1. Introductions: Thesis Statement & Background
ELAGSE8W1, ELAGSE8W2, ELAGSE8W3

2. The Thesis Sentence

3. The Thesis Statement
Watch “How to Write a Thesis Statement for Your Essay” (YouTube)
Take notes on the presentation. You will use them in an exercise.
Remember, your thesis statement is the focus of your entire essay. It must be specific.

4. Exercise 1: From Topic to Thesis Statement
Write a thesis sentence that is based on one of the following topics.
Remember, the thesis formula is
Topic + Opinion = Thesis
School
The NFL
Social Media
Family
College Athletes

5. Background

6. Write a paragraph about what you see in this picture.

7. Write a paragraph about what you see in this picture.

8. Discussion
What is the object your eye first encounters in each picture?
What is going on in the first picture? The second?
How did the absence of color influence your interpretation of the first image? Would your interpretation have been different if the sky had been sunny?
How did the background in each picture affect how you saw the entire image?

9. Background
Background information provides more information about your topic.
It provides enough information to let the reader decide if he or she wants to read the essay.
It also gives clues as to how narrow the scope of the writing will be.

10. Exercise 2: Writing Background
Write an introductory paragraph in which you use your thesis sentence.
Provide at least 3 sentences of background material.
Write your thesis sentence at the end of these sentences. There should be a logical flow from background to thesis.