How to Write a Thesis Statement for Essays

Writing a High School Essay By Developing a Main Idea Lesson Plan

Sep 13, 2009

This simple writing lesson plan will help high school students organize and plan a well-developed essay by constructing a solid thesis statement that unifies papers.

There are many ways to write a thesis. Teachers can guide their students by following this simple, step by step process to writing thesis statements for high school essays.

Brainstorm to Develop Key Points for Essay

Students should view their essay as a type of argument. A thesis statement should clearly identify a position in this argument which prepares readers for the content of the essay. To start brainstorming, students can use one or more of the following strategies to articulate key points they might like to explore.

Once students identify three main points in their argument, they can determine which specific details, facts, reasons and examples to use in each body paragraph.

Construct a Three-Point Thesis Statement

Before writing an introduction paragraph, students should consider outlining their argument with a three-point thesis, where each point will be developed in one or more body paragraphs in the essay. Students should consider how they want to arrange the points they present. These can be, for instance, in order of significance or from general to specific.

Align Paragraphs With Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is often placed at the end of the introduction paragraph of an essay. This way, it serves as a transition into the body of the essay and prepares the reader for the upcoming content. The body paragraphs of the essay should begin with a topic sentence that links directly to a portion of the thesis statement so that readers can easily follow the organization pattern and relate details back to the author's key points. Ultimately, the conclusion paragraph should restate the thesis statement and provide further insight on the topic before closing.

Work Backwards to Write a Thesis Statement

While it is generally more efficient to write a thesis statement first and then construct an essay around this guiding framework, many students resist this method. It may be that it is easier for them to jump in and start writing a rough draft in order to get their ideas flowing. Then, they compose an effective thesis statement based on the argument they have developed in the first draft of their essay. Students will then be prepared to write a strong conclusion paragraph to reinforce their main idea.

Whether students decide to write their thesis statements before, during, or after they compose a rough draft of their essay, it is important they remember the purpose of a thesis. A thesis statement should present an argument, identify the main ideas supporting this argument, and prepare the reader for hte content of an essay. Further, students must ensure that the body of their essay clearly supports their thesis and that their conclusion paragraph restates it.

The copyright of the article How to Write a Thesis Statement for Essays in Curricula by Grade is owned by Thadra Petkus. Permission to republish How to Write a Thesis Statement for Essays in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.