Mini-Lesson: Thesis Statement
Teaching Point: Essayists find thesis statements from their seed ideas. A thesis is a subject +
commentary.
CA State Standard:
Today I want to teach you how to create thesis statements from your seed ideas. Use thought
patches and discover seed ideas.
Teaching:
- Show how to find Seed Ideas from thought patches.
Watch me as I reread my seed ideas.
First, I reread each idea and ask, “Are these ideas or facts?” If they are ideas, I highlight them.
Second, I ask, “How does this idea relate to the whole story – both the first and the second half?”
Often this question leads me to revise my seed idea so that it becomes an umbrella idea – one that
stretches over both the beginning and the end of the text.”
Watch how I go about letting this question lead me to revise my seed idea.
Another way I rethink my idea is to ask, “How would I support this?” I think about what I might write
for my categories, my supporting ideas (proof).
Very often I support a thesis in a literary essay by showing how the thesis is true at the start of the
text, then at the end of the text. But I might alternatively support a thesis by showing how it is true for
one character, then for another character, etc., or for one reason, then for another reason.
Active Engagement:
Working in Groups:
USE CAMPFIRE MODEL!
Students should go back to their desks review their seed ideas and remove any facts, then, they
should work with their group, testing out possible thesis sentences. Remember, your thesis has to
pertain to the whole text and must be supported by the text.
Link:
Writers, today, and whenever you write a thesis statement for a literary essay, look over the entries
you’ve collected about the text (could be a prompt from the state or a short story, or a book), ponder
your thoughts about it. Box or star or list the ideas you’ve written about the text, ideas out of which
you will shape your essay. And remember that writers ask questions to test out their possible seed
ideas.
Share:
Have two to three people share their thesis statements.
Ideas
Questions to Ponder:
- “Is this an idea or fact?” If it is an idea, I have to
prove it. Just because I may agree with it, doesn’t
make it a fact.
- “How does this idea relate to the whole story – both
the first and the second half?” If necessary, revise
your thesis statement so that it becomes an umbrella
idea – one that stretches over both the beginning and
the end of the text.”
- “How would I support this?” - PROOF
Consider:
You can support a thesis in a literary essay by showing…
1. How the thesis is true at the start of the text, then at
the end of the text. Compare/Contrast.
2. Prove my thesis by showing how it is true for one
character, then for another character, etc., or
3. Prove how my thesis is true for one reason, then for
another reason.
The thesis sentence is the umbrella.
The remaining paragraphs should “prove”
(or justify) your thesis sentence.
Campfire Discussion Points
- “Is it an idea or fact?” If it is a
fact…revise or remove!
- “How does this idea relate to the whole
story – both the first and the second
half?” If necessary, revise your thesis
statement so that it becomes an
umbrella idea – one that stretches over
both the beginning and the end of the
text.”
- “How would I support this?” - PROOF
(You will need, at least, two body
paragraphs)
When you are through discussing all
proposed thesis statements, re-write them to
make them readable, put your initials on
them, and bring them to me.
I think this story is important because Willie was being raised by a
mother who seemed very reluctant to find her own happiness and even
more reluctant to have Willie search and find happiness. For example,
she didn’t want him to talk with the homeless man, a man that Willie
found who seemed to be the most unhappy person he had ever seen.
To add on, Willie’s mother did not want Willie to question her about
unhappiness. This makes me realize that she thinks it is better to live
in denial than to face her own feelings. This is giving me the idea that
it is better to deal with your emotions than to hide from them. The
reason for this is that my dad passed away from cancer and I
remember wanting to hide or deny that he had died, but found that I
couldn’t and that trying to do so wasn’t making me better, it was making
things worse. I was staying angry. Another reason is that Willie is a
young boy, whose father left, but he can’t change that, but he can
change how he faces life. This connects with the idea that all people
have control over is their own emotions and that people’s journey’s to
find happiness or at least a better existence has to be their own journey.
On the other hand, Willie’s mother is on her own journey and maybe
Willie finding happiness will lead her to happiness…maybe she will
“follow” him. Willie realized what happiness was and learned to believe
in himself.
I think this story is important because Adam needs to know that just
because something bad happens it doesn’t mean that life can’t still be
good. For example, Adam was hit by a car and could no longer run
because it damaged his leg and arm and more importantly what he
thought about himself. To add on, he then isolated himself and was
unhappy/depressed. This makes me realize that all people have a
tendency to think that when something bad happens it means that life
no longer will or can be good. This is giving me the idea that it is
important for people to find a new way of finding happiness or a new
“normal” in their life. The reason for this is that staying isolated wasn’t
making Adam happy and the more pain he seemed to be in emotionally,
the more pain he felt in his body evidenced by the fact that before he
took the art class he talked about the pain and dread that his hand was.
Another reason is that the more Adam tried something new the more
he seemed to come out of his shell and find more that was interesting,
such as the art teacher, than just his own misery. This connects with
the idea that people need to not give up and to try new things and to not
feel that life ends because something bad happens. On the other
hand, Adam could have decided not to join the art class and instead
chosen to isolate himself, but then he might have found that not only
was his body somewhat crippled, but so was his spirit…
Embedded Thesis Statements:
Willie was influenced by his mother and was, at first,
unhappy, but later, with the help of a homeless man;
Willie found that the answer to finding happiness was
to believe in himself.
Adam, after being injured in a car accident, became
depressed and no longer found life enjoyable, but
after taking a summer art class, Adam learned that by
finding a new interest, life can still be worthwhile.