Strong reasons will support your thesis statement.
Turtles are
the best
pets.
Turtles are
unique and
beautiful.
Turtles are
quiet.
Turtles are
easy to
care for.
Common Mistakes:
Using the same reason over and over again:
Turtles are easy to care for. Turtles are lowmaintenance.
Not extending your reasons:
Turtles are quiet, so you should get one for your
pet.
Overhead #1
W.5.1 lesson
When people use public
transportation, it builds communities.
Ask, “What are some examples that support this reason?”
Think: Sitting in close quarters next to other people creates
more opportunities for people to get to know each other
and meet!
• Sharing a subway or bus requires people
to mingle and meet.
• You can make your commute more
interesting by getting to know a new
person!
Ask, “What other facts would support this claim? List
your facts:
• Buses and subways hold a lot more people,
bringing large numbers of people together.
Repeat the process with all three reasons!
Overhead #2 W.5.1 “Boxes and Bullets” examples
Name: ___________________________________
State your reason in the box:
Ask, “What are some examples and facts that support
this reason?”
“Boxes and Bullets” sheet handout
Thesis Statement: Our society would greatly
benefit from more people choosing to use public
transportation.
• People who choose to use public transportations preserve our
environment and build their communities.
• Public transportation is one solution to the growing dilemmas
facing our planet.
• Last summer my family stayed with my aunt in New York City
and we used the subway system for our entire stay.
Choose your best hook and write it down (why
does this matter to you?)
Last summer, my family stayed with my aunt
in New York City. We really enjoyed using the
subway system to get around during our monthlong stay. During those weeks, we spent less
money than we would have on gas, and met so
many new people! Most importantly, we realized
that we were helping the environment by making
less pollution!
Overhead #3 W.5.1
How can you tie your “hook” to your thesis?
Now to create a connecting phrase:
Hook
Connecting
phrase or
sentence
Thesis
EXAMPLE of a “Connecting Sentence”
Since most cities offer some kind of public
transportation, anyone can have these positive
experiences!
Overhead #4 Connecting sentence
HookConnecting SentenceThesis
Last summer, my family stayed with my
aunt in New York City. We really enjoyed using
the subway system to get around during our
month-long stay. During those weeks, we spent
less money than we would have on gas, and met
so many new people! Most importantly, we
realized that we were helping the environment by
making less pollution! Since most cities offer
some kind of public transportation, anyone can
have these positive experiences! Our society
would greatly benefit from more people choosing
to use public transportation.
Overhead # 5- Putting it all together
When people use public transportation, it
builds communities
• Sharing a subway or bus requires people to mingle and
meet.
• You can make your commute more interesting by
getting to know a new person!
• Buses and subways hold a lot more people, bring large
numbers of people together.
Turn your reason into a topic sentence for your essay
and use transition phrases before the examples and facts
to connect ideas within your paragraph.
First, using public transportation is a great way to
unite and build communities. Because buses and subways
hold more people, communities are brought together. As a
result of these small spaces, people are required to mingle
and meet each other. In addition, taking public
transportation will make your commute more interesting,
as you get to know a new neighbor!
Overhead #6 Building your paragraph
Writing your conclusion:
Restate your thesis in a different way, using
strong words.
Original Thesis Statement: Our society would
greatly benefit from more people choosing to use
public transportation.
TO:
An increase in public transportation
use would lead to many great changes for
our communities.
Overhead #7 drafting a conclusion
Ask yourself, “What positive results will happen when
this change is made?” “What do I want my reader to
do?” Add it to your paragraph.
What good things will happen if more people use public
transportation? Add it to your paragraph
Ideas:
• Communities will be more tight-knit.
• Less pollution will be emitted, cleaning up our air.
• Commutes will be more interesting, and in many
cases, cheaper.
An increase in public transportation use
would lead to many great changes for our
communities. As people share their ride,
communities will become more closely knit,
and commutes will become more interesting
and interactive. In many cases, taking the bus
or subway will save people gas money, while
cleaning up our atmosphere.
Overhead #8 Concluding Paragraph
Name:___________________________________________
Original Thesis statement:
Restate your thesis using strong words:
What positive results will happen when this change is made?
THINK: How will the earth and people benefit from this change?
What good things will happen?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Conclusion Writing: Draft