Bellwork Assignment Answer the following questions: What is a thesis statement? What is the purpose of it? Why is it important to have one? Where does it go in the paper?
Writing a Thesis Statement Starting an Essay with Clear Direction Time4Writing provides these teachers materials to teachers and parents at no cost. More presentations, handouts, interactive online exercises, and video lessons are freely available at Time4Writing.com. Consider linking to these resources from your school, teacher, or homeschool educational site. The rules: These materials must maintain the visibility of the Time4Writing trademark and copyright information. They can be copied and used for educational purposes. They are not for resale. Want to give us feedback? We'd like to hear your views: info@time4writing.com Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
What is a Thesis Statement? 1) It describes your topic (what your essay will be about). 2) It introduces a specific claim you are making about your topic. 3) It describes two or three ways in which you will support and develop your claim. Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
Three Points of Support So the formula for a thesis statement is: Subject + Claim Three Points of Support
Thesis Statements AVOID the following: The first person (I believe, In my opinion, I will tell you about…) Unclear language (It seems, etc.) Attempting two different topics at once (even if they seem related). Pick one and stick to it. Just stating a fact – A thesis is something you plan to make an argument about
Let's look at this example: "Going back to college was a complex process that involved researching a school, applying for admission, and enrolling in classes." Can you find the three different components in this thesis statement? Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
Let's look at them this way: "Going back to college was a complex process that involved researching a school, applying for admission, and enrolling in classes." Subject or topic Claim Three points of support Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
1) The Subject or Topic of the Essay: "Going back to college..." The essay is about going back to college. But there is a lot to say on this subject, so now you have to narrow it down to one specific claim. Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
2) The Claim Made About the Subject or Topic of the Essay: "Going back to college was a complex process..." The topic is narrowed down to the complexity of going back to college. Now the topic is easier to talk about. You just need to list three points to support this claim. Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
3) Three Points of Support for the Claim: "...a complex process that involved researching a school, applying for admission and enrolling in classes." Three reasons going back to college is complex: 1) you need to research a school 2) you need to apply for admission 3) you need to enroll in classes Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
Supporting Your Claim Your thesis statement is the last sentence in your introductory paragraph; then you need to devote at least one paragraph for each supporting point. One paragraph will be about researching a school. The second paragraph will discuss applying for admission. And the third paragraph will be about enrolling in classes. These will be followed by the concluding paragraph, summarizing how these points prove your claim. Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
Remember the easy formula for a thesis statement! Subject + Claim + Three Points of Support Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012
Time for you to work on thesis statement practice!!! You will need a sheet of notebook paper for this activity. Look at the following thesis statements and write whether they are a good example or a bad example of a thesis statement. Then, explain why they are a bad example or a good example.
Good or Bad? EXPLAIN! Shakespeare influenced his culture by creating new words, writing many plays, and raising the bar for playwrights.
It’s Good!! Shakespeare influenced his culture by creating new words, writing many plays, and raising the bar for playwrights. Shakespeare = Topic Influenced his culture = Claim By creating new words… = Three points of support
Good or Bad? EXPLAIN! I think that public safety education represents the best way to save lives during an earthquake.
It’s Bad!! I think that public safety education represents the best way to save lives during an earthquake. The sentence started out with “I think” which is not correct! You cannot use “I” in your research paper! It also does not give us three points to support our claim. How could we change it to make it correct?
This is much better!! Topic Claim Public safety education represents the best way to save lives during an earthquake because it raises awareness, changes attitudes, and encourages people to have a plan for emergencies. Three points of support
Good or Bad? EXPLAIN! In high school, teachers assign homework so that students practice the skill taught, demonstrate the skill without guidance, and gain a better understanding of the material.
It’s Good!! In high school, teachers assign homework so that students practice the skill taught, demonstrate the skill without guidance, and gain a better understanding of the material.
Good or Bad? EXPLAIN! In this essay, I am going to tell you about how wind energy is an alternative to fossil fuels.
We have our topic and our claim, so what are we missing?? It’s Bad!! In this essay, I am going to tell you about how wind energy is an alternative to fossil fuels. It started out with “In this essay, I am going to tell you about…” That is incorrect! We have our topic and our claim, so what are we missing??
This is much better!! _______ ____________ ___________________________ Wind energy is a better alternative to fossil fuels because it is a clean, sustainable, and easily harnessed natural resource. ___________________________
Good or Bad? EXPLAIN! Diwali is an important festival for Indians because they celebrate traditional legends and enjoy time with their families.
It’s Good!! __________ ____________ __________________ Diwali is an important festival for Indians because they celebrate traditional legends and enjoy time with their families. __________________
Individual Practice Time!! Look at the sheet I passed out. Read the directions and work on this! We’ll share answers!!
The end. More free ESSAY WRITING resources: the introduction the conclusion comparing & contrasting types of essays Eight-week ESSAY WRITING courses: elementary school middle school high school Copyright 2012 www.time4writing.com/free-writing-resources Copyright 2012