Writing Your Thesis Statement
Now, that you’ve done your research,
it’s time to organize your ideas. Start
by writing a thesis statement. Then
arrange your ideas in an outline.
What is a thesis statement?
• Your thesis statement tells what your
report is all about. A good thesis
statement starts with an interesting topic
and then focuses on an important detail
about the topic.
• Interesting topic + important detail =
thesis statement
Interesting topic:
Daniel Boone’s exploration
+
Important Detail:
helped early Americans go west.
=
Thesis statement:
Daniel Boone’s exploration helped early
Americans go west.
More examples of Thesis
Statements:
• 1. The English Quaker William Penn (an
interesting topic) founded the
Pennsylvania colony to provide religious
and political freedom (an important
detail).
More examples of Thesis
Statements:
• 2. Anne Bradstreet was a poet in the 1600s
(an interesting topic) who wrote poems
about family, women, faith, and politics in
Massachusetts (an important detail).
Create Your Thesis Statement
• Review your notes and write a thesis
statement about the most important
accomplishment of the person you will
write about.