NATIONAL
MATH + SCIENCE
INITIATIVE
English
Writing Effective
Thesis Statements
and Topic Sentences
for Literary Analysis
Grade 8
ABOUT THIS LESSON
Students will
demonstrate an understanding of the
components of a thesis statement for a
persuasive essay.
● identify appropriate topic sentences for a
thesis statement.
● create a thesis statement and topic sentences
for a literary analysis writing prompt.
●
COGNITIVE RIGOR
English lessons for National Math and Science
Initiative (NMSI) are designed to guide students
through a continuum of increasingly complex
thinking skills, including those outlined in the
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth
of Knowledge Levels. When students write thesis
statements, they are using all levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy and Webb’s DOK Level 2.
This lesson is included in Module 3: Generating
Text-Based Responses.
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
T E A C H E R
OBJECTIVES
P A G E S
T
he ability to write a clearly focused and
concise literary analysis statement and
support it with textual analysis is a vital skill
for college readiness. This lesson, which focuses
on thesis statements for literary analysis essays, is
designed for Grade 8 students who have experience
writing basic thesis statements for expository or
persuasive essays.
English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic
English—Active
Sentences forand
Literary
Passive
Analysis
Voice
Explicitly addressed in this lesson
W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
Implicitly addressed in this lesson
RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a
text and analyze its development over the
course of the text, including its relationship
to the characters, setting, and plot; provide
an objective summary of the text.
CONNECTIONS TO AP*
The ability to write effective thesis statements and
topic sentences is a vital skill for college and career
readiness. Early and frequent practice in writing
thesis statements and topic sentences will prepare
students for success in writing analytical essays
on all types of college entrance examinations,
including AP Literature and AP Language Exams.
*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of
the College Entrance Examination Board. The College Board
was not involved in the production of this material.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
●
copies of the Student Activity
ASSESSMENTS
The following kinds of formative assessments are
embedded in this lesson:
●
writing thesis statements and topic sentences
Y
ou may want to guide students through
the completion of the lesson as a whole
group activity. Writing effective literary
analysis statements and topic sentences is a skill
that will require frequent practice before students
achieve proficiency. The thesis statements in this
lesson are somewhat formulaic but will provide
less experienced writers with the foundational skills
needed to develop their own style and voice as they
develop confidence as young writers.
It is important for students to understand that a
thesis statement tells the reader of the essay what
to expect in terms of both content and organization.
For less experienced writers, focusing on literary
devices provides a very basic organizational plan.
A more sophisticated writing style is to organize the
essay thematically. Activity Four presents students
with a possible thesis statement for an essay on
“Those Winter Sundays.” There are more than two
correct responses for this activity. Allow students
to select the two best topic sentences for an essay
they might write. If a student selects #1, he or she
needs to select #4 as the other topic sentence. This
pair of topic sentences provides students with a
more sophisticated organizational plan for writing
the essay. Students would use both sound devices
and imagery as textual evidence in each paragraph.
If a student selects #5, he or she needs to select #7
as the corresponding topic sentence. This is also an
acceptable way to organize the essay. Discuss with
students the reasons #2, #3, and #6 are not the best
choices for topic sentences.
A template is provided as an extension for the
lesson. You might ask students to complete the
template using the thesis statements provided in this
lesson. Using a writing template is one strategy to
help less experienced writers gain proficiency.
ANSWERS
Answers are subjective and will vary.
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
P A G E S
The activities in this lesson allow teachers to
address the following Common Core Standards:
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
T E A C H E R
CONNECTION TO COMMON CORE
STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
ARTS
NATIONAL
MATH + SCIENCE
INITIATIVE
English
Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences
for Literary Analysis
What Is a Thesis Statement?
A thesis statement is a sentence that
●
expresses the writer’s position or interpretation of a particular subject.
●
makes a claim that others might dispute.
●
is included in the opening paragraph.
●
answers the question of the writing prompt.
●
tells the reader what to expect from the paper.
Writing Literary Analysis Thesis Statements
An analytical writing prompt asks you to prove an abstract idea by referring to concrete evidence.
In order to write a literary thesis statement you must have
1) a subject—usually the abstract portion of the writing prompt, such as characterization, tone, theme,
mood, etc.
2) the concrete element—the literary device(s) that provide evidence to support your claim
3) your claim about that subject
An effective thesis statement makes a claim about what the writer of the essay believes to be true about
the subject. Because the claim is an opinion, the writer must offer evidence to support and explain why
the opinion is valid. The thesis statement lets the reader of the essay know from the very beginning what
the writer intends to prove in his or her essay.
Here is a sample prompt for which you might write a thesis statement:
Read the passage carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how the author uses imagery, figurative
language, and detail to characterize Scrooge.
Note: You must answer the questions of the prompt; however, DO NOT just reword the prompt.
What are the questions of this prompt?
1. What kind of character is Scrooge? (the abstract)
2. What literary elements reveal that characterization? (the concrete)
3. What is your claim about Scrooge’s character?
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis
Here is a thesis statement that is typical of many beginning writers:
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the author uses many different types of figurative language to
characterize Scrooge.
1) What is the subject (the abstract element)?
characterization of Scrooge in A
Christmas Carol
2) What literary elements (the concrete) reveal that characterization? figurative language
3) What is the writer’s claim about Scrooge’s character?
This key element of a thesis
is missing; there is no opinion given. This thesis simply restates the writing prompt.
Here is a thesis statement of a more advanced student writer that answers the questions of the
prompt:
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Scrooge is portrayed as the archetypal greedy,
cold-hearted character through Dickens’ use of figurative language, such as similes and metaphors.
1) What is the subject (the abstract element)?
characterization of Scrooge in A
Christmas Carol
2) What literary elements (the concrete) reveal that characterization? figurative language
3) What is the writer’s claim about Scrooge’s character?
This writer answers the
abstract part of the prompt by stating that Scrooge is greedy and cold-hearted.
Activity One: Evaluation of Thesis Statements
Read the following sample thesis statements, and then identify the subject and the writer’s opinion in
the thesis statement. Write one sentence that specifically explains what makes each an effective thesis
statement.
Drama prompt:
Read the following drama carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how the playwright’s
use of dialogue and stage directions reveal the complex character of the protagonist.
In The Diary of Anne Frank, Goodrich and Hackett use dialogue and stage directions to reveal a
young heroine who is an ordinary teenager with extraordinary maturity.
1) What is the subject (the abstract element)?
2) What literary elements (concrete) reveal that abstract element?
3) What is the writer’s claim about the subject?
This thesis statement is effective because
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis
Prose prompt:
Read carefully the excerpt below in which the speaker tries to explain his actions to his children.
Then, in a well-developed essay, explain how the speaker’s language clearly reveals his attitude
toward defending Tom Robinson.
In the excerpt from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus’ strong diction and religious
references reveal his belief that his defense of Tom Robinson is both moral and mandatory.
1) What is the subject (the abstract element)?
2) What literary elements (concrete) reveal that abstract element?
3) What is the writer’s claim about the subject?
This thesis statement is effective because
Activity Two: How to Evaluate Literary Analysis Thesis Statements
In the prompts and thesis statements below, cross out the words in the thesis that are taken directly from
the prompt. Examine what is left. Does it answer the abstract question of the prompt (which is always
going to be a “what” question)? Some of the answers have been provided for you.
1. Prompt: Read the passage carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how the author uses imagery,
figurative language, and detail to characterize Scrooge.
What is the abstract question? WHAT kind of character is Scrooge ?
Thesis: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the author uses many different types of figurative
language to characterize Scrooge.
What is the answer to the question? “Many different types” does not tell what kind of
character Scrooge is, so this prompt does not answer the abstract question.
2. Prompt: Write an essay in which you analyze how Poe uses diction and details to create a particular
mood in “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
What is the abstract question? WHAT
?
Thesis: In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe uses suspenseful diction and details to create a
feeling of terror.
What is the answer to the question?
3. Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the poet uses language to create tone.
What is the abstract question? WHAT
?
Thesis: In the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, the poet uses scary-sounding nonsense words to
create an ominous yet humorous tone.
What is the answer to the question?
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.
English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis
4. Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the author uses figurative language to reveal her
view of man’s relationship with nature.
What is the abstract question? WHAT
Thesis: In Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery personifies trees, lakes, and other elements of
nature to suggest the friendship that can develop between people and the natural world.
What is the answer to the question?
?
Activity Three: Writing a Literary Analysis Thesis Statement
Read the following poem by Robert Hayden. Then fill in the blanks to complete the literary analysis thesis
statements that follow it. Make sure each statement includes an opinion.
Those Winter Sundays
Sundays too my father got up early
and put on his clothes in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I’d wake and hear the cold, splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love’s austere1 and lonely offices2?
austere:strict, harsh
1
offices: something done on behalf of another
2
1. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses
and
(literary device)
to convey a tone of
.
(literary device)
2. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses sound devices such as
(literary device)
and
to emphasize the sacrificial love of the father toward the son.
(literary device)
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English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis
Topic Sentences
What is a topic sentence, and how does it relate to a thesis statement?
A topic sentence explains or introduces one of the major points that support the writer’s thesis
statement. Each body paragraph in an essay must contain a topic sentence that connects all of the
information and analysis in that paragraph to one unified idea, and each topic sentence must be related
directly to the thesis statement. The main ideas expressed in each topic sentence represent the major
divisions of the essay. Writing those topic sentences before beginning to write the essay will help
developing writers organize their essays and keep those essays focused on their thesis statements.
Activity Four: Selecting Topic Sentences
Here is a possible thesis statement for a literary analysis essay over “Those Winter Sundays,” followed by
some possible topic sentences for this essay. Read each of the sentences carefully. Then place a check mark
beside the two that best relate to the thesis statement.
In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses imagery and sound devices to portray his
father as an unsung hero and to acknowledge his own lack of gratitude.
1. Throughout most of the poem, the speaker reveals the sacrifices his father made for him during
his childhood.
2. The poem is divided into three stanzas.
3. Hayden’s use of participles reflects the harsh realities of his childhood situation.
4. In the final lines of the poem, the speaker reveals the regret he feels for not showing love and
appreciation to his father.
5. The sound devices in the poem contrast the father’s harshness with the father’s sacrificial love.
6. The speaker asks, “What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?”
7. The images of a typical Sunday morning in the speaker’s home reveal the sacrificial actions of
the father.
Activity Five: Writing Topic Sentences
Following is a possible thesis statement for an essay over “Those Winter Sundays.” Read the sentence
carefully. Then write two possible topic sentences for this essay.
In his poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses contrasts in images and syntax to
underscore his contrasting emotions toward his father.
1)
2)
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English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis
Extending the Lesson
The following is a fill-in-the-blank template that will help you write a thesis statement to respond to any
analytical writing prompt:
In
,
(title of work)
uses
(author’s name)
to
(the concrete—diction, imagery, detail, figurative language, etc.)
(Marker Verb—reveal, explore, portray, convey, suggest)
(the abstract—tone, theme, purpose—the writer’s opinion about the subject that must be proven)
Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.