makes a strong thesis statement. You can turn this into a collaborative lesson by brainstorming clarifying statements ; these statements dictate what a thesis is and is not.

For example: “ A proper thesis statement is written in one sentence ,” or “ a proper thesis statement is directly related to the rest of the essay .” This is a great opportunity to teach students the difference between concepts like a “topic sentence” or a “hook.”

Your students can use this free bookmark to differentiate between a strong thesis statement and a weak one. This slideshow lesson also explores clarifying statements with detailed examples.

How to scaffold thesis statements: the ultimate guide

2. Evaluate Thesis Statement Examples

Now that students have plenty of guidelines, challenge their understanding by evaluating thesis statement examples . You can use thesis statement examples from past students’ essays. You can even write your own examples based on the clarifying statements you create with your class.

If you’re open to your students receiving constructive, anonymous criticism , you can even have them write a thesis statement and evaluate each one as a class. I’ve had success with providing students with a thesis statement topic and having them write a thesis statement. Then, I prompt them to swap with their elbow partner to offer feedback.

If you’d rather provide a comprehensive list of thesis statements that reflect the common errors you would typically see in students’ essays, there are several student examples in this introductory lesson on how to write a thesis statement – this is one of my favourite activities for teaching thesis statement writing!

Scaffolding How to Write Thesis Statements

3. Provide a Thesis Statement Template

One of the easiest ways to teach how to write a thesis statement is to offer a thesis statement template . There are a variety of thesis statement templates that students can use as a framework for their essays. I start with a basic template that involves the three parts of a thesis statement: a topic, position, and evidence . I then demonstrate to students how they can create variations of this template, depending on which order they introduce each part. You can find examples for each template in these thesis statement handouts .

You can also introduce a few sentence styles to your students. These styles scaffold eloquent thesis statements. They also offer students the space to articulate their thoughts without exceeding the one-sentence limit.

Sentence Styles for the Three Parts of a Thesis Statement

Here are a few sentence styles that incorporate the three parts of a thesis statement. Each style also includes an example written by a real student:

  • Style A : “Noun phrase; Noun phrase; Noun phrase – Independent Clause” Example: “The promotion of hygiene; the presence of medical professionals; the prevention of death – these are all reasons why supervised injection services are an important facet of public health.”
  • Style B : If (subject + verb + object phrase), if (subject + verb + object phrase ), if (subject + verb + object phrase ), then (independent clause) Example: “If taxpayers do not wish to have their money allocated to cruelty, if more than 100 million animals die from animal testing a year, if alternatives to animal testing exist, then governments should ban the practice of testing on animals.”
  • Style C : Independent clause: subject + verb, subject + verb, subject + verb Example: “College education should be entirely funded by the government: student debt would be eliminated, education would not be commodified, and access to education would not be exclusive to privileged people.”

All of these sentence styles are outlined in these practice worksheets for how to write a thesis statement, with writing prompts to reinforce each thesis statement template through repeated practice.

Thesis Statement Templates for Teaching Writing in ELA

4. Daily Practice Activities to Teach How to Write a Thesis Statement

One of the most effective ways to teach how to write a thesis statement is through repeated practice. You can do this by incorporating daily bell ringers into your persuasive writing unit. To assign this activity, I provide students with three topics to choose from. I then prompt them to develop an opinion and write a thesis statement for one.

I’ll also include bell ringers that provide a thesis statement that students need to evaluate. Students really enjoy these drills! They get the opportunity to develop opinions on interesting topics, and many of them choose to explore these ideas as the subject of their final research paper.

If you’re looking for pre-made worksheets with thesis statement activities, these daily thesis statement bell ringers include one month’s worth of thesis statement prompts, graphic organizers, and templates in both digital and ready-to-print format.

5. Use a Self-Assessment Thesis Statement Anchor Chart

You can provide students with a thesis statement anchor chart to reference the guidelines and rules they’ve learned. A personalized anchor chart is best – like this free thesis statement bookmark – so that students can have it on hand while they are reading and writing.

You can distribute the anchor chart at the beginning of your research paper unit. Students can refer to it while evaluating thesis statement examples or completing daily practice activities. A thesis statement anchor chart has been a complete game-changer in my classroom, and I’m pleased to learn that many of my students have held on to these after completing my course.

Teaching thesis statements in high school ELA

6. Provide Engaging Thesis Statement Topics

You can collaborate with your students to generate an engaging list of good topics for thesis statements. Start by writing down every topic that your students suggest. Then, you can narrow this list down to avoid broad, far-reaching thesis statements that lead to a watered-down essay. When I make this list with my students, we end up with topics that are truly engaging for them. I also have the opportunity to clarify which topics might be a little too vague or broad for an exceptional essay.

For example, students often suggest topics like “racism” or “the problem with school.” These are learning opportunities to demonstrate to students that a great thesis statement is the essential starting point for an even greater essay.

To elaborate, a topic like racism has different implications all over the world. It is far too complex to explore in a single, 750-word essay. Instead, we work together to narrow this topic down to something like “racism in the media,” or even better, “representation in Hollywood.”

Additionally, a topic like “the problem with school” is more of a conclusion. To solve this, we work backward to identify some of the aspects of our school that make it an obstacle . This can include uniforms, early starts, or cell phone policies. This process leads students to a more concise topic, like “cell phone policies in twenty-first-century schools.”

If you’re looking for engaging thesis statement topics to inspire your students, I’ve included a list of 75 argumentative essay topics in this practice unit for how to write a thesis statement .

Tying it All Together

There are plenty of fun thesis statement activities and practice lessons that you can incorporate into your curriculum. Give thesis statements the love and attention they deserve in the classroom – after all, they truly are the most important part of a research essay.

All of the worksheets, lessons, and activities explored in this blog post are included in Mondays Made Easy’s unit for teaching how to write a thesis statement . This bundle has everything you need to teach your students how to master their thesis statements and apply these essential literacy skills to their writing.

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5 Tips for Teaching How to Write A Thesis Statement

5 Tips for Teaching How to Write A Thesis Statement

The first time I had students write a thesis, I assumed they knew how to do it. After all, I learned all about the five-paragraph essay myself in middle school in the same school district. To my disappointment, not a single student knew how to write an adequate thesis statement. I realized it was a skill I was going to have to teach myself. After several papers and many years, here are my tips for teaching how to write a thesis statement. 

Image of students in a classroom writing with text overlay that says,

Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #1: Teach Directly

You need a whole lesson around the thesis statement. 

teaching thesis statements high school

It can be ten minutes or a whole class period with note-taking and an activity. 

But you have to spend some time directly teaching the thesis statement. You can’t expect students–even seniors in high school–to know what a thesis statement is, its purpose, or where it’s supposed to go. 

If you’re teaching an essay writing unit, go ahead and explain the whole essay structure. But make sure you plan some time to specifically touch on the thesis statement and its role. 

Don’t have a thesis-specific lesson? Check out my five-paragraph essay mini-lessons here , which include some thesis-specific slides. 

Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #2: Explain The Role of a Thesis

I think it’s easy for students to grasp the concept of a thesis. It states what the essay is going to be about. They can get that.

But I think it’s much harder for students to understand how the thesis also guides and outlines the rest of the essay.  

teaching thesis statements high school

By the time they’re writing the conclusion statements for their body paragraphs, they’ve forgotten their own thesis and rarely reference it. Instead of letting their thesis dictate the topic of their body paragraphs, they get stuck trying to come up with something new.

Don’t just tell students what a thesis is. Spend some time showing them how the thesis continues to be referenced in every following paragraph. Show them how the ideas presented in their thesis statement will guide the following paragraphs. 

Not sure how? This Unscramble the 5-Paragraph Essay Activity is a great start . Students will have to put the sentences in an essay in order, which can lead to some great discussions about how a strong thesis statement adds clarity to the rest of the essay’s structure.

Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #3: Give Students A Framework 

If your students are struggling with writing strong thesis statements, give them a framework. 

I know as teachers, it can get really boring to read “W is true because X, Y, Z.” But the structure does work, and it’s a great place for struggling writers to start. 

If you’ve used other writing frameworks in class (such as claim, evidence, and reasoning or C-E-R ), your students will be familiar with having a structure for their writing. They’ll be familiar with the concept already and a lot more confident producing their own thesis statements. 

teaching thesis statements high school

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Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #4: Provide Lots of Examples

As with teaching all new skills, you can never have enough examples. 

teaching thesis statements high school

If your students are writing essays, provide them with examples for the topic they’re covering. But also provide lots of examples for other essay topics.

Give them examples that are both strong and weak, and let them discuss why each is which. 

Let them peer-edit one another’s thesis statements. 

You can do this in a note-taking style lesson, sit and get discussions, or, my personal favorite, a gallery walk. 

If this last idea is interesting to you, check out my Writing Strong Thesis Statements Activity . You’ll place examples of both strong and weak thesis statements around the room. Then, students will have to walk around the room, identifying which statements are strong and which are weak. It’s a great jumping off point for deeper discussions around effective theses. 

Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #5: Give Sentence Starters for More Scaffolding

If your students are still struggling, give them sentence starters. 

Provide students with the thesis statement itself. Leave a blank for their overall argument and their three supporting reasons (if that’s the structure you expect from them). 

Even if your students do alright with writing thesis statements, it might be nice to offer a variety of sentence starters to encourage them to try a new structure for their thesis. 

Image of a student writing with text overlay that says,

Bonus Tip: Teach the Plural Form

This is a little silly, but I thought I would add it. Teach students that the plural of “thesis” is “theses.”

Every time I use the word “theses” in my classroom, students are tickled by it. I’m not sure why they find the plural version so odd, but it’s an interesting tidbit you can casually share with your students during one of your essay-writing lessons.

Image of a student writing with text overlay that says,

Like all good teaching, taking it slow and offering multiple forms of scaffolding is the key to teaching how to write a thesis statement. 

If you’re looking for thesis or general essay-writing resources, check out my 5-Paragraph Essay Writing Resources Bundle!

teaching thesis statements high school

The Daring English Teacher on Teachers Pay Teachers Secondary ELA resources Middle School ELA High School English

5 Tips for Teaching Thesis Statement Writing: Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement

Teaching Thesis Statement Writing in Secondary ELA

Since the thesis statement is such a crucial part of any academic paper or essay, I make sure I spend some time on each essay teaching thesis statement writing to my students. When my students complete a formal essay in class, I make it a point to go through the entire writing process with them. Once students have brainstormed and selected the main ideas for their essays, it is time to write the thesis statement.

When I teach my high school English students about the thesis statement, I tell them that it is a roadmap or framework sentence that encapsulates the entire main argument or claim of the essay. I have my students write their thesis statement at the end of their introduction, and I like to have them keep it to one sentence.

For middle school and high school students, writing a thesis statement can be a challenging task. Here are some steps that I walk my students through to help them craft a strong thesis statement .

5 Tips for Teaching Thesis Statement Writing

1. identify topics, supporting arguments, and main reasons..

I have my students outline their essays by identifying the main topic, supporting arguments, or main reasons. These ideas will be the basis for their thesis statement. When it comes to teaching how to write the thesis statement, it helps if students can identify the main elements of the essay first.

2. Brainstorm more ideas

Next, I have my students brainstorm ideas related to their main topics. This step helps them determine if they have enough reasons to include in an entire body paragraph. By brainstorming more ideas, students also get a stronger viewpoint of their essays.

3. Narrow the essay focus

Once my students have a list of ideas, I have them begin narrowing down their focus. They look for common themes or patterns they might find from their brainstormed ideas, and then I have them use them to develop a single, clear, concise thesis statement.

4. Thesis statements should be specific

As students develop their thesis statement, I have them check to make sure it is specific and focused. I instruct my students to avoid vague or general statements and try to make their thesis statement as specific and concrete as possible.

5. Make it clear and concise

Finally, I have my students revise and edit their thesis statements to ensure they are clear and concise. I like to remind my students that I should be able to read their thesis statement and know exactly what their entire essay will be about.

By teaching students these five steps, they can write a strong and effective thesis statement. If you are looking for additional help teaching students how to write a thesis statement, I like to use this Thesis Statement and Introduction Teaching Unit in my classroom with my students.

Thesis Statement and Essay Introduction – Essay Writing Unit – PRINT & DIGITAL

Help your students master the art of writing an introductory paragraph and thesis statement with this print and digital essay writing unit focusing on the introduction. This lesson will help your students improve their essay writing skills and write a well-developed and complete thesis statement and introduction paragraph for their multi-paragraph essay.

This essay writing teaching resource includes everything you need for instruction, including an editable presentation for direct instruction, practice work, and student handouts to help guide them through the thesis statement writing process.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Extremely satisfied

“ What a great resource! Students really need this reinforcement on thesis statements when they are writing. I often found myself struggling teaching writing because, as a natural writer, it came easy to me. I, then, found it a challenge to teach. This resource was a huge help and made teaching thesis statements a breeze.”

“ This seems to be such a challenging task for younger students, so I love that this product has a variety of ways and situations to conceptualize and implement the principles of thesis statements. The more ways they can see examples, the better! This is a very organized, systematic approach that helped me keep my focus while guiding students through this process. Thanks!”

“ I always find teaching the Thesis to be much more complicated for my 7th & 8th graders than it should be. Not anymore! This resource was so helpful and laid the aspects of a thesis out in such a clear and concise manner that my students were able to wrap their heads around it much sooner. They definitely had stronger thesis statements & I felt like I didn’t have to work quite as hard to make it happen. Thanks!”

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Writing a Thesis Statement

Writing a Thesis Statement Free Lesson Plan

Here is a guided writing workshop to teach students how to brainstorm and draft a thesis statement. This activity provides students an opportunity to consider their prompt and develop a claim that is effective and arguable. Three handouts are included in each download, with the teacher version also containing instructions on how to conduct the workshop.

This lesson plan can be used with any persuasive, argumentative, or research-based essay.

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Lindsay Ann Learning English Teacher Blog

Mastering How to Write Thesis Statements Once and For All

how-to-write-thesis-statement

June 15, 2020 //  by  Lindsay Ann //   1 Comment

Sharing is caring!

Let’s face it…teaching students how to write thesis statements is not always easy. In fact, it can be downright frustrating sometimes, leaving you wishing you knew some fun ways to teach thesis statements

Thinking is messy. Students (and sometimes teachers, too) want to know exactly what to do, what to write, how to write good thesis statements to round off their intro paragraph . 

Welcome to how to teach thesis statements 101. You’re in the right place if: 

  • You’ve ever felt like your students are robot zombies, spitting out formula thesis statements like Old Faithful. 
  • You’re tired of feeling like there could be a better way to teach thesis statement writing. 
  • You are fueled by coffee and a desire to help your students succeed.

Thesis Statement Structure

First off, a thesis statements should meet the following criteria: 

  • Opinion statement
  • One sentence
  • Offers unique insight

Within the one-sentence opinion statement that offers unique insight about a text, issue, or society, students should use clear and concise writing to make their focus known to the reader. 

And, if you plan to give students a specific prompt, teach them to unpack the prompt to determine how they will respond.

Thesis Statements for Literary Analysis

9th grade English teachers at my school have developed the strategy of teaching students to think critically about texts’ messages about society and human nature through alien visitation. Talk about fun ways to teach thesis statement!!  

They begin the school year by having an “alien” visit the classroom. Each class has to name its alien visitor who is there to observe human behavior. One year my officemate’s class named its alien “fre sha voca do” and I was amazed at how quickly her freshmen, who previously did not know how to write thesis statements, started thinking about “we as humans” messages. 

As a sophomore teacher, all I have to do is say “we as humans” and students know exactly what I mean.

Now, what does this have to do with thesis statements? 

💡 Well, if students are in the habit of thinking about what messages texts send about “we as humans,” they are primed for thesis statement writing.

how-to-write-thesis-statement

Thesis Statements Template

It’s nice to have a pattern to teach students. As all patterns, once students learn it, they can break it, but I have found that this pattern does help them to clarify and focus their thinking. Yes, these patterns are one of the fun ways to teach thesis statements…because they provide structure which leads to success. 

The basic literary analysis pattern for how to write thesis statements is as follows: 

Genre + Title + Author + (optional literary element) + Action Verb + WAH phrase (or a specific human sub-group, i.e. children) + Claim + Why or How. 

Let’s take a look at an example:

In his poem The Road Less Traveled, Robert Frost uses irony to suggest that we as humans lie to ourselves, creating a false sense of confidence in our own choices. 

Genre = poem Title = The Road Less Traveled Author = Robert Frost Optional Literary Element = irony Action Verb = suggest WAH Phrase + Claim = we as humans lie to ourselves How = creating a false sense of confidence in our own choices

Here’s another example: 

Let’s pretend that your students have just finished reading Born a Crime. Maybe you have asked them to compare and contrast Trevor Noah’s portrayal of apartheid to Alan Paton’s portrayal in Cry the Beloved Country. 

Well, a good thesis statement for this prompt has to capture comparison between two texts. 

Alan Paton’s novel Cry, the Beloved Country contrasts with Trevor Noah’s autobiography Born a Crime stylistically, though it touches on similar topics of racism and violence that plague post-apartheid South Africa; consequently, both texts reveal that we as humans must cling to hope and resilience even in the toughest of circumstances as the antidote to suffering.

Genres = novel, autobiography Titles = Cry, the Beloved Country, Born a Crime Authors = Alan Paton, Trevor Noah Optional Literary Element = (loosely mentioned) author’s style Action Verb = reveal WAH Phrase + Claim = we as humans must cling to hope and resilience even in the toughest of circumstances Why = hope / resilience are the antidote to suffering

Phew, that thesis statement had to cover a lot of ground. Notice the use of the subordinating conjunction consequently as a joiner word, making a one-sentence thesis statement possible.

How to Write Thesis Statements FAQ

Q: Do students have to follow the pattern exactly ?  A: No. Like ice cream, students can feel free to add some toppings.

Q: Do students have to say “we as humans” every time?  A: No. You can simply state the claim. The WAH statement is a frame to help students focus their thinking. 

👍 Are there questions that you have that I haven’t thought of here? Please leave a comment on the post and I may add your question here!

Can Thesis Statements be Questions?

I’ve heard students ask if thesis statements in essays can be a question. 

how-to-write-thesis-statement

To understand why the answer is “no,” students need to understand that there is such a thing as inductive vs. deductive essay organization. 

Students are familiar with deductive essay organization. This type of organization front-loads the thesis statement as a road map for the essay, using each paragraph to prove the main claim. This is like having a fully-completed puzzle and then examining different pieces of it.

Inductive organization, on the other hand, lacks a directly stated thesis in the beginning of the essay. Instead, the thesis comes at the end and the writer weaves together different points, often using questioning to move toward a final conclusion. This is like taking the puzzle pieces out of the box and completing the puzzle only to realize the fully-completed picture in the end. 

So, students may see question-asking as a thesis writing technique, but not understand that it is an inductive organization technique leading to a larger implied or directly stated thesis.

Fun Ways to Teach Thesis Statements

Instruction for how to write thesis statements is pretty straightforward. I would suggest having students train their brains by practicing thesis statement writing individually and with peers. 

➡️ This might be a quick GimKit or Quizziz game.  

➡️ It might mean a round of “minute to win it” thesis statement writing so that students can practice turning thematic ideas into claims.

➡️ My students love using ultra clean erasable markers or whiteboard markers to write on their tables. I love that I am able to walk around and quickly redirect, cross out and make suggestions on the spot so that students can revise. 

➡️ For digital learning situations, you could utilize Padlet to collect possible thesis statements and have students vote for their favorites that best follow the thesis statement pattern. 

And maybe you want to get yourself an alien classroom pet. If students are struggling to write thesis statements, ask them what the alien would observe about humans after reading the text(s).

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to have some fre sha voca do.

Hey, if you loved this post, I want to be sure you’ve had the chance to grab a  FREE copy of my guide to streamlined grading . I know how hard it is to do all the things as an English teacher, so I’m over the moon to be able to share with you some of my best strategies for reducing the grading overwhelm.

Click on the link above or the image below to get started!

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About Lindsay Ann

Lindsay has been teaching high school English in the burbs of Chicago for 19 years. She is passionate about helping English teachers find balance in their lives and teaching practice through practical feedback strategies and student-led learning strategies. She also geeks out about literary analysis, inquiry-based learning, and classroom technology integration. When Lindsay is not teaching, she enjoys playing with her two kids, running, and getting lost in a good book.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement: Tips for Teaching

  • December 7, 2023
  • Adult ESL , Classroom Activities , Lesson Planning , Teaching Writing

How to write a thesis statement

Teaching academic writing can be challenging, especially when it comes to teaching students how to write a thesis statement. The thesis statement plays a central role in an essay, so it is worthwhile to spend a significant amount of time teaching this concept. Know that it will take time to refine and revise thesis statements for beginner writers.

What is a Thesis Statement?

A thesis statement:

  • – is sometimes called a claim .
  • – controls where the central ideas of an essay go.
  • – is at the end of an introduction paragraph.
  • – answers a prompt (a writing topic)  or a question
  • – expresses a viewpoint (a claim) or argues for an idea that the audience may not have considered (it does not state the obvious).
  • – is concise, to-the-point, and 1-2 sentences long. 
  • – creates an argument that matches the required length of the essay.
  • – is clearly and entirely explained and supported in the rest of an essay.

Teaching Thesis Statements

Before students begin writing a thesis statement, they need to analyze and discuss example thesis statements. Show students several examples of different types of thesis statements and how they directly answer the essay question/prompt. Break down example thesis statements. Analyze the different parts of the thesis and discuss their purposes. For example:

How to write a thesis statement

Give students step-by-step instructions for writing a thesis statement. Here are my five steps:

  • 1. Understand the prompt.
  • 2. Brainstorm and then select the best 2-3 ideas from that brainstorm.
  • 3. Write a statement that expresses a viewpoint. Make sure it answers the prompt.
  • 4. List reasons that support that viewpoint.
  • 5. Combine your viewpoint statement and the reasons for that viewpoint.

Writing clear, concise thesis statements takes time. Encourage students to keep practicing, and incorporate explicit instruction in your class. Doing simple thesis analysis activities on a regular basis will help students get the hang of it.

Below is my best-selling Thesis Statement Guide ! This is a complete guide for beginning writers that includes thesis analysis activities and step-by-step instructions for how to write a thesis statement with a graphic organizer. I also have a Literary Analysis Essay Guide that takes students through the whole essay-writing process. These are perfect for middle school, high school, or ESL students who are ready for academic writing.

How to write a thesis statement

I hope these tips will make teaching writing easier for you, and that your students will grow into confident and skilled writers! Check out this related post on The Writing Process Steps and Why They Matter .

If you are starting out with writing paragraphs, check out this  Paragraph Writing Bundle  from my store!

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Much Ado About Teaching

How to craft a killer thesis statement.

teaching thesis statements high school

Thesis statements are tricky. Maybe that’s because there’s so much pressure riding on them. How do you distill all of the ideas of an essay into one or two sentences? It has also been said that the thesis statement is a road map, marking the path of an essay and guiding the reader through the points of the body paragraphs.

I think that intimidates the heck out of students.

A Better Way to Approach Thesis Statements

A thesis statement, in its simplest terms, is a statement. That’s a nice starting point. Instead of conveying all the implications above, and scaring students, just start by saying, I want you to make a statement.

They can handle that.

They like to make statements with their clothes or their taste in music. In doing so, they express something about who they are and how they see things. This isn’t that much different. They are going to express something, an opinion.

That’s the next step… to have an opinion.

If our goal as writing instructors is to teach our students how to write, not what to write, then we must preach that they express their own ideas. And it all starts with the thesis. They must make a statement that comes from their own thinking and understanding. They must write for themselves. Unfortunately, most student write based on what they think their teacher wants to hear.

Years of experience back this up. Each spring I spend a week grading the AP Literature exam essays.  Over the course of the seven days, I typically grade 1,100-1,300 essay. The ones that stand out check off the same boxes — insightful and original thesis, perceptive analysis, well-appointed textual support, and a strong and confident voice. The lower-half essays do just the opposite.

What a Thesis Should Do

A more advanced, but still not intimidating, way to think about the thesis is to view it as engine of the essay.  That’s something that can all understand and relate to. After all, high school kids want to drive everywhere.  With a car, the engine converts energy into power, making all the other parts move. The engine propels it forward. The same is true of a good thesis. It moves the argument or opinion forward. It makes all the other parts of the essay turn.

Our students have the keys to a powerful engine that will move the reader.

They are in control.

And they get to decide where the reader is going.

That’s different than a roadmap with landmarks and coordinates already plotted and submissively followed. An engine gives them the freedom to go where they want.

The Finer Qualities of a Thesis

  • It moves from the general to the specific
  • It has insight
  • It is original
  • It answers the prompt

An Example of a Rock-Solid Thesis

Here’s a prompt I gave my students this week:

Chapter 26 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor questions, “Is He Serious? And Other Ironies.” Using Foster’s text as a guide, analyze the use of irony in 1984 and connect its purpose to the meaning of the work as a whole.

A Sample Weak Thesis

Here is a formulaic, superficial thesis that our students need to avoid.

In George Orwell’s futuristic novel, 1984, irony plays a major part and affects many of the novel’s plot twists, contributing to the development of the story and the meaning of the work as a whole.

Let’s poke some holes for a second. There are two glaring weakness with this thesis statement:

1. It basically repeats the prompt, hiding the true voice of the writer.

2. There no insight, and perhaps worse, there is no demonstration that this writer has read  1984 .

A Stronger Thesis

In the novel 1984, Winston feels the incongruity between appearance and reality in this supposed utopia, but as he crusades against the psychological manipulations of the party he ultimately is doomed to conform to its power.

What makes this better?

  • It start with general ideas  — in the novel 1984 —  but it quickly identifies specific elements  by naming a character, mentioning the utopia, and identifying the goals of the party.
  • It has insight  because it argues that Winston is aware of the irony that exists between the party’s propaganda and reality, but it sets up the bigger irony of the crusader that is doomed to love Big Brother.
  • It answers the prompt  by identifying the irony — the supposed utopia — and connects that irony to the meaning of the work as a whole — psychological manipulation as a tool to maintain power.

Writing a Killer Thesis Statement

My class drafted that thesis statement during a mini lesson that connected  1984  and How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

Writing a good thesis statement is the result of two simple actions:

  • understanding what the prompt is asking
  • asking questions of yourself to develop insightful responses to the prompt

This prompt had two parts:

  • The role of irony in 1984
  • How that irony factors into the work as a whole

Here are the questions we asked in class during the mini lesson:

  • What are some of the examples of irony in 1984?  — The party slogans, the utopia/dystopia disconnect, the ministries, doublethink, the acts of betrayal.
  • Are these examples limited or pervasive?  They are pervasive
  • Why has the party created a society in which these things are pervasive?  Because it feeds their purpose, which is to have psychological control over its citizens. The more the party slogans are repeated and the more doublethink occurs, the more a person loses their humanity and becomes part of a herd mentality.
  • Why does the party want to strip people’s humanity and exert psychological control?  It is how they can maintain totalitarian power.

When you progress through a sequence of questions that feed upon each other, you arrive at insightful conclusions that can be pieced together to form an outstanding thesis.

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Brian Sztabnik is just a man trying to do good in and out of the classroom. He was a 2018 finalist for NY Teacher of the Year, a former College Board advisor for AP Lit, and an award-winning basketball coach.

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teaching thesis statements high school

Thesis Statements

A thesis statement controls an essay.  A strong thesis is necessary in order to build strong arguments and support your position on a topic.

A good structure that you can follow for constructing a strong thesis statement is thinking about the WHAT (and HOW) and the WHY …

The WHAT (and HOW) is where you point out a pattern, a clever observation, a symbolic interpretation, a significant moment, character, or action… in other words, you start by indicating WHAT the author did in the story – what did he or she write or insert? NOTE: You will have to point to something particular, something debatable about HOW the author created that symbol, drew attention to that pattern, used word choice or diction to enhance a scene. You CANNOT simply point out a fact (“Golding set his novel on an island”) because your first paragraph needs to PROVE this point, and you cannot prove a fact. But once you have a WHAT (and HOW) statement, you’re on your way… now you have to add…

…the WHY of the thesis – this is the part that requires you to get more abstract, and argue what you think the author’s goal was in adding that clever element, plot point, symbol, character, etc. This element of your thesis is essential, as it is where you are adding YOUR THOUGHTS to what the author has included in the book.

NB: A well-written thesis connects the WHAT to the WHY using a strong ANALYTICAL VERB  as in: Golding uses Piggy’s glasses as a symbol of intellectualism to contradict   the notion that mankind desires to be philosophically elevated.

Beware using  to show (or its synonyms) as your analytical verb – it can work, but it often leads to a WHY statement that is simply a plot fact, like in “Martel uses orange as a symbol of religious faith to  show that Pi Patel is very religious” – nobody could dispute this last point. Similarly, the verb  to use   in the first part of your thesis sometimes encourages you to neglect your HOW statement, like in “Golding uses a pattern of aggression to criticize hostility against weaker individuals.”  Uses  how, exactly? **These verbs are not forbidden, but be aware that they open the door to weaker writing.**

Along with this last point, there has to be a logical connection between the two halves of your thesis (the WHAT/HOW and then your WHY statements), otherwise, it will feel like you are arguing two completely unrelated, albeit debatable points.

To write a strong thesis, keep the following in mind:

  • A thesis has to be something you can ARGUE : A thesis reflects an opinion.  You are not doing a book report or offering a summary.  So your thesis statement CANNOT BE A FACT . You need to be thinking critically about events that happened in the work that you read. A fact simply is indisputable.
  • A thesis has to be something you can PROVE : You must prove a THEORY using evidence from the text and careful explanation. The difference between the first and the second point here is this: You could argue that  Of Mice and Men is the greatest story of all time, or that the conch shell represents civilization in  Lord of the Flies , but you could not truly PROVE either point. You could, however, prove what aspects of George’s life are meant to be respected according to Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , or what Golding’s purpose is in using a conch shell to represent civilization. Notice how both of these two better examples make an effort to state what you think the author’s intent was in writing each story. Another issue in this territory is selecting a topic that simply contradicts what the book says. It’s one thing to select a topic that is controversial or that brings an interesting take on what a text is saying, or something that makes a moment in the story resonate differently. There are, however, incorrect ways to read a text. Like saying Pi Patel is actually happy when his family dies. Another pitfall is that you can have a topic that is debatable, but it is just sort of general guesswork or speculation, like saying that Pi Patel obviously has hallucinations due to drinking sea water. You couldn’t actually PROVE that point.
  • A thesis does not list the arguments you’ll be making (though sometimes this is an effective way to start thinking about your opinion on the matter).   You have to prove ONE POINT . A good thesis is an “umbrella” statement that finds a common thread in upcoming arguments. If you have three entirely different characters or symbols or plot points that you are dissecting, and you are dedicating a new paragraph to each, you do not have a WHAT and WHY, you have a WHAT, WHAT, WHAT!
  • You need to be absolutely specific . This mistake is maybe the most frequent offender. DO NOT presume that your thesis should stay vague, because you will clarify your point later. Leave NO mystery, and avoid blurry, indistinct phrasing such as “a great impact,” as in  The discovery of the dead soldier  has a great impact on the boys in Lord of the Flies . I have no idea what impact was made. A great one? A better example would be: The discovery of the dead soldier forces the boys to confront their own mortality …
  • Beware the  Universal Truth or the  Hallmark Card thesis – one that ultimately argues something that everyone already knows. This falls into the territory of being something that a person could not reasonably disagree with. If your WHY statement is something like “to suggest that racism is bad” or “to criticize people who are homophobic” or “to suggest that family helps people get through hard times” – try to imagine the rebuttal to these points. They are pretty nonsensical.
  • REMINDER: A thesis does not use “I”, “we” or “you” anywhere in its contents.  No 1 st or 2 nd person pronouns.   

Here are some examples of POOR thesis statements you need to avoid:

1.  Loneliness is displayed in the novel  Of Mice and Men .

Comment:  Yes it is.  So what?  Why do I care?  And stop using the passive voice. This thesis is not something that can be PROVEN – it is merely a truth about the book. This is a WHAT without a WHY.  To make this thesis stronger, you would have to consider: What does loneliness  cause ?  How does loneliness  impact  the characters? Or what creates this loneliness?  What does Steinbeck want us to learn or see or think about loneliness?

2.  I think discrimination is the most destructive force in the book.

Comment:  “I think”?  I know you think.  No need to tell me.  WHY is discrimination the most destructive force? And how could you PROVE that the author intended this point?  How does discrimination affect characters?

3.  The conch shell, Piggy’s broken glasses and the burning of the island all symbolize the destruction of civilization in  Lord of the Flies . 

Comment:  WHAT WHAT! You’re listing your arguments.  It’s an ok first step to thinking critically, but now look at what is COMMON between those arguments.  Develop an “umbrella” thesis that incorporates the common points without listing the arguments you’ll be developing in the body.  Try this: Golding repeatedly uses fragile items , like eyeglasses and the leaves on a tree, to symbolize civilization in order to suggest how thoroughly a self-centered leader can ruin a sense of order. 

4. By making the entire cast of  Lord of the Flies male, Golding criticizes toxic masculinity.

Structurally, this is CLOSE, but look at the first half of that thesis – nobody could deny the lack of female characters in this novel, so the first part of this argument (that Golding didn’t include any girls) simply cannot be proven, and will start this essay off with a plot summary. This is a WHAT/WHY thesis that lacks a HOW – if the WHAT statement is simply a fact, then your first body paragraph will be factual, not argumentative. What is the WAY that Golding expresses masculinity, or what SCENE reinforces the male/female imbalance?

5. Golding uses the island as a symbol of society to suggest that Piggy is a feminine character and Jack is masculine.

Looks debatable! It has a WHAT/HOW/WHY structure! But… This feels like it is hammering together two entirely unrelated topics – the island as a symbol and masculine/feminine imagery. Could this essay pull this jump off? Perhaps, but it feels too disconnected and opens the door for an esay that feels fragmented.

Now, some better thesis statements:

1.   In Lord of the Flies, by using savage diction to depict the death of Simon, who stays out of the rival factions, Golding criticizes the desire to associate oneself with a group or society. 

a.  What’s the topic? (What is the WHAT – the indisputable part?)

b. What is the HOW? (HOW did he handle that important part?)

c.  What’s going to be argued? (What is the WHY?)

d.  What are some other moments from the novel that might support this argument?

2.  Yann Martel ends Life of Pi with an unusual abruptness to assert that dreams can provide hope and a reason to live, but can also become dangerous when they are destroyed, leaving people empty and hopeless. 

3.  In Life of Pi, Martel uses the Pacific Ocean as a symbol of Pi’s subconsciousness to contradict the concept that a person’s development is a result of his exterior surroundings.    

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Thesis Statement Throwdown!

Every English teacher has experienced the frustration of introducing a writing skill, like how to write a thesis statement, over and over again without it “sticking.”

Three years ago, I began “flipping” my writing instruction, so students watch videos on my YouTube channel , take Cornell notes, then come prepared to class to do the actual writing. I love this approach to teaching writing! Students can watch my explanations as many times as they need to over the course of the year. Plus, I get to support them as they write in class. (See my post on synchronous editing ).

Alas, there are always students who need more practice. That said, I can only read so many essays in a year. Instead of feeling frustrated, I decided to design a fun activity to practice writing thesis statements. This is how thesis statement throwdown was born!

Thesis throwdown is a quirky combination of group collaboration, writing practice, funky music, and competition. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Write an essay prompt on the board. I vary my questions between informative and argumentative topics. KQED’s Do Now series is an excellent place to grab writing prompts!

Step 2: Put students into small groups and give them 5 minutes to construct a solid thesis statement in response to the essay question. The conversations that take place are incredible!

Step 3: Randomly select two groups to compete. I don’t tell them ahead of time who will compete in the actual throwdown because I want everyone to give it 100%.

Step 4: As each group writes their thesis statements on separate whiteboard, I play a fun but slightly random song. Our thesis throwdown music list has ranged from “Everybody Dance Now” to “Eye of the Tiger.” My philosophy is that the music keeps everyone interested and entertained while the two groups write their thesis statements on the board.

Step 5: Once both thesis statements are written on the board, I turn off the music and set to work! I edit each thesis statement and “think out loud” as I work, so students can hear what I am responding to in a positive way–strong vocabulary, parallel language, and clearly stated assertion–and what needs to be added, removed or edited. The more I let them into my process as an editor, the more likely they are to successfully edit their own work.

Finally, a winner is declared!

The entire activity takes 10 minutes from beginning to end. It’s hard to believe a writing activity can be so much fun, but this is really entertaining if you add the music and just have fun with it.

In the two weeks, we’ve done thesis statement throwdown, I am shocked by the improvement in the quality of the thesis statements. It’s worth a try if you are feeling like your students just aren’t delivering quality thesis statements. After all, the thesis is the most important sentence of an essay. We want students to leave our classes confident crafting a strong thesis statement!

48 Responses

Love it. I’ve actually been struggling with helping my GRE prep students with the essays. Can’t wait to try this out. I don’t use any music in my classes, so I’m sure turning it on will create a memorable moment they’ll associate with the theses for a long time:)

Jeremy http://stuartmillenglish.com

I hope they enjoy it, Jeremy! I’m sure the addition of music will make it interesting 😉

I read your page as a student at Heaton Middle School it helps understand your point of view.

[…] Thesis Statement Throwdown! Every English teacher has experienced the frustration of introducing a writing skill, like how to write a thesis statement, over and over again without it “sticking.” […]

[…] http://cluttered-record.flywheelsites.com/2015/02/thesis-statement-throwdown/ […]

Love it! What fabulousness do you do to help them write hooks that go beyond the BrainyQuote or “Do you have a hero? I have a hero. Let me tell you about my hero” hooks.

Pretend there’s a question mark on the end there… 🙂

No, I’ve only done this with thesis statements at this point. That said, I can imagine it would be fun for almost any type of writing review.

I teach seventh grade and I can’t wait to try this with my students.

As a wrter, editor, photojournalist & author for more than 67 years, I applaud this approach to an often-difficult task for novice writers. Way to go, Catlin. Wish I’d had teachers like you back in the 1940s when I was in hight school. – DigitalKen

[…] ideas either and sometimes it is a fine line with engagement as well. So, I modified this idea from Catlin Tucker who is just simply AMAZING and if you haven’t visited her site, you are REALLY missing […]

I think this is a winning idea for several reasons! First of all, I’m really intrigued by the idea of flipping the writing instruction so that students are doing more of their writing practice in the classroom where the support is available. I would imagine that this would lead to less student frustration and that students are finding themselves better equipped to tackle the roadblocks that occur during writing. I like the fact that this activity asks students to work collaboratively to create thesis statements and build off of each other’s ideas. Also, I really like the fact that the teacher models editing and thinking out loud. This is a great way to show students what you mean, rather than just telling them. Finally, making this activity fun with music and good-natured competition will most likely make for more engaged students. Love the fact that this idea can be adaptable to other mini writing lessons. Thanks for the great idea!

Thank you, Sara! Not only do the kids enjoy this activity, but their thesis statements have improved so much in such a short window of time. I also plan to use the same strategy for other mini writing lessons.

Take care. Catlin

Thank you, Catlin! This is a great way to practice thesis statements. I will try it this fall.

I love this idea. Getting students to write thesis statements and then support those statements with well-crafted topic sentences are the keys to building an argument. It’s a skill the students struggle with but is such a key skill to success in all subjects. A variation to this could be to get another group to edit the students’ thesis statements.

My students absolutely love this activity. It got amazing reviews at the end of the year. I’m trying to figure out how to use a similar strategy to analyze textual evidence.

I hope your kids enjoy it!

[…] #1 Thesis Statement Throwdown […]

Is there a place where writing prompts are put together without the instructor having to create them? If so, this would be a great help. My urban seventh graders need many, many practice prompts to become adept at creating introductory sentences and thesis statements.

I design many of my own writing prompts. I also grab topics from KQED Do Now ( http://ww2.kqed.org/education/category/do-now ) and the released SAT essay prompts ( https://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/prep/essay-prompts ). The KQED Do Now topics will be a better fit for your 7th-grade students than the SAT release questions. Many of the KQED Do Now questions lend themselves to argumentative writing.

Thank you, Catlin! I am a lazy curriculum author looking for an easy way to gather prompts. After thinking about my request, prompts without the context of the article would be kind of useless. I’m in Florida where we had argument tested last year. I have been concentrating on informative this year but have the kids ready for argument just in case. Since text-based writing is new to students, I developed a template for them to follow at the beginning of the year and find them now differentiating their writing from the template.

[…] learned about this activity from Catlin Tucker’s blog. I adapted it a bit, but the idea is the same. My students are in Lit Circles and competing to earn […]

[…] for each prompt. See my post about this step here. The idea was inspired by Catlin Tucker’s blog post. Check it […]

I did this lesson in my 9th grade classes today, and it went really well. One student requested I play Michael Jackson, and I discovered every single kid likes him, so I went with that. Thanks for the great idea!

I’m so glad it went well, Mindi! I will occasionally take requests too 😉

Sorry, but the nature of a good thesis depends to a great extent on the nature of the assignment–the kind of essay you’re being asked to write.

If the assignment is to write an argumentative or persuasive essay, the thesis should be a sentence that clearly states your position on the issue you’re writing about.

If you’re writing an extended definition, a one-sentence formal definition would be a good thesis: “A ____ is a ____ with _____.” (I. e. it should put the thing being defined in its class or category and distinguish it from other members of that class.)

If you’re writing a process analysis, the thesis should describe the process in one sentence–say whether it’s a simple process or a complex one, or mention the number of steps, or simply say in that one sentence what it does.

[…] Tucker’s “Thesis Statement Throwdown”, you can see the original lesson plan here. My mini-lesson is totally different from Tucker’s, but if you look hard into hers, you can […]

I might give this a try with my ESL students in China. Getting them to write thesis statements hasn’t been easy, even for the smartest ones. Solid idea. Thanks.

Since their first language is not English, I think I’ll probably give them more than 5 minutes to come up with their thesis statements though.

Love this and planning on trying it in class tomorrow! Should you see this before then – how do you go about choosing a winner? Do you “judge” the edited or unedited versions of the thesis statements?

Hi Shannon,

I judge the original versions since I make the edits.

Catlin –

Love the Thesis Statement Throwdown and would like to share it with our teachers as way to provide feedback. Would it be okay to link to your site in a document that we are sharing with our teachers? It will be in our curriculum repository that is only accessible to teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools. Thank you for your consideration.

Yes, you are more than welcome to link to my site! I hope it’s a useful resource for your teachers.

Thank you for sharing! I teach AP US History and the students struggle with developing thesis statements. I look forward in using this strategy with my AP kids.

[…] KQED’s Do Now series is an excellent place to grab writing prompts! […]

I did this with my juniors today and it was great. I chose really thought provoking prompts from the website you recommended. I did it three times and saw the thesis statements improve with each round. This was really engaging and the first time I’ve taught thesis statements in a fun way. Thank you for sharing.

I’m currently in my education clinicals (student teaching with one class), and I’ll be using this activity tomorrow with high school seniors. They struggled with thesis statements, so I’m hoping this will be a fun way to practice!

I love this idea, but after students show some improvement (or even at the beginning of the process), how can students be more in charge of their learning? In other words, I’d love for students to be the ones acting as the Editor and doing the judging. Maybe using a few strong writers of the group be a guest judge and let them lead by example? I don’t want to be gatekeeper forever, and I believe students will and can step up when given the chance. Love the idea. Going to try soon!

Absolutely, Jane! Once kids can hear you talk through correcting a few and have a better handle on what a strong thesis statement looks like, they should absolutely be able to give each other feedback!

Can any one give me a feedback about my thesis statement, thank you in advance

“Although most students have an awareness about basic academic integrity in their previous education; it is significant to students taking a class about academic integrity before they apply college or university because of the increasing number of cheating, plagiarism and academic dishonesty in the higher education”.

[…] a sample letter. Letter for Change Standard Met: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1. Se connecter à Facebook. Thesis Statement Throwdown! Every English teacher has experienced the frustration of introducing a writing skill, like how to […]

This is amazing. Thank you! I’ve been looking for a fun activity to bring the point home with my students. This will definitely help!

Wonderful! I hope they enjoy it!

Catlin! I did this today with my Grade 10’s and was it ever valuable! I did the edits and each one was a learning opportunity for students. We had a quick discussion about each edit and moved on. The lesson flowed beautifully, and the music was a fun touch. I will definitely get students to do the editing after the first few Thursdays (our bellringer for the day) and have them talk through their edits as well. Great lesson! Thanks for sharing.

Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you used this strategy and you all enjoyed it, Wendy!

Just a heads up…your kids will get good at thesis statements FAST, so be prepared for your throwdown to evolve. We started doing analytical throwdowns with quotes after thesis statements and the “throwdown” format worked well for any type of writing practice. I also started taking song requests from the winning teams which they LOVED 😉

[…] Catlin Tucker: Thesis statement throwdown […]

[…] librarian does – I started researching. I came across the idea of the Thesis Throw Down from Catlin Tucker but decided to alter it a bit to put my own spin on it. I tried the lesson a couple of times last […]

I love how you explain it.

I like that you used this strategy.

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teaching thesis statements high school

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teaching thesis statements high school

We are 4 friends from Denmark going to Volgograd in late june 2007 (starting out in Moscow). Does anyone have good suggestions for hotel/apartment for a few days?

We are wondering wether you can fly for a reasanobly price to i.e Budapest or Cracow - the way acros Ukraine is long.

Tony/Denmark

Hi Tony My name is Ian I am planning a trip to volgograd in late july check out the web sight http://volgogradaapartments.com/accomodation

much cheaper than any of the hotels there

Hi, Have seen your request on trip adviser re Volgograd. I was wondering did you go and what was it like. My reason for asking is my son, whose 11, would like to visit. Thanks

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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IMAGES

  1. Teaching Thesis Statements

    teaching thesis statements high school

  2. 🌷 How to compose a thesis statement. How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Research Paper. 2022

    teaching thesis statements high school

  3. Thesis

    teaching thesis statements high school

  4. How to Teach Middle School Students to Write a Thesis Sentence

    teaching thesis statements high school

  5. 101 Thesis Statement Examples (2024)

    teaching thesis statements high school

  6. Building Better Thesis Statements

    teaching thesis statements high school

COMMENTS

  1. Activities to Teach How to Write A Thesis Statement

    Activities to Teach How to Write a Thesis Statement in High School. 1. Differentiate Between Strong and Weak Thesis Statements. Writing a thesis statement might be a new skill for your students. Thesis statements are often taught as a topic sentence or the "whole essay boiled down into one sentence.".

  2. 5 Tips for Teaching How to Write A Thesis Statement

    Tips for Teaching How to Write a Thesis Statement #3: Give Students A Framework. If your students are struggling with writing strong thesis statements, give them a framework. I know as teachers, it can get really boring to read "W is true because X, Y, Z.". But the structure does work, and it's a great place for struggling writers to start.

  3. Teaching the Thesis Statement: Tips and Resources for Secondary ELA

    A thesis statement needs to be strong. Like the spine, it needs to be strong enough to hold up the whole essay, the enormous weight of the writer's ideas, voice, and tone. A thesis statement needs to be clear and precise. A good thesis statement is direct and clearly states the direction of the paper. It does not leave the reader guessing as ...

  4. How to Teach Writing Strategies: Thesis Statement Writing

    When teaching students how to write a thesis statement, there are 5 steps they can follow: Have students find the evidence they have collected for a draft. Identify commonalities between pieces of evidence to categorize them. Evidence 1 and Evidence 2 should be similar in some way and then Evidence 3 and 4 should have a commonality as well.

  5. 5 Tips for Teaching Thesis Statement Writing: Teaching How to Write a

    For middle school and high school students, writing a thesis statement can be a challenging task. Here are some steps that I walk my students through to help them craft a strong thesis statement. 5 Tips for Teaching Thesis Statement Writing 1. Identify topics, supporting arguments, and main reasons.

  6. Teaching Thesis Statements with Lesson Ideas

    Common Core Standards. Teaching thesis statements satisfies the following common core standards and establishes the basis for teaching all the common core standards in writing for all grade levels. W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

  7. Writing a Thesis Statement

    Writing a Thesis Statement Free Lesson Plan. Here is a guided writing workshop to teach students how to brainstorm and draft a thesis statement. This activity provides students an opportunity to consider their prompt and develop a claim that is effective and arguable. Three handouts are included in each download, with the teacher version also ...

  8. Mastering How to Write Thesis Statements Once and For All

    First off, a thesis statements should meet the following criteria: Opinion statement. One sentence. Offers unique insight. Within the one-sentence opinion statement that offers unique insight about a text, issue, or society, students should use clear and concise writing to make their focus known to the reader.

  9. Thesis Statements High School Teaching Resources

    This is a BASIC mini-lesson for thesis statements. It is NOT intended for AP classes or creative writing, but is for teachers whose students need help get. Subjects: English Language Arts, Writing-Essays. Grades: 7 th - 10 th. Types: Lesson. $3.00.

  10. How to Write a Thesis Statement: Tips for Teaching

    Brainstorm and then select the best 2-3 ideas from that brainstorm. 3. Write a statement that expresses a viewpoint. Make sure it answers the prompt. 4. List reasons that support that viewpoint. 5. Combine your viewpoint statement and the reasons for that viewpoint. Writing clear, concise thesis statements takes time.

  11. How to Craft a Killer Thesis Statement

    Writing a good thesis statement is the result of two simple actions: understanding what the prompt is asking. asking questions of yourself to develop insightful responses to the prompt. This prompt had two parts: The role of irony in 1984. How that irony factors into the work as a whole. Here are the questions we asked in class during the mini ...

  12. Teacher Tips: How to Write Thesis Statements for High School Papers

    Teacher Tips: How to Write Thesis Statements for High School Papers. Thesis statements should be debatable and include evidence. Getty. Learning how to write a thesis statement is one of the most important skills a high school student can master. Without a strong thesis statement, a paper can feel disorganized and readers may not understand ...

  13. Thesis Statements

    Perhaps, but it feels too disconnected and opens the door for an esay that feels fragmented. Now, some better thesis statements: 1. In Lord of the Flies, by using savage diction to depict the death of Simon, who stays out of the rival factions, Golding criticizes the desire to associate oneself with a group or society.

  14. Stating Your Case: Writing Thesis Statements Effectively

    After teaching secondary school history for several years, Jonathan Burack became Editor-in-Chief of Newscurrents, a weekly current events program for schools (1984-95).In 1995, he conceived and began to create MindSparks, a project that focuses on primary source analysis, writing and debating skills, and the development of habits of historical thinking.

  15. Fun Activities for Developing a Strong Thesis Statement

    Thesis statements are statements that are arguable and that state a writer's stance on a subject. Typically, a good thesis statement serves as a blueprint of an essay or paper that readers can use to follow along. ... Stacy Alleyne is a certified English teacher with a BA in English and graduate work in English, education, journalism and law ...

  16. Thesis Statement Practice High School Teaching Resources

    Quick Thesis Statement Practice for High School or Middle School students.This is a handout that is meant to help students visualize and work through their fist drafts of a thesis statement. ... it gets them moving, talking, debating, and writing! I would recommend doing this very early on when teaching thesis statement writing, maybe lesson 2 ...

  17. PDF How T Teach Students T Writ Thesis Sttement

    A thesis statement is one to two sentences in the introduction of an essay that the writer uses to "set the stage" for the reader. The thesis statement provides the focus for the writing that follows and lets the reader know what the essay is going to be about. State the topic Example: Football for middle school boys STEPS IN WRITING A ...

  18. Thesis Statement Throwdown!

    Here's how it works: Step 1: Write an essay prompt on the board. I vary my questions between informative and argumentative topics. KQED's Do Now series is an excellent place to grab writing prompts! Step 2: Put students into small groups and give them 5 minutes to construct a solid thesis statement in response to the essay question.

  19. Teaching Thesis Statements Teaching Resources

    The thesis statement is the most critical aspect of an essay. For that reason, I spend quite a bit of time making sure my students' thesis statements are perfected before we begin pre-writing. This thesis statement lesson focuses specifically on writing solid, effective thesis statements for argumentative essays. It contains:1.

  20. THE 10 BEST Restaurants Near Monument to the First ...

    Restaurants near Monument to the First District Conductor, Volgograd on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews and candid photos of dining near Monument to the First District Conductor in Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast.

  21. THE 5 BEST French Restaurants for Breakfast in Volgograd

    Best French Restaurants in Volgograd, Volgograd Oblast: Find Tripadvisor traveller reviews of Volgograd French restaurants and search by price, location, and more.

  22. volgograd accomodation

    Sign in to get trip updates and message other travelers.. Volgograd ; Hotels ; Things to Do ; Restaurants ; Flights ; Vacation Rentals ; Travel Stories

  23. Volgograd State Medical University

    The University started as Stalingrad Medical Institute, founded in 1935. In 1993 it got the status of the Academy, and in 2003 it was granted the status of the University. The University is currently headed by the prominent Russian scientist, Academician of the Russian Academy for Medical Science...