Writing a Thesis

A thesis should be...

• A statement that can be argued

• A question you answer in the essay

• A statement that is a fact

• A question for which there is no right answer

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1B

Where should a thesis appear?

• As the first sentence in an essay

• As the second paragraph in an essay

• As the last sentence of the first paragraph

• As the last sentence of the essay

A strong thesis must...

• Use big words

• Be something everyone would agree with

• Be something a smart person could disagree with

• Be hard to find in your essay

What immediately follows a thesis in an essay?

• Paragraphs with evidence to show the thesis is wrong.

• Paragraphs with evidence to support the thesis.

• Paragraphs with additional thesis statements.

• A concluding paragraph in which the thesis is restated.

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.2B

A thesis needs to be...

• Obvious

• Too large to support in one essay

• An argument

• Vague and written in the first person

Which would be the strongest thesis?

• Charlotte's Web

• Charlotte's Web is a novel.

• Charlotte is a character in Charlotte's Web.

• The novel Charlotte's Web by E.B. White teaches valuable lessons about life and death.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.2A

Which would be the strongest thesis?

• Eating breakfast is essential to being able to learn in school.

• I will show that eating breakfast is essential to learning.

• You should eat breakfast so it's easier for you to pay attention in school.

• Rayelle never eats breakfast, and she is always hungry and distracted in school.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

Which would be the strongest thesis?

• This essay is about junk food.

• Junk food should not be served in school cafeterias.

• Candy bars and fries are examples of junk food.

• Children often eat junk food while watching TV.

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

Which would be the strongest thesis?

• England is a country.

• The United States used to belong to Great Britain.

• Independence Day is celebrated July 4^th.

• Independence Day is the most important national holiday in the United States.

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.4

Is cyberbullying worse than in-person bullying? Why is this not a strong thesis.

• It is a question not a debatable point.

• It is so general that it's hard to defend.

• It states a fact.

• It is written in first person.

Tags

CCSS.W.7.1A

CCSS.W.7.1B

CCSS.W.7.1C

CCSS.W.7.4