Mrs. Macemore

Most essays you will write for me (at least in the beginning) will follow the format of the traditional 5- paragraph essay. Who can tell me more about this?

Introduction (Overview of entire essay) *contains your thesis statement Body Paragraph (One area of focus) Conclusion (Wrap it up for the reader)

A thesis statement is a statement of the purpose, intent, or main idea of an essay. You usually combine your thesis statements with your topic sentences to make one long sentence in your introduction paragraph.

Topic sentences are found at (or near) the beginning of the three body paragraphs and they state the focus or topic of that paragraph. They will usually address questions such as: why, how, when, etc.

Sample Prompt: What movie is the best movie of all time? Thesis Statement: The movie The Lion King is the best movie of all time. This thesis statement addresses the prompt. It gives an answer to the question.

A weak thesis statement makes for a weak paper. Tips: - Your thesis must be debatable. Think, could someone argue against this? - Your thesis must not have language like ‘might,’ or ‘could be.’ Your thesis must show that you have developed a clear opinion on the matter. - Your thesis must be supportable. You have to be able to give reasons for why you think what you think.

Is this a strong thesis? The best movie of all time is The Lion King. Is it arguable? Does it have strong, definitive language? Can I support this thesis?

Now, I need to find my topic sentences. These will go in each of the three body paragraphs, and each of the topic sentences will provide support to my thesis, “The Lion King is the best movie ever.” So, we ask ourselves, “Why is The Lion King the best movie ever?” We need to find three reasons, because we have three topic sentences to write.

What makes The Lion King the best movie ever? (Pretend you agree with me…) Remember…we need 3 reasons. 1. It has talking animals. 2. It has lots of singing. 3. It has lots of action. How should we order these statements? Do you want your strongest argument to come first or last?

Now, we need to combine the thesis with your topic sentences to go near the end of your introductory paragraph. Thesis: The Lion King is the best movie ever. Topic Statement 1: It has talking animals. Topic Statement 2: It has lots of action. Topic Statement 3: It has lots of singing.

Take 2 minutes and write this out the way you think it should appear. Then, we will do mix-pair-share ! Thesis: The Lion King is the best movie ever. Topic Statement 1: It has talking animals. Topic Statement 2: It has lots of action. Topic Statement 3: It has lots of singing.

???????????????

“The Lion King is the best movie ever because it has talking animals, lots of action, and lots of singing.”

Using the prompt below, create your own thesis statement and topic sentences. Then, combine them. Prompt: What animal is the coolest animal?