Thesis Statements Guided Notes

What is a thesis statement?  Author’s central idea and thesis statement are closely related, if not totally synonymous.  The term thesis is derived from the Latin/Greek term tithenai, which means to put or to lay down.  A thesis statement puts forth or lays down your position and reasoning about a particular topic.  A thesis statement is typically one strongly worded sentence.

What is a thesis statement?  All thesis statements follow the same basic formula: TOPIC + OPINION + REASONING = THESIS STATEMENT

Why are thesis statements important?  A thesis statement serves as the guiding force of analytical, persuasive, and expository essays.  The body paragraphs of an essay and the evidence incorporated within the body paragraphs of an essay must develop aspects of the thesis.  No information should be included in an essay that does not relate to the thesis.

Where can I find an author’s thesis statement?  In academic writing (writing for school), the thesis statement is included as the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.  In newspaper, magazine, academic journal, and other nonfiction writing, the thesis is usually located in the beginning 1/3 of the text, though sometimes for effect, the thesis might be located toward the end of the text or in the conclusion.

Where can I find an author’s thesis statement?  In academic writing, the thesis will always be explicit, which means the author specifically states his position about a specific topic.  In other types of writing, the thesis is sometimes implicit, which means the author merely implies, or suggests, his or her position through the use of examples and supporting points. When a thesis statement is implicit, it’s up to the reader to decide the author’s position on the topic—it will not be stated within the text.

Blueprint Thesis Statements  A blueprint thesis statement lays out the content that will be discussed throughout the essay in the order that it will be discussed.  Diem Brown is a role model because of her relentless ambition in the face of adversity and her fight to help individuals undergoing serious medical treatment through her company MedGift.  Label the topic, the opinion, and the reasoning.  What will the first body paragraph be about?  What will the second body paragraph be about?

Practice  Underline and label the topic, opinion and reasoning for each of the listed blueprint thesis statements.  Then, note how many body paragraphs there will be and the order/focus of each body paragraph.

Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements?  The death penalty should be abolished because it is fundamentally immoral, it ineffective in preventing crime, and it is sometimes mistakenly enforced on innocent people.

Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements?  Hillary Rodham Clinton is an Image Maker because she serves as a positive role model for girls and she is a champion of women’s rights.

Can you show me a few examples of thesis statements?  Craig Kielburger is remarkable because he began an organization that helps the less fortunate, he inspires many people through We Day, and he proves that anyone can make a difference in the world.

Food for Thought  What observations can you make about the above thesis statements? Do you notice any patterns? Do you notice anything about the voice of the verbs (active or passive)?

How to: Thesis Statements  Jot down THREE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CLIP.  Z8 Z8