1. The Thesis Statement
Miss Johnson

2. Review Introductory Paragraph has three parts
The Hook (attention grabber)
The Bridge (all background information; brief summary; definitions)
The Thesis Statement (the argument)

3. The Thesis Statement
Thesis Statement: the sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps control the ideas within the paper
IT IS NOT MERELY A TOPIC!!
It reflects an opinion or judgement that a writer has made about a reading
It can be for or against; it can be disputed
Often start my thesis with the word “Although”

4. A Thesis’ Length
The length of your thesis should match the length of your essay.
For a 3-5 page paper you should only need a one (1) sentence thesis
For a 5-10 page paper you may need two (2) – three (3) sentences

5. The Basic Outline Basic Outline
Opinion Statement + Reason 1 + Reason 2 + Reason 3
As freshman, it is okay to still be using this outline to write your thesis but remember this is BASIC
By the end of the year you should start moving on from this!

6. Not the First Step in Writing
Do not try to write your thesis statement FIRST!!!
You need to collect evidence or ideas about a topic, think about it, and look for relationships between ideas
THEN, you write a “working thesis”
Working Thesis: a basic, main idea, and argument that you THINK you can support with evidence
Your working thesis WILL CHANGE and SHOULD CHANGE based upon what you write

7. Is this a strong Thesis? Ask yourself:
Do I answer the question from the prompt?
Helps you focus your thesis
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?
If someone cannot oppose your thesis it is possibly you are writing a summary
Is my thesis statement specific enough to my essay?
If your thesis is not specific enough, your argument is often not specific enough

8. Is this a strong Thesis? Does my thesis pass the “so what” test?
You need to forge a relationship or connect to a larger issue
Why is your essay topic important?
Often the most difficult question to answer in a high school essay
Does my essay support my thesis specially and without wandering?
If not you may need to revise your thesis or possibly your essay
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?
If so, you may not have enough guidance for the reader

9. Examples
Prompt: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War.
The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.
While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.
While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

10. Examples The sin of mankind is the cause of the flood.
Although it is not mankind’s fault, the sin of mankind ultimately caused the flood.
Although the flood in Genesis seems overly harsh, it is ultimately just due to the overwhelming, evil sin that mankind has committed.

11. Final Thoughts
You do not need to start PROVING your argument in your thesis!
I do not need to start seeing evidence yet
Save that for the body paragraphs

12. Comment on Word Count
After the last line of your essay, include a word count aligned to the right margin
EX:
In conclusion, blah blah blah blah blah blah blahb blah blah blah blah BLAH.
Word Count: 1,225

13. Essay Your essay will be graded harshly on three things:
Paragraph Structure
Integration of Quotes AND
Your Thesis Statement

14. Works Cited