1. Effective Thesis Statements and Textual Analysis
LEADERS IN LITERACY CONFERENCE
Effective Thesis Statements and Textual Analysis
Aiken County Public School District
January 13, 2017
Zeke Miller
(803)
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Power point template opening slide

2. Essential Questions
1. How can I help my students create effective thesis statements? 2. How can I help my students learn how to effectively analyze textual evidence to include in their essay?
aiken county public school district

3. Session Outcomes
As a result of attending this session, attendees will have
Reviewed the power point for how to write effective thesis statements and textual analysis
Analyzed example thesis statements together to determine the essential elements within them
Written their own thesis statements based on information given to them
Analyzed a piece of textual evidence together to develop insightful commentary on issues presented
Written their own analysis on a piece of textual evidence to develop insightful commentary on issues presented
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5.
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6. Information Provided Step by step
Detailed explanations given for each step
Multiple examples given of model technique
Follow the formula
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7. Effective Thesis Statements Essential Questions
What criteria does a high quality thesis statement have to follow?
How can I assess my thesis statement to determine if it is high quality or not?
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8. The Most Important Criteria for a Thesis Statement
Advances a Claim, not merely an Observation
Boo saves Jem and Scout.
Boo saves Jem and Scout because he cares about them.
Need to clarify how the claim matters to our understanding of the broader meaning of the text:
By saving Jem’s and Scout’s lives, Boo demonstrates his need to protect the aspects of innocence and hope within his world.
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9. Thesis Statement Breakdown Key
(Con) Contrast/Counter:
(C) Character or Characters:
(What) What does the character do?:
(Meaning) Why?/Meaning:
(I) Issue/Focus:
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10. Thesis Statement Breakdown using Key (Visual Practice)
(Con) Contrast/Counter:
(C) Character or Characters:
(What) What does the character do?:
(Meaning) Why?/Meaning:
(I) Issue/Focus:
aiken county public school district

11. Thesis Statement Breakdown using Key (Visual Practice)
Model Thesis Statement:
Although the town of Maycomb views Boo Radley as an inhumane monster in To Kill A Mockingbird, his desire to form a friendship with Jem and Scout reveals his true humanity.
aiken county public school district

12. Thesis Statement Breakdown using Key (Written Practice)
On the thesis statements handout, analyze each thesis statement, and determine the elements that reside within by labeling them with the appropriate symbol from the Thesis Statement Breakdown Key.
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13. Review Thesis Statement Breakdown Written Practice (Using Key)
Analyze each thesis statement, and determine the elements that reside within by labeling them with the appropriate symbol from the Thesis Statement Breakdown Key.
Visualize and write down the formula at the end
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14. Practice Writing Your Own Thesis Statement using Key (Visual Practice)
(Con) Contrast/Counter: Jem seems to be an innocent Southern boy
(C) Character or Characters: Jem
(What) What does the character do?: begins to understand Boo Radley’s perspective and reacts to Tom Robinson’s conviction
(Meaning) Why?/Meaning: loses his innocence
(I) Issue/Focus: innocence
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15. Our Thesis Statement on Jem
Placeholder
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16. Practice Writing Your Own Thesis Statement using Formula (Written Practice on Handout)
(Con) Contrast/Counter: Beowulf has heroic strength
(C) Character or Characters: Beowulf
(What) What does the character do?: has selfish motivations behind his actions
(Meaning) Why?/Meaning: reveals he is not a true hero
(I) Issue/Focus: hero
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17. Insightful Analysis Essential Questions
What is the point of analyzing a piece of textual evidence?
How can I develop insightful ideas that go beneath the surface level of the text?
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18. The Most Important Criteria for Insightful Analysis
ANSWER WHY
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19. 3 Types of Why Questions to Develop
Why question developed from a piece of your quote (the piece that strikes you, the reader, the most)
Why question developed to connect quote to topic sentence
Why question developed to connect to thesis statement
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20. Important Elements of Essay so Far
Topic Sentence: Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf shows heroic strength.
Thesis Statement: Although Beowulf has heroic strength, the selfish motivations behind his actions reveal he is not a true hero.
aiken county public school district

21. Quote to Analyze (Visual Practice)
The speaker says, “The monster’s hatred rose higher, / But his power had gone. He twisted in pain, / And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder / Snapped, muscle and bone split / And broke” ( ).
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22. Possible Questions to Analyze Quote (Visual Practice)
Why does Grendel’s bone split?
Why does ripping Grendel’s claw off show great strength?
Why does this moment make Beowulf look like a hero?
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23. Answers (in Note Form) to Possible Questions to Analyze Quote (Visual Practice)
Why does Grendel’s bone split?
Tries to get away
Pressure from Beowulf’s force
Why does ripping Grendel’s claw off show great strength?
Grendel’s a monster
Supernatural strength
Uses bare hands
Why does this moment make Beowulf look like a hero?
- Defeats the evil force
- Saves the people with his strength
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24. Answers (in Sentence Form) to Possible Questions to Analyze Quote (Visual Practice)
On Handout
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25. Important Elements of Essay so Far (Written Practice) ; Refer to Handout
Topic Sentence: Although Beowulf has heroic strength, he constantly brags about his accomplishments to feed his ego.
Thesis Statement: Although Beowulf has heroic strength, the selfish motivations behind his actions reveal he is not a true hero.
aiken county public school district

26. Quote to Analyze (Written Practice)
When Beowulf arrives to Hrothgar’s kingdom, he stands in front of the Danish king and says, “They have seen my strength for themselves, / Have watched me rise from the darkness of war, / Dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove / Five great giants into chains, chased / All of that race from the earth” ( ).
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27. Possible Questions to Analyze Quote (Written Practice)
Why ?
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28. Answers (in Note Form) to Possible Questions to Analyze Quote (Written Practice)
Why ?
aiken county public school district

29. Revisiting the Presenters Meeting Outcomes
As a result of attending this meeting, presenters will have
Reviewed the power point template for how to write effective thesis statements and textual analysis
Analyzed example thesis statements together to determine the essential elements within them
Written their own thesis statements based on information given to them
Analyzed a piece of textual evidence together to develop insightful commentary on issues presented
Written their own analysis on a piece of textual evidence to develop insightful commentary on issues presented
aiken county public school district

30. Essential Questions
1. How can I help my students create effective thesis statements? 2. How can I help my students learn how to effectively analyze textual evidence to include in their essay?
aiken county public school district

31. Questions?
questions to OR Send a message through Schoology
aiken county public school district