Whether you are a student or a teacher, writing thesis statements is the most difficult part of the writing process. Students especially have a difficult time crafting thesis statements that are not only concise, but convey an argument. However, writing thesis statements – and teaching how to write them – does not have to be difficult. If you follow a few simple steps, you’ll have students creating great thesis statements, and by extension, great papers in no time. The first time you do this, you’ll probably want to walk your students through the whole thing in class, but they’ll get the hang of it quickly and soon be able to do it on their own.
Active Reading
Many students like to read without doing much else. This will not help them write effective thesis statements. They need to engage in active reading, or reading with a purpose. It helps if they know before they start reading that they need to write a paper on this particular piece. You can also give them some examples of things to look for. Historical context, author’s message, style, and character development are all great ideas. Then, when they are reading, they should underline passages that they find interesting or take notes.
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Active Reading
Many students like to read without doing much else. This will not help them write effective thesis statements. They need to engage in active reading, or reading with a purpose. It helps if they know before they start reading that they need to write a paper on this particular piece. You can also give them some examples of things to look for. Historical context, author’s message, style, and character development are all great ideas. Then, when they are reading, they should underline passages that they find interesting or take notes.
