Teaching Thesis Statement Writing in Secondary ELA

When my students complete a formal essay in class, I make it a point to go through the entire writing process with them. Once students have brainstormed and selected the main ideas for their essays, it is time to write the thesis statement. Since the thesis statement is such a crucial part of any academic paper or essay, I make sure I spend some time on each essay teaching my students how to write their thesis statement.

When I teach my high school English students about the thesis statement, I tell them that it is a roadmap or framework sentence that encapsulates the entire main argument or claim of the essay. I have my students write their thesis statement at the end of their introduction, and I like to have them keep it to one sentence.

For middle school and high school students, writing a thesis statement can be a challenging task. Here are some steps that I walk my students through to help them craft a strong thesis statement.

1. Identify topics, supporting arguments, and main reasons.

I have my students outline their essays by identifying the main topic, supporting arguments, or main reasons. These ideas will be the basis for their thesis statement

2. Brainstorm more ideas

Next, I have my students brainstorm ideas related to their main topics. This step helps them determine if they have enough reasons to include in an entire body paragraph. By brainstorming more ideas, students also get a stronger viewpoint of their essays.

3. Narrow the essay focus

Once my students have a list of ideas, I have them begin narrowing down their focus. They look for common themes or patterns they might find from their brainstormed ideas, and then I have them use them to develop a single, clear, concise thesis statement.

Thesis Statement and Introduction Teaching Unit

4. Thesis statements should be specific

As students develop their thesis statement, I have them check to make sure it is specific and focused. I instruct my students to avoid vague or general statements and try to make their thesis statement as specific and concrete as possible.

5. Make it clear and concise

Finally, I have my students revise and edit their thesis statements to ensure they are clear and concise. I like to remind my students that I should be able to read their thesis statement and know exactly what their entire essay will be about.

By teaching students these five steps, they can write a strong and effective thesis statement. If you are looking for additional help teaching students how to write a thesis statement, I like to use this Thesis Statement and Introduction Teaching Unit in my classroom with my students.