1. Label your paper “Thesis Practice.” This will go in your notes section of your binder.

2. Copy down everything that is underlined. What makes an effective thesis statement? An effective thesis statement has three characteristics: It clearly expresses your paper’s main idea. It communicates your essay’s purpose. It is clearly worded.

3. It is not the title of your essay It is not an announcement of your intent. Example: I plan on talking about hybrid cars. It is not a statement of fact. Example: Taco bell sells bean and cheese burritos. It is not a mere description of your subject. Example: J.K. Rowling is the author of Harry Potter books. What a thesis statement is not

4. What Else Do You Need to Know to Be Successful Writing Thesis Statements? College students should focus on writing implicit thesis statements rather than explicit ones. Implicit vs. Explicit Statements: An implicit thesis statement implies the paper’s main idea. (No “I” statement). An explicit thesis statement announces the paper’s main idea. (Has “I” statement). Instructors do not like the use of “I” in papers.

5. Grab the whiteboard from under your chair, and a whiteboard marker. The following slides contain implicit and explicit thesis statements. Copy down the number next to the example, and write implicit or explicit, depending on what you think it is: Hold up your board so I can see! Practice:

6. Practice: Implicit or Explicit? 1) Working while attending college classes remains necessary for many students, but unfortunately many problems result from the difficulties of balancing work and school. 2) I will now discuss examples of how going to college and working full time puts pressure on students and results in many dropping out of school.

7. Practice: Implicit or Explicit? 1.I will examine the pros and cons of hybrid cars that use both gasoline and electricity. 2.Hybrid cars that use both gasoline and electricity would decrease our country’s dependence on foreign oil.

8. Practice: Implicit or Explicit? 1.From the misery of the untouchables, the world should learn a lesson: isolating and punishing any group of people is dehumanizing and immoral. 2.I am going to write about how the untouchables are treated in India.

9. Rewrite these explicit thesis statements into implicit thesis statements. 1) In the following paragraphs, I will share with you the traffic problems experienced by drivers in Northwest Florida. 2) In this paper, I will be writing about how the rising cost of energy is causing me serious problems. Practice! On your whiteboards...

10. 1 ) Motorists in Northwest Florida are plagued by congested roads, aggressive \ drivers, and distracted tourists. 2) The rising price of energy has added costs to daily commutes, has curtailed frivolous trips, and has increased grocery bills. Here are possible revisions:

11. Thesis: A general sentence with a subject and an opinion (also called a commentary). Example: Australia is the best country of all for a vacation. Subject Writer’s opinion- (thesis) A topic sentence is like a mini-thesis for your body paragraph.

12. A thesis is a general sentence with a __________________ and an _____________________. Whiteboard Review:

13. Example: West Hills is a wonderful place to go to school. a) Fishing is the best way to spend one’ s time. b) English is the most important subject in school. c) It’s exciting going to a new school. d) Tacos are my favorite food. Practice: For each of the following sentences, underline the subject once and the opinion (commentary) twice. (Do this in your notes).

14. Here are some subjects students have used in the past: --getting braces --bicycling --homework Draw a circle map and quickly brainstorm subjects: Now you will practice writing thesis sentences of your own. First you need to think of some subjects you know something about.

15. Circle Map Subject bicycling homework Getting braces Think of at least six subjects you can write about. yoga

16. The next step is to write a thesis for EACH of your subjects. Here is an example about the subject yoga. Thesis: Yoga is a mind and body exercise that not only reduces stress, but tones and creates flexibility in the entire body.. This is a thesis because it has a subject (Practicing yoga), and an opinion (is a mind and body exercise that not only reduces stress, but tones and creates flexibility in the entire body). Now think of a thesis for EACH subject you chose and write it down.

17. a) _____________________________ b) _____________________________ c) _____________________________ d) _____________________________ e) _____________________________ f) _____________________________ Now, write a thesis for the six subjects you chose and write them down in your notes:

18. Final Review: A thesis is a general sentence with a ________________ and an_______________.

19. Identify each of the following sentences by writing YES if it is a thesis and NO if it is not a thesis. Remember that a thesis has a subject and an opinion. Examples: A) Today the cafeteria is serving the most disgusting food I’ve ever seen. Yes. This is a thesis because it has both a subject and an opinion (commentary). B) Today the cafeteria is serving pizza. This is not a thesis because it has a subject but no opinion (commentary). Thesis sentences identification practice:

20. a._____ My high school is the best around. b._____ I have gone to East High School for three years. c._____ Our football team is better than last year’s. d._____My family went to Disneyland last summer. e._____ Australia is a very large country. f._____ Little Women was a fascinating book. g._____School is a cool place to be. h._____We have four required courses to take this year. i._____My bedroom is a pigsty. Thesis Identification Practice: Look at the following sentences. Write down each sentence and (yes) or (no) if it is a thesis.

21. Select one of your thesis statements that you created. You are going to use this thesis statement to write a body paragraph: Use the format on the followings slide. Color coding IS mandatory! This will be stamp-checked at the end of the period. It will be collected at a later date. You are going to use your other sample thesis statements to practice body paragraph structure. All of your body paragraphs will be collected at the same time. Separate sheet of paper!

22. Title 1)Thesis/ Topic sentence: 2)For example,… (concrete detail) 3)Additionally,…..(concrete detail) 4) This means… ( How does #2 and #3 support your thesis/ topic sentence?) 5) In addition, (concrete detail) 6) Also,….(concrete detail) 7) This matters, because ….(How does #5 and #6 support your thesis/ topic sentence?) 8) In conclusion, Body paragraph on the subject you chose:

23. The Benefits of Yoga Yoga is a mind and body exercise that not only reduces stress, but tones and creates flexibility in the entire body. For example, breathing in and out using Ujjayi breath causes one to breathe slowly and calmly. Additionally, the poses require one to focus on proper form. This means, by slowing one’s breath and focusing on form, stress is ultimately reduced. In addition, the poses are challenging and held for a length of time. Also, yoga poses require one to gently stretch one’s body. This matters, because by holding challenging poses, one’s strength and flexibility slowly increases. In conclusion, yoga’s health benefits make the practice a worthy addition to any fitness routine. My example using this format: