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How to Teach Children to Write a Thesis Statement

Shandi stevenson.

By helping students to understand the purpose of a thesis statement, how it is put together and where it belongs in a composition, you can equip them with a skill that will make writing faster and easier. The ability to write an effective thesis statement makes it easier for students to write good papers and develops skills such as summary, organization and argumentation that will be valuable for the rest of their lives.

Explore this article

• Purpose of a Thesis Statement
• Good and Bad Thesis Statements
• Methods for Writing the Statement
• Practice Writing Thesis Statements

1 Purpose of a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the first paragraph of a composition. It states the topic of the paper and the argument the author will make about the topic . It also outlines, in order, the points the paper will make to construct that argument. The first paragraph of the composition should provide an introduction to the paper's topic and its importance. The thesis statement then provides the specific approach to the topic the author will take. The succeeding body paragraphs refer back to and develop the points mentioned in the thesis statement. For example, the thesis statement, "School lunch reform is important, because it makes students healthier, helps students learn better and saves schools money," should be followed by one body paragraph discussing the health benefits of lunch reform, one discussing the academic benefits and one discussing the financial benefits.

2 Good and Bad Thesis Statements

Once students understand what a thesis statement's basic function is, it is helpful to have students practice recognizing effective and ineffective thesis statements. Use a page of thesis statements, some of which are correct and others which are not, have students practice recognizing which sentences meet the requirements of a good thesis statement and which do not. Students can then explain and discuss their reasoning. Allowing students to work on this in small groups can be a helpful way for them to grasp the skill quickly. Have students work individually or in groups to rewrite and improve poor thesis statements. The two most important concepts for students to grasp about the thesis statement are that it must state an opinion or an argument , rather than a fact and that it must be as specific as possible . Most students begin by writing thesis statements that are much too broad and must learn to narrow the focus.

3 Methods for Writing the Statement

Students may find it helpful to first write thesis statements for existing compositions, of which only the thesis statement has been left out or covered up. Students identify the essay's argument and its main points and draft a thesis statement to reflect them. This allows students to practice writing a thesis statement without having to plan and organize an argument at the same time. Students can also compare their thesis statements with other students', and with the original; this allows them to recognize that there is no one right way to phrase a thesis statement, yet every thesis statement must include certain elements.

Some students may then find it helpful to practice writing their own thesis statements using a fill-in "template," such as: " ** is important because of ** , ** and ** __," or "Martin Luther King Jr. changed America in three important ways: _, _ and ____." This exercise helps students make the transition to generating and organization their own arguments, while still getting a little help structuring and wording the thesis statement.

4 Practice Writing Thesis Statements

Once they have mastered the basic concept and structure of the thesis statement, students will benefit from practicing the skill as often as possible, and from plenty of feedback on how they can improve their thesis statements. It can take a long time for the skill to become second nature. In addition to requiring students to include thesis statements in all their compositions, consider using other games and activities for extra practice, such as letting students submit thesis statements to a contest and vote on the winner, working as a class to write a "thesis statement" for a math, science or social studies lesson on the board and letting students write thesis statements about things that interest them.

• 1 Indiana University Writing Center: Thesis Statements
• 2 Slide Share: Thesis Statement Power Point
• 3 University of Michigan: Templates
• 4 Teachers Net: Using Spongebob to Teach Thesis Statement
• 5 Gustavus Adolphus College: Tips on Writing a Thesis Statement

About the Author

Shandi Stevenson is a teacher, tutor and author whose work has appeared in national and international publications including "Shibboleths," "Homeschooling Today," and "Resort Living." She holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature in English and a Master of Arts in humanities.

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Definition of thesis

Did you know.

In high school, college, or graduate school, students often have to write a thesis on a topic in their major field of study. In many fields, a final thesis is the biggest challenge involved in getting a master's degree, and the same is true for students studying for a Ph.D. (a Ph.D. thesis is often called a dissertation ). But a thesis may also be an idea; so in the course of the paper the student may put forth several theses (notice the plural form) and attempt to prove them.

Examples of thesis in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

in sense 3, Middle English, lowering of the voice, from Late Latin & Greek; Late Latin, from Greek, downbeat, more important part of a foot, literally, act of laying down; in other senses, Latin, from Greek, literally, act of laying down, from tithenai to put, lay down — more at do

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3a(1)

Dictionary Entries Near thesis

the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children

thesis novel

Cite this Entry

“Thesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thesis. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of thesis, more from merriam-webster on thesis.

Nglish: Translation of thesis for Spanish Speakers

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thesis

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Thesis facts for kids

A thesis (plural: 'theses') is a document written in support of an idea that is presented for discussion or disputation. In modern usage it usually refers to a document presented as a requirement for an academic degree or professional qualification. It presents the author's research and findings. In the academic context it means the same as dissertation . The term dissertation can be used to describe an argument without relation to academic degrees. The term thesis may also be used for the central claim of an essay or other work.

Thesis Types

Images for kids.

Senior thesis:

There are different types of thesis paper for different fields, for example, if you are an English major then for your thesis you can be asked to write a short story, a media student can be asked to submit a short film.

Graduate thesis:

A graduate thesis also known as graduate dissertation is something a student works on with a member of the faculty who has specialized in the relevant field. A dissertation is 50-100 pages long. In fields such as science, it is based on an experiment whereas, for humanities, it is an extended version of your college paper.

Originally, the words "dissertation" and "thesis" had separate meanings. When, at ancient universities, the professor had completed his lecture, there would be a disputation. During this, students could take up certain points and argue them. The position that one took during a disputation was the thesis , while the dissertation was the line of reasoning with which one supported it.

The word "thesis" comes from the Greek θέσις , meaning "position", and refers to an intellectual proposition . "Dissertation" comes from the Latin dissertātiō , meaning "discourse".

Doctoral ceremony at Leiden University (7 July 1721).

Cover page to Søren Kierkegaard 's university thesis (1841).

The cover of the thesis presented by Claude Bernard to obtain his Doctorate of Medicine (1843).

Cover page of a licentiate dissertation in Sweden

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