1. Creating strong ties to the thesis
Sewing your Big Ideas together using the thread of the Thesis.

2. How to sew a shirt: Select a style and fabric.
Cut out the fabric according to size and pattern.
Sew the pieces together with thread.

3. Writing an essay is much the same:
Select a topic
Take a side
Organize your argument
Use the thesis as the thread to stitch your paragraphs together. Like this:

4. Example of a Situation/Stance Thesis:
In the short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger,” by Frank R. Stockton, the princess has to decide between letting go of her lover, or giving in to her jealousy. Even though the princess’s love is “warm and strong,” the princess decides to send her lover to the door of the tiger because she hates the Lady, her jealousy is stronger than her “barbaric” love, and she believes he will be waiting for her in heaven.

5. Show your neighbor
Show your neighbor your three big ideas. Neighbor, evaluate whether or not the Big Ideas support the thesis/claim/opinion?

6. Each Topic Sentence should include:
Transition word
Big Idea
Phrase from the thesis (the princess chose the ____ because….)

7. Your topic sentence can be just this simple:
“To begin with,
the princess decides to send her lover to the door of the tiger
because she hates the Lady.”
“First, because she hates the Lady, the princess decides to send her lover to the door of the tiger.”

8. Example of a Situation/Stance Thesis:
In the short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger,” by Frank R. Stockton, the princess has to decide between letting go of her lover, or giving in to her jealousy. Even though the princess’s love is “warm and strong,” the princess decides to send her lover to the door of the tiger because she hates the Lady, her jealousy is stronger than her “barbaric” love, and she believes he will be waiting for her in heaven.

9. Check your outline
Make sure you’ve “sewn a strong tie” between each topic sentence by writing down the words of your thesis.
Some of you will want to experiment with a new way of writing the thesis, and that’s fine.
Try “the princess allowed her lover to die because…” or “the princess couldn’t let the Lady win because…”