Thesis statement activity a solid thesis statement is critical to the success of any essay, but i often find my students disengaged while i try and teach them the fundamentals. Feb 07, 2016 a solid thesis statement is critical to the success of any essay, but i often find my students disengaged while i try and teach them the fundamentals. If the statement is too narrow or broad, rewrite it to fix the problem. It is usually a single sentence at the end of your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. In an essay for english class, your thesis should always appear at the end of your introduction and it should be restated worded in a new way in your conclusion. In the lower right corner of the activity, click the printer icon. After the topic sentence, include any evidence in this body paragraph, such as a quotation, statistic, or data point, that supports this first point. A title can often give the reader some notion of what the thesis is going to be, but it is not the thesis itself. Students learn criteria for a good persuasive thesis statement, evaluate several examples and write one of their own can be adapted for specific classroom needs.
Avoids using the first person or phrases like i believe or i think. To save a pdf copy of the report, click below and follow instructions for. Thesis statements ms word pdf rewrite it given poorly written statements, students rewrite them into strong, concise thesis statements. Out of desperation, i tried this activity, and it was a resounding success. The best means for teaching student to write is to have them.
Only discuss what will be covered in your paper and supported with evidence. In longer classes, this leaves extra time which can be used either for other nonwritingstudioassisted class activity or for extending the time allotted for the activities below. Health ramifications caused by obesity problem are the reasons why kids face different types of diseases when they grow up hypertension. Read or reread your assignment and underline the task words, which are directions like analyze, describe, define, and compare. All writers of essays need to know how to write a thesis statement.
Thesis statement a thesis is a direct statement that explains the topic of your essay, what you believe about that topic, and why. Easy to understand and can be used for reinforcement. Try this activity to check your knowledge of thesis statements. The student will evaluate sample thesis statements by applying criteria of a good thesis. The thesis statement is an essential part of an essay introduction, and it is very important that you know where to put it and how to write it getting it wrong could very likely reduce your ielts score as it could affect the coherency of your essay and if its an opinion essay, it may mean that your opinion is not clear they are a crucial part of writing an. National history day minnesota, the thesis statement junior, minnesota historical society. Writing a thesis statement teach students to write a thesis statement with this interactive powerpoint that includes examples and activities. Exercise in identifying effective thesis statements.
Argumentative thesis activity after completing this activity, you may download or print a completion report that summarizes your results. Writing in college often takes the form of persuasionconvincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. This 50 minute workshop gets kids thinking, creating and. It should tell the reader exactly what your paper is about in 1 or 2 sentences. In an essay for english class, your thesis should always appear at the end of your. The reason you write an entire essay is to prove your thesis statement. For this activity, ask your students to team up with partners to read newspaper, magazine or online articles or short nonfiction essays, either in print or web. Practice worksheet a writing a thesis statement directions. Thesis statement script this workshop has been designed for a 50minute class, and should last no more than 45 minutes if run as efficiently as possible. Thesis statement activity after completing this activity, you may download or print a completion report that summarizes your results. A thesis statement is a fancy way of making a statement of what you believe and. This activity goes beyond activity 1 by focusing on three key tasks that any a good thesis statement must perform.
In the two weeks, weve done thesis statement throwdown, i am shocked by the improvement in the quality of the thesis statements. Modern kids obesity is increasing all over the world, bringing potential problems for them when they become adults. A thesis statement should be something you can argue for or against. Writing a thesis statement can seem like an overwhelming task for many students. Sep 17, 2017 it has also been said that the thesis statement is a road map, marking the path of an essay and guiding the reader through the points of the body paragraphs. A thesis statement is, essentially, the idea that the rest of your paper will support. This practice worksheet teaches topic, claim, and reasons. Thesis and introduction worksheet katherine milligan. Here are some examples of bad and better thesis statements. In the two weeks, weve done thesis statement throwdown, i am shocked by.
The thesis statement is the anchor of any research paper. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for thesis statement. This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft. Option b this statement addresses the prompt, and presents and opinion that can be argued. Fun activities for developing a strong thesis statement. Do your students need extra practice writing thesis statements. The thesis is the main idea of an academic paper and states your attitude or opinion on a certain topic. In a dbq essay, your thesis statement must also be one you can prove and support using the set of primary sources you have been given.
A thesis statement, in its simplest terms, is a statement. Its hard to believe a writing activity can be so much fun, but this is really entertaining if you add the music and just have fun with it. Thesis statement writing workshop if you are thinking about trying to get your students thinking and writing critically this is a great place to start. Your statement identifies what topic will be discussed and the purpose of your paper. Takes a position on an issue creates discussion expresses one main idea has a specific focus in addition, a strong thesis statement. This activity will demonstrate what an effective thesis statement looks like, and how. Teaching is one of the most teaching moment and many can be used to support national education standards. There is no such thing as one size fits all in education. Perhaps it is a synthesis of ideas and research that you have distilled into one point, and the rest of your paper will unpack it and present factual examples to show how you arrived at this idea.
Exercise is a subset of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive and has as a final or an intermediate objective the improvement or maintenance of physical fitness. A lot of health care workers are worried about the problem of lack of physical activity all over the world, which is quite understandable. Thesis statements what this handout is about this handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can discover or refine one for your draft. Circle the letter of the best thesis statement for each composition. Included are seven practice sheets perfect for bellwork, stations, remediation, homework, subwork, extra practice, and more. A thesis should neither be too broad nor too specific. A thesis must be a complete sentences, not a fragments.
The entire activity takes 10 minutes from beginning to end. The thesis itself, as presented in the thesis statement, does not suggest the main ideait is the main idea. Thesis guidelines your thesis should make an argument regarding your topicdomesticity in. A thesis statement is one sentence that establishes the focus of your essay. Suppose one of the general topics listed on the previous page interests you. The thesis should clearly convey your position on a subject. Thesis statement worksheet by nancy armstrong directions. Instructions for each pair of sentences below, select the one that you think would make the more effective thesis in the introductory paragraph of a short essay. You could still write about ityou might just have to change your approach so that your thesis statement is arguable. Some of the worksheets for this concept are thesis statement work, how to write a thesis statement work, writing an effective thesis statement, practice writing thesis sentences, practice work a writing a thesis statement, thesis statement mini lesson, thesis statements practice, writing thesis statements. Benefits of physical activity for children essay thesis. To save a pdf copy of the report, click below and follow instructions for your browser. Eating lunch boosts health and provides needed afternoon energy. On the print popup, under destination, click the change button.
Writing thesis statements 2 position on a debatable issue. How to write a thesis statement worksheet activity. Climate change is caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels. Teaching thesis statement is a breeze with this quick and easy onepage activity. This 50 minute workshop gets kids thinking, creating and collaborating. Writing a thesis statement what is a thesis statement. Typically, a good thesis statement serves as a blueprint of an essay or paper that readers can use to. Although this does address the writing prompt, this is a factual statement. How to craft a killer thesis statement talks with teachers.
Writing thesis statements a thesis statement is one sentence that establishes the focus of your essay. Because writing is an ongoing act of discovery and revision, such changes are. Thesis and introduction worksheet department of english. Select either print all slides or print current slide. In the writing process, it is the main organising idea for your essay that helps to keep you. Apr 20, 2008 although this does address the writing prompt, this is a factual statement. In fact, this thesis statement is so preliminary that it may bear little or no resemblance to the thesis statement in the final version of the essay because, in the course of drafting and revising, the writer may decide to shift focus or change topics dramatically. Students deconstruct, or map, thesis statements into the graphic organizer. Unfortunately, this proves difficult for inexperienced writers so teaching thesis statements should be the first step in teaching students how to write essays. In longer classes, this leaves extra time which can be used either for other nonwritingstudioassisted class. One person i admire is babe ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time. Think of your thesis statement as the road map to your paper, which sets. For each of the following statements, identify whether the statement is strong, too narrow, or too broad. Introduction writing in college often takes the form of persuasionconvincing others that you have an.
Argumentative thesis activity excelsior college owl. In the print popup, click the save button in the save as popup window, give the file a name. A thesis statement is essential for an academic essay. A thesis statement is one or two sentences, usually placed at the end of your introduction that describes the main focus of your essay. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. Therefore, it cannot always tell us what we are morally required to do. A thesis statement is a sentence or sentences which summarize the main idea or ideas of your paper and clearly expresses what it is you are going to say about your topic. Lunch is one of my favorite meals, delicious and nutritious. Thesis statements web worksheet by nancy armstrong. It has examples and a colorcoded analysis of both two and three pronged thesis statements.
Understanding and writing a thesis statement description. A thesis should not contain elements which are extraneous or irrelevant to your paper. Writing a thesis statement 2 justify some behaviours that we intuitively would condemn as evil. Thesis statement practice worksheets by erika forth tpt.
A thesis should avoid phrases like i think and in my opinion because they weaken the writers argument. This packet includes informational handouts with ideas, explanations and worksheets to make the process easy. The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with a working definition of a thesis statement while also helping them acquire techniques that will aid them in constructing their own thesis statements. This exercise will help you understand the difference between an effective and ineffective thesis statement, ie a sentence that identifies the main idea and central purpose of an essay. Remember that the thesis statement is a kind of mapping tool that helps you organize your ideas, and it helps your reader follow your argument. Make a claim you can back up with evidence and with your general background knowledge. Perhaps it is an opinion that you have marshaled logical arguments in favor of. Developing a thesis statement and outline the thesis statement.