THE THESIS STATEMENT

GETTING READY FOR THE MAIN EVENT OF OUR LITERARY ESSAY

WARM UP• LOOK AT OUR EVIDENCE CHART FROM YESTERDAY. WHAT IS STICKING OUT TO

YOU? • BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU GATHERED, IS THERE A STRONG CLAIM

THAT IS THERE WAITING FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT?• IN YOUR WRITERS NOTEBOOK CHOOSE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT OUR

CLASS NOVEL. FEEL FREE TO BE OUTLANDISH, AND USE STRONG WORDS AND PHRASES SUCH AS ALWAYS, NO ONE, EVERYONE, ENVER OR FOR SURE. • WE WILL USE THIS CLAIM AS A SPRINGBOARD TO START FREEWRITING IN

OUR WRITER’S NOTEBOOK…

PROMPTS TO HELP YOU WARM UP• START WRITING ABOUT YOUR CLAIM ABOUT OUT CLASS NOVEL, FEEL FREE

TO BE FREE IN THIS AND USE WORDS LIKE “I’M NOT SURE…” JUST TRY!!!• IT IS OK IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE YOUR CLAIM 100%, START WITH SAYING

SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO SAY AND SEE WHERE YOUR PENCIL LEADS YOU…• WRITE THINGS LIKE “ON THE OTHER HAND…” AND SEE WHERE THAT TAKES

YOU…• TRYING TO WRITE WITHOUT JUDGING YOURSELF AND SEE WHERE YOUR PEN

TAKES YOU!

AFTER YOU WARM UP ABOUT YOUR CLAIM… ITS TIME TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN OUR WORK.• GO BACK AND RE-READ WHAT YOU JUST WROTE.• UNDERLINE POSSIBLE LINES, MAIN POINTS OR IDEAS THAT YOU THINK COULD

BE YOUR THESIS. TAKE THEM AND TRY REWRITING/REWORDING EACH OF THESE THINGS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS. MAKE A LIST.• GO BACK TO YOUR LIST AND ASK YOURSELF:• “WHICH IS THE ONE THAT FEEL TRUEST TO WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY? WHICH DO I

MOST CARE TO PROVE?”

ADDING MORE DETAILS TO OUR WORK• TAKE ONE LINE THAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR WRITING.• LET’S TRY REWRITING THAT LINE. • HOW ELSE COULD YOU SAY IT?• USE DIFFERENT WORDS… HOW ELSE COULD YOU WRITE THAT THESIS?• LOOK BACK ACROSS YOUR THESIS STATEMENTS. WHICH ONE FEELS TRUEST?• WHICH ONE ARE YOU MOST INTERESTED IN EXPLORING?

The thesis that you choose should be one that I could tell you really care about.

REFLECTING ON YOUR WORK• NEXT WEEK TUESDAY, WE WILL USE THE WORK WE DID TODAY TO DIVE INTO

CONSTRUCTING OUR LITERARY ESSAY.• IF YOU STILL NEED TO READ OUR CLASS NOVEL, PLEASE INVEST SOME TIME

IN DOING THAT NOW.• GREAT JOB BRAIN STORMING TODAY! SOMETIMES, BRAINSTORMING IS THE

HARDEST BUT MOST REWARDING PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS.