Episode 16 Thesis Statements
Today’s topic is thesis statements. I know. Not the most glamorous of topics, but an important one since thesis statements are the workhorses of the essay world. Exciting? Probably not. Essential? Absolutely. A strong thesis statement is often what makes an essay shine, and in this episode I share with you the method I use in my classroom to teach this important skill.
In this episode, I discuss
- the characteristics of a strong thesis statement
- how to transform a broad and general thesis statement (which is not what you want) into a clear and specific one (yes!)
- whether it is necessary for your thesis statement to be a single sentence
- what it means for a thesis statement to be “arguable” and why this is an absolute must
- a simple strategy for having students practice writing a thesis statement without having to write an entire essay.
I think that learning to write a strong thesis statement is one of the best things students can do to improve their writing and create shining essays.
Email me at ruth@bitandrudder.com
Links Mentioned
OWL (Online Writing Lab at Purdue)