This lesson will go over writing a complete thesis statement, which includes three sub points that back up your argument and will be a road map for the rest of your essay.
Given a topic, students will be able to write a basic thesis statement with three sub points that answer the question, 80% of the time.
Time:
Sixty minutes
Pre-Instructional Activities:
Discuss memes
Content Presentation:
PowerPoint: How can you tell if a thesis statement is good? There are several ways to test to see if a thesis statement is considered to be good. First thing to look for is if the thesis statement makes a stand. This is not the time to be nice, if you do not agree with something, make a bold statement as to why. If you do agree, state it confidently, do not be wishy washy. Another thing to look for is, does the thesis statement express the main idea of the essay? Your paper needs to have one idea, with one clear statement that explains everything. And lastly ask, is my thesis statement specific? Your thesis statement should indicate precisely what your paper will be discussing, and will assist you in keeping your paper on topic (“How to Write a Thesis Statement”, 2014).
Learner Participation:
Examples of good and bad thesis statements will be projected on the SMART Board, as a class we will discuss what should be improved or changed for each of the thesis statements. Students will even have a chance to come to the board and personally fix the problems they find with the examples.
Students will practice writing thesis statements, including three sub topics, on topics they are already familiar with. We will write one as a class, then students will practice writing three more individually.
Assessment:
Worksheet (found in resources)
Follow-Through Activities:
Student reflection: Do you feel like you can write a solid thesis statement? Why or why not?
Bring three sources they have found on their topic to class the next day along with the working thesis they created today.