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Writing Great Thesis
Statements…
…and Therefore Great Essays
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Why are we working on these?
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Thesis statements were the weakest component across the
board on the immigration unit in-class essays
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They are also incredibly important to writing strong essays
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What a Thesis Statement is NOT
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An opinion or “I” statement
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An observation
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A question
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A summary
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Vague/wishy-washy
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More than one sentence
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What a Thesis Statement IS / DOES
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An arguable statement that can be proven with evidence
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Specific, to the point
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Captures the main points of your argument
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One sentence
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Appears as the last line of your introduction paragraph
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Which is the stronger thesis? Why?
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Discuss with the person sitting next to you.
#1 The different paths that the lives of Laila and Mariam took
proves that it is impossible to undo formative experiences
and the resulting effects – positive or negative – that they are
bound to have on future decisions.
#2 Hosseini positively depicts the persona of Afghan women
and their ability to endure gender inequality, denied
education and Taliban rule.
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What’s wrong with this picture?
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Fix the following weak thesis statement:
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There are both good and bad representations of women in A
Thousand Splendid Suns.
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What will you argue about ATSS?
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Brainstorm/free write for the next 5-10 minutes. Remember
you will be using the literary theory you have chosen to write
this essay (Feminist, Marxist, Reader-Response or Formalist)
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How can you turn these ideas into a killer thesis statement?
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Write a draft of your thesis statement. Then, get into assigned
writing groups and – using the rubric – assess each other’s
thesis statements. Final thesis statements and outlines are
due this week.
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Looking Ahead…
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Step 1: Develop a thesis statement
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Step 2: Gather textual evidence and organize ideas in an
outline (Final Thesis Statement and Outline DUE Friday,
4/1 for D, G, C and F periods; Thursday 3/31 for A period)
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Step 3: Write rough draft (Rough Draft DUE Wednesday, 4/6
for A, D, G, and F periods; Thursday 4/7 for C period)
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Step 4: Make revisions based on feedback. Edit, edit and edit
again. Include citations. Type final draft. (Final Draft DUE
Wednesday, 4/13 for A, D, G, and F periods; Thursday
4/14 for C period)