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Writing Great Thesis Statements……and Therefore Great Essays

+Why are we working on these?

Thesis statements were the weakest component across the board on the immigration unit in-class essays

They are also incredibly important to writing strong essays

+What a Thesis Statement is NOT

An opinion or “I” statement

An observation

A question

A summary

Vague/wishy-washy

More than one sentence

+What a Thesis Statement IS / DOES

An arguable statement that can be proven with evidence

Specific, to the point

Captures the main points of your argument

One sentence

Appears as the last line of your introduction paragraph

+Which is the stronger thesis? Why?

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.

+What’s wrong with this picture?

Fix the following weak thesis statement:

There are both good and bad representations of women in A Thousand Splendid Suns.

+What will you argue about ATSS?

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)

How can you turn these ideas into a killer thesis statement?

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.

+Looking Ahead…

Step 1: Develop a thesis statement

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)

Step 3: Write rough draft (Rough Draft DUE Wednesday, 4/6 for A, D, G, and F periods; Thursday 4/7 for C period)

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)