1. Writing Skill: Thesis Statement Characteristics and Creation
Trees
Writing Skill: Thesis Statement Characteristics and Creation

2. Today’s Goal: Thesis Statement
Role and function of a thesis statement.
Skill Building; Effective Thesis Statements
Skill Practice: Creating an Effective Thesis Statements

3. Thesis Statement: Purpose
Sets the tone, approach and discipline.
Alerts the reader to the topic.
Alerts the author to potential lines of argumentation.
Clarifies focus for the writer.
Serves as part of executive summary in academic papers.
Sets Tone and Point of the paper.
Likely (and preferably)… your thesis statement will be continually revised as you write.
Perhaps prompt students to come up with their own ideas- I’m sure they can. Emphasise what you think is most important.

4. Thesis Statement: Skill Building
An effective thesis:
Tells us something we don’t already know.
Contradicts/challenges an existing belief.
Offers a solution to an existing problem/issue.
Analyses the “how” or “why” of a “what”
A thesis statement is:
Clear and concise
Written in third person
Subject of the essay.
A thesis statement:
States an opinion
Gives insight into argument
Text on the left is the “existing state”… i.e. baseline what we expect from grade 8s. What appears on the right is from the book pictured and are the expectations for the students’ thesis statements moving forward. Discuss each point, and emphasise that an effective thesis may do one or multiple of these items.

5. Thesis Statement: Skill Building
An effective thesis:
Tells us something we don’t already know.
Contradicts an existing belief.
Offers a solution to an existing problem/issue.
Analyses the “how” or “why” of a “what”
“The theme is advanced through the use of symbol.”
2) “The manor courts were the most fair due to various reasons.”
3) “The Chinese Exclusion Act and the xenophobic feelings towards the Chinese in Canada were necessary to/for the proper integration of Chinese culture into the Canadian mosaic.”
4) Canada’s multiculturalistic society is causing the merging, erosion and death of many cultures in its borders and should end as a policy.
Sample thesis statements (1, 3, 4 from SS10 last year, 2 from SS8 yesterday, ha). Note these are not perfect, but are from worksheets of “first draft” of a thesis statement. Are these effective? Which of the “effective thesis statement” options do they fulfill?
1- not effective… doesn’t tackle any of the 3
2- not effective… doesn’t tackle any of the 3
3- contradicts (primarily)
4- offers a solution.

6. Thesis Statement: Skill Practice
An effective thesis:
Tells us something we don’t already know.
Contradicts an existing belief.
Offers a solution to an existing problem/issue.
Analyses the “how” or “why” of a “what”
Create two thesis statements (one for 2 of the 4 characteristics) appropriate for the Final Essay task.
Share your statements with a partner. Together establish:
Which statement is based on which characteristic.
Between your 4 statements, which 2 are the strongest thesis statements? What makes them strong?
If you were reading the thesis statement, what would you expect the author to include in the paper that follows?