4.3 Trying on Various Theses for Size

CONNECTION How many of you have ever gone shopping for clothes? Tried on a bunch of different sizes and brands? Why can’t you just go to the store and pick the right thing off the rack on the first try?

CONNECTION How many of you have ever gone shopping for clothes? Tried on a bunch of different sizes and brands? Why can’t you just go to the store and pick the right thing off the rack on the first try? You have to try on different sizes and kinds of clothes to get the perfect fit and the perfect look. Shopping for clothes and writing an essay work the same way! What do you really want to wear? What do you really want to say?

TEACHING POINT Today I want to teach you that essayists try to figure out what they really want to say by trying on different theses statements before finding the one that fits what they really want to say.

TEACHING

TEACHING What do you really want to say about characters or themes in the Panyee Football Club? Watch from 1:09 to 2:05.

POSSIBLE THESIS STATEMENTS The text teaches that if you work hard, you can achieve. The text is really about how working as a team helps you do hard things. The characters are really hard working. The characters learn there’s always a way to solve a problem if you search for it. Now forecast your essay! Do you want to use scenes to support it? Ways? Reasons?

TEACHING You need to try on a bunch of thesis statements to find out what you really want to say. Watch from 3:30 to 4:35. What do you want to say now?

TEACHING Try this out: see if you can try two different ways of supporting one idea. Can you come up with several ways to the text supports your idea? Can you think of several parts of the text that support your idea? Make sure whatever types of supports you choose belong to the same category.

MIDWORKSHOP To try on your thesis for size, look back across the text and think “Can I find a lot of evidence to support this idea?” and “Is there evidence from different parts of the text to support this idea?” In a few minutes, you will bring your thesis and supports to the carpet to share. Use a boxes and bullets structure to organize it.

SHARE How will we organize our evidence? Booklets! Each page has my claim and one reason. Then supports go under. Claim (on all pages): Little Red Riding Hood learned not to take advice from strangers. Support (on page 1): She learned this at the start of the story. Support (on page 2): She learned this in the middle of the story. Support (on page 3): She learned this at the end of the story.