1. Thesis Statement Thesis statement - the main idea of your entire paper -states an opinion or point of view and -previews the evidence you will use to support that opinion Examples: 1.Desert Vista should not have a closed campus during lunch because students need a chance to get away, there is no good food on campus, and school should not resemble a prison in any way. 2.Snowboarding is one of the best forms of exercise since it increases flexibility, tones the muscles, and improves balance and coordination.

2. A good thesis IS: a statement made in one well-developed sentence clear and to the point based on information you find in your reading and prove with your research Specific and focused A good thesis is NOT: a question (Did you know that Global Warming is a real problem?) an “I” statement (I learned that Global Warming is a problem in our world that must be addressed.) vague and wandering (Global Warming is a threat to everyone.) overly obvious (Global Warming has been in the news a lot lately.) overly general (Global Warming exists in our world.) emotional(Global Warming must be stopped or we will all die!)

3. Thesis Activity Write a complete three-pronged thesis statement for two of the following ideas. Underline the main idea and identify the three prongs using the colors (yellow, green, blue). 1.Recycling is everyone’s responsibility 2.__________ is my favorite TV show/thing to watch on TV 3.__________ is my favorite style of music 4.__________ is my favorite season of the year (summer, fall, winter, spring) 5.__________ is the best place to visit/vacation

5. “Raymond’s Run” page 546 PROMPT: Analyze the main character, Squeaky, using the character chart provided. Create an opinion of Squeaky based on what she says and does, and how other people treat her. Support your opinion with three traits and evidence from the text. To Start: What is Squeaky like? Your overall opinion of her character is that she is ____________________________. This opinion is the MAIN IDEA of the thesis statement. NOW…. You must support this idea with three adjectives that describe how she acts, speaks and how other people think of her. *Think about events in the story and things that she says.

6. Thesis Statement - support, support, support! Each adjective must be supported with something that happens in the story. This is your proof or evidence that your character actually portrays or demonstrates the adjectives that support your main idea. Adjective #1 with evidence (what happened in the story) – Adjective #2 with evidence (what happened in the story) – Adjective #3 with evidence (what happened in the story) -

7. Thesis Statement: Fill in the blank thesis statements: Choose one to complete, filling in the blanks with your main idea and adjectives. In “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara, Squeaky is ______(main idea)__________, because she is ____________________, _______________________, and ____________________________. In “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara, Squeaky is _____(main idea)_______________, demonstrated by her __________________, ________________________, and __________________________.