WRITING A THESIS
STATEMENT
History and Language Arts Informational Essay
What it is and Why You Need it
A Thesis Statement is…
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A Thesis Statement is a
sentence in the introduction of
your paper that tells your
reader what you are writing
about and why.
It is a clear, brief statement of
the position you will defend in
your paper.
It is an answer to a question
you raise in your paper.
It does not announce a topic.
A Thesis Statement is needed
because…
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Readers need a road
map to follow to help
them through your essay.
The thesis provides
readers with a clear
statement about what
you are writing about
and why its is important.
Where do I start?
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Think about your thesis statement
as the answer to the question
you are exploring in your
paper/essay.
Review the information you have
collected about your topic and
ask yourself the following
questions:
1.
2.
3.
What am I claiming about my
topic?
What are the reasons I have
to support my claim?
In what order will I present my
reasons?
Finding it in Your Materials
Use your
graphic
organizer.
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In order to write your thesis statement,
you must have completed your graphic
organizer labeled Paragraph 1:
Introduction.
This information includes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A hook
A topic sentence
The details/reasons you will discuss
A concluding sentence
Step 1: Forming the Question
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Almost all assignments, no matter how complicated, can
be reduced to a single question.
Write a question that asks about the most significant
thing concerning your topic. If you get stuck, take a
close look at your assignment. What are you supposed
to write about?
Example: If your assignment is to write an essay about
the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth
grade classroom, your question might be:

What are the potential benefits of using computers in a fourth
grade classroom?
Step 2: Answering the Question
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After you form your
question, your next step is
to write a 1-2 sentence
answer to your question.
Your answer should include
your reasons/details that
support the claim you are
making about your topic.
Example:

The potential benefits of
using computers in the
fourth grade classroom
are…
Finding it in Your Materials 2
What
information
from my
graphic
organizer will
help me
complete the
3 steps to a
thesis
statement?
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Your topic sentence can be restated as a
question to help you form your thesis
statement.
Your details should be included in your
answer to the question, which is your
thesis statement.
The hook and concluding sentence will
be combined with your thesis statement
to build an effective introductory
paragraph.
Step 3: Your Thesis is Completed
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Congratulations! The answer to your question
is your THESIS STATEMENT.
To test your THESIS STATEMENT, make sure it
meets the following requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Does it make a point and accurately reflect your
claim and topic?
Does it pull together and state your main ideas
(details/reasons)?
Is it specific to your topic?
It is focused on one main idea/claim only?
Does it answer: Who, What, When, Why, Where,
or How? (who or what are you writing about?,
why is it significant?, where is happening, does the
location have any significance? How is it
relevant?)
What’s Next?
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Now that you have your Thesis Statement you can
be sure that readers will be able to understand
what it is you are writing about.
However, there is more to your introduction than
your thesis statement. You also want to draw the
reader into your paper--get them interested--so
they keep reading after the first paragraph.
You also need to conclude your introduction in a
way that prepares or sets your reader up for what
is to come in the body of your paper.
The Hook
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Your HOOK is what gets your
readers’ attention.
In order to find your hook, think
about what you find most
interesting about your topic.
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Is there a shocking fact or statistic
you can share, an interesting
story, how about posing a
question, or defining a term,
what about using details to paint
a picture?
If this sounds familiar, it should!
These are examples of the
different types of introductions
we learned about.
Use your INTRODUCTION FLIP
CHART to help you.
Finding it in Your Materials 3
Use your
Introduction
Flip Chart.
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You can use one of the types of
introductions from your flip chart as
your hook.
TIP: For this essay, try one of the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A Shocking Fact
Paint a Picture
Summarize the Situation
Provide Background
Pose a Question
Putting it Together
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Your introductory paragraph should include the
following in this order:
1.
2.
3.
Your HOOK. This should consist of several sentences.
Your THESIS STATEMENT. This should be one sentence.
Your CONCLUDING SENTENCE. This should be one
sentence that wraps up the introduction, briefly stating
the important points that the reader will encounter as
they continue on with the paper/essay.
Moving On…
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If you have written an effective introductory
paragraph, you readers will be interested enough
to read the rest of your paper and will understand
it because your thesis will guide them as they
discover details that prove your point about your
topic.
Do not disappoint readers! Write well-supported
body paragraphs that fully explain your reasons
and prove your thesis.