- Writing Worksheets and Other Writing Resources
- Thesis, Analysis, & Structure
Thesis Activity
About the slc.
- Our Mission and Core Values
One way to think about a thesis statement is:
An effective thesis is one that is not obvious; rather it is one that is discussible, arguable, and interesting.
Avoid self-evident statements.
In the US, movie stars are greatly admired.
A strong thesis will give readers an idea of the general direction of your paper and the evidence you will provide.
Because definitions of obscenity change as society changes, the Supreme Court has handed down three contradictory decisions on censorship in the past five years.
A few things to keep in mind:
- A thesis must be a complete sentence(s), not a fragment(s).
- A thesis should not be worded as a question.
- A thesis should neither be too broad nor too specific.
- A thesis should not contain elements which are extraneous or irrelevant to your paper.
- A thesis should avoid phrases like I think and in my opinion because they weaken the writer's argument.
Having said all of that, let's venture into never-never land, take a trip to the world of happily-ever-after. Let's look at fairy tales.
Take a common fairy tale. Little Red Riding Hood , for example. Your average tale of good vs. evil, right?
In my opinion, Little Red Riding Hood is a classic tale of good versus evil.
Now, there's a thesis that is sure to keep you up at night. Interesting. Innovative. Imaginative. I think not.
Let's try something else. How about:
Because she dares to defy societal norms of acceptable female behavior, Little Red Riding Hood faces death at the hands of the Big Bad Wolf, who embodies patriarchy.
Little Red Riding Hood serves as a feminist tale, demonstrating how an independent, intelligent woman subverts the entrenched forces of male power and privilege.
The forest in Little Red Riding Hood--with its various elements of danger, fear, and foreboding--symbolizes a young girl's rite of passage into womanhood; by challenging the elements in the forest, the naive and trusting Little Red Riding Hood emerges an empowered, mature, confident young woman.
Television shows and movies also offer a wealth of possible thesis statements. Consider the following:
As the middle child, Jan Brady is insecure and demonstrates a negative self-perception: she feels inferior to Marcia, who embodies the qualities of the "ideal" teenager and to Cindy, the "innocent" child and center of the family's attentions.
While appearing to be a simplistic situation comedy about a group of castaways, Gilligan's Island is actually a complex representation of vice; each of the characters represents one of the seven deadly sins.
While Star Trek : The Next Generation may appear to represent an ideal version of a multicultural, gender-equal society, the command structure on the Enterprise, headed by Picard and Riker, reinscribes western, patriarchal notions of power.
Although praised for its realism, Saving Private Ryan glorifies American patriotism and heroism, excluding alternative perspectives.
Now it is your turn. Construct an interesting, compelling thesis using a fairy tale, television show, popular song, or movie.
Luisa Giulianetti Student Learning Center, University of California, Berkeley ©1998 UC Regents
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans
How to Write a Thesis Statement
About this worksheet:.
Practice developing thesis statements with this writing introduction worksheet! Students will learn how to improve their writing with a strong, attention grabbing thesis statement. This activity helps build writing skills by asking students to create a statement for the topics provided, such as: “What was the greatest challenge in your life?”.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Thesis Statement Worksheet. A thesis statement is a sentence that tells your reader your topic, what you think about it, and possibly how you are going to prove it. Create a research question based on your class assignment. Start to read about your topic to generate more ideas for your research and writing. Collect facts from articles.
Exercise Directions: Create a thesis statement based on the following information. Topic 1: Education is important to have. It could enable one to get a better paying job. It makes a person a more interesting individual. It makes a person a more informed citizen. Topic 2: Bowling is a sport for everyone.
Topic Sentences & Thesis Statements Read the following 3 paragraphs. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph. When you have completed the topic sentences, write one thesis statement that would be appropriate for an essay on the same topic. Answers will vary. For screen reader users, space to write is indicated with *. 1.
A thesis driven essay is comprised of an initial thesis statement that establishes a claim or argument, and ensuing topic sentences that support and develop that claim. Ideally, a reader would be able to read only the thesis statement and topic sentences of your text, and still be able to understand the main ideas and
5. A troublesome thesis is a fragment; a good thesis statement is expressed in a complete sentence. Example: How life is in New York after September 11th. Better: After September 11th, the city of New York tends to have more cases of post-traumatic disorder than other areas of the United States and rightfully so.
Writing a Thesis Statement (Lesson 21 - Practice Worksheet B) Directions: Read each outline for a composition. Then write an appropriate thesis statement on the lines for the composition described. 1. a composition that discusses the responsibilities involved in caring for a pet. Topic: What pet ownership involves. A.
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. Introduction Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an
Step 3: Writing a Thesis Statement This worksheet will help you draft a solid thesis statement. Remember, the thesis holds your paper together and guides your research, so be sure it says exactly what you mean. The spaces below are provided for you to write notes; you may also use additional paper.
356 ©2011 Nancy Fetzer Thesis Statement: Student Worksheet Purpose: To provide students with a tool to practice formulating and writing topic sentences and thesis statements..The organizer displays the formula (setting, subject, big idea) and four boxes for planning ideas and recording fancy words.
THESIS STATEMENTS A thesis statement is a fancy way of making a statement of what you believe and why you believe it. When you write an essay, you MUST clearly state your thesis at the end of the introduction paragraph. It needs to be there. If you do not have a thesis, you do not have a quality essay.
Thesis statements - 1-2 sentences that tell the reader your topic and what you will say about it. Direct thesis statements outline the main idea and the organization of the essay for the reader. Underline the topic, circle the controlling idea, and double underline the sub-topics in the following
Microsoft Word - Document1. Directions: Carefully read the writing prompt and the Bad Thesis Statement. Then, rewrite a Good Thesis Statement. State the subject and tell the author's purpose for writing or the point to be proved. A good thesis statement will directly respond to each part of the writing prompt.
KMBT C654-20121115000022. Printable Handouts: Writing a Thesis Statement O n i n e Writing Lab Writing a Thesis Statement Page '1 of 4 A thesis statement is a sentence (or sentences) that expresses the main ideas of your paper and answers the question or questions posed by your paper. It offers your readers a quick and easy to follow summary of ...
Work through good and bad thesis statements together with the students. (5-10 min.) 4. Give students the second handout containing problematic thesis statements in need of correction. 5. Have the students break into groups to correct the thesis statements. (5-10 min.) 6. Discuss the corrections as a class. (5 min.)
4 Contributors: Dr. Emily Heady, Todd Atkins, Jeff Valerioti; Editor: Jeff Valerioti ©2007, 2008, 2013, 2021 by Liberty University Online Writing Center
There are two types of thesis statements: an argumentative thesis statement and an informative thesis statement. Determine your purpose for writing (to argue/to convince OR to explain/to inform) before you begin the thesis statement process. An argumentative thesis statement will 1. State your main claim, which is debatable (or arguable) 2.
Thesis Activity. One way to think about a thesis statement is: An effective thesis is one that is not obvious; rather it is one that is discussible, arguable, and interesting. Avoid self-evident statements. In the US, movie stars are greatly admired. A strong thesis will give readers an idea of the general direction of your paper and the ...
Thesis Statements. Lesson Objectives: 1. To understand the purpose of a thesis statement 2. To convey the importance of a one sentence thesis statement Preparation: 1. Review lesson plan, student handouts, and the activity answer key. 2. Check if there are enough copies of all student handouts. Make copies if necessary. Handouts: 1. Student Notes
• The thesis may be implied or explicitly stated, but it should always be evident to the reader. • The thesis may differ in form depending on the type of writing (argumentative, persuasive, informative, narrative, etc.). • The thesis should be restated in a new and interesting way in the conclusion. Explicit vs. Implied • An
About this Worksheet: Practice developing thesis statements with this writing introduction worksheet! Students will learn how to improve their writing with a strong, attention grabbing thesis statement. This activity helps build writing skills by asking students to create a statement for the topics provided, such as: "What was the greatest ...
Thesis Statements - Web Worksheet By Nancy Armstrong I. Functions and Purposes of a Thesis Statement • To announce the topic to the reader • To reflect a judgment about the topic • To provide the reader with a blueprint for what is to come in the paper II. Prewriting Techniques A. Word Map - use circles, etc. to show relation between ...
Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban smoking altogether. Statement of fact: Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks. Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use. Statement of fact: On average, people with college degrees earn more money in the workplace.
Step 2) Brainstorm some possible answers to your question. Step 3) Combine your best answer(s) and your question into a thesis statement. Academic Writing Tools: To outline your essay see our Outline: Short Essay (fewer than 5 pages) or Extended Essay (+ 5 pages). If your instructor has requested an annotated bibliography, see Writing Guide ...