Learn three ways to write a thesis statement, practice spotting them, write your own on the NASD start-time debate, then learn what makes evidence strong.
Work top to bottom. Practice questions check themselves. Your writing is collected in Station 7 so you can paste it into Schoology.
1Station one
From claim to thesis
A claim tells us what you believe. A thesis statement is more specific: it tells us exactly what you intend to argue.
In her essay "The C Word in the Hallways," Anna Quindlen states her main idea directly. Tap the sentence that states her claim of policy.
Yet one solution continues to elude us, and that is ending the ignorance about mental health, and moving it from the margins of care and into the mainstream where it belongs.As surely as any vaccine, this would save lives.
Anna Quindlen, "The C Word in the Hallways," Newsweek, 1999
In the essays you write for class, state your claim explicitly as a one-sentence thesis in your introduction. A strong thesis previews your main point or points in clear, unambiguous language.
2Station two
Three kinds of thesis
All three examples argue about the Harry Potter books. Hit Show the parts on each one to see how it's built.
Closed thesis
The books in the Harry Potter series have become legendary children's books and enduring literary classics because of their three-dimensional characters, exciting plots, and complex themes.
Main claimPoints the essay will cover
What it isStates the main idea and previews the major points. It's "closed" because it limits how many points you'll make. It often includes or implies the word because.
Use it whenYou're writing a short essay, especially under a time limit. Naming your points up front organizes you, and helps you hit points the prompt requires.
Open thesis
The popularity of the Harry Potter series demonstrates that simplicity trumps complexity when it comes to the taste of readers, both young and old.
Main claim, with no list of points
What it isMakes the overall point without listing every subpoint.
Use it whenYou're writing a longer essay with five, six, or more points. Stringing them all into one sentence is awkward, and readers can't track a long list from the first paragraph.
Counterargument thesis
Although the Harry Potter series may have some literary merit,its popularity has less to do with storytelling than with merchandising.
Concession (the other side)The writer's position
What it isSums up a counterargument, usually with although or but, and then gives the writer's position.
Use it whenYou want to address the other side right away. It makes you sound stronger and more reasonable, and sets up a concession and refutation later in the essay.
Bonus: this type lets you take a qualified position. Instead of a flat "yes" or "no," you can answer "in some respects."
Check yourself: which thesis fits the job?
3Station three · practice
Sort the thesis statements
Label each thesis Closed, Open, or Counterargument. If you miss one, read the explanation and try again.
4Station four · your turn
Write all three
Should Northampton Area School District change the high school's 7:24 a.m. start time? Pick a side and write one thesis of each type.
Ideas to get you started
Reasons to start later
Teenagers' sleep
Alertness in first period
Attendance and lateness
Driving safety on dark mornings
Reasons to keep 7:24
Bus schedules shared with other schools
After-school sports and practice time
Students with after-school jobs
Older students who watch younger siblings
These are topics, not evidence. You'd need real sources to support any of them.
These checks look for the pattern of each type. They can't tell if your thesis is good. That's your teacher's job.
5Station five
Presenting evidence
After the thesis comes support. Which evidence you pick, how much you use, and how you present it are all choices guided by your audience.
A speaker addressing scientists will probably need facts and figures. A writer for a local newspaper might open with an anecdote to grab readers. Amy Domini knew many readers of Ode magazine were hostile to fast food, so she showed the positive changes fast-food companies were making, plus numbers on how big the industry had become.
Match the audience to the evidence that should lead
Whatever you choose, evidence must be:
Relevant
It applies specifically to your argument. If you're arguing a car is dependable, its maintenance record is relevant. Its hand-tooled leather seats aren't.
Spell out the connection. Don't leave it to the reader's imagination.
Accurate
Quote sources correctly, without twisting them or taking them out of context. Use credible sources, and ask about bias: Is it partisan? Paid for by a company or industry group?
Pick sources your audience will trust.
Sufficient
Use enough evidence. One mechanic's opinion won't prove a car is dependable, since a mechanic only sees the cars that break down.
One source is rarely enough.
6Station six · practice
Judge the evidence
A student is supporting this thesis:
NASD should move the high school start time later because early starts cut into the sleep teenagers need.
For each source they found, pick the best label.
Here is a real fact: California passed a law that requires most public high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. On its own, it doesn't prove anything about sleep. Write one or two sentences that connect it to the thesis above.
7Station seven
Exit ticket and submit
Imagine presenting your argument to the NASD school board. Copy your strongest thesis from Station 4. Then list three pieces of evidence you would need to find, and say why this audience would trust each one.
Your responses
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