NATIONAL MATH + SCIENCE INITIATIVE Writing Effective ...battlesela.wikispaces.com/file/view/Thesis+Statements+and+Topic... · English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic

TE

AC

HE

R

PA

GE

S

Copyright © 2013 National Math + Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved. Visit us online at www.nms.org.

English

OBJECTIVES Students will

● demonstrate an understanding of the components of a thesis statement for a persuasive essay.

● identify appropriate topic sentences for a thesis statement.

● create a thesis statement and topic sentences for a literary analysis writing prompt.

Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary AnalysisGrade 8

ABOUT THIS LESSON

The ability to write a clearly focused and concise literary analysis statement and support it with textual analysis is a vital skill

for college readiness. This lesson, which focuses on thesis statements for literary analysis essays, is designed for Grade 8 students who have experience writing basic thesis statements for expository or persuasive essays.

COGNITIVE RIGOREnglish lessons for National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) are designed to guide students through a continuum of increasingly complex thinking skills, including those outlined in the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge Levels. When students write thesis statements, they are using all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Webb’s DOK Level 2.

This lesson is included in Module 3: Generating Text-Based Responses.

NATIONALMATH + SCIENCEINITIATIVE

TE

AC

HE

R

PA

GE

S


English—Active and Passive Voice English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis

CONNECTION TO COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS The activities in this lesson allow teachers to address the following Common Core Standards:

Explicitly addressed in this lessonW.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in

which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Implicitly addressed in this lessonRL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a

text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

CONNECTIONS TO AP*The ability to write effective thesis statements and topic sentences is a vital skill for college and career readiness. Early and frequent practice in writing thesis statements and topic sentences will prepare students for success in writing analytical essays on all types of college entrance examinations, including AP Literature and AP Language Exams.

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. The College Board was not involved in the production of this material.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES ● copies of the Student Activity

ASSESSMENTS The following kinds of formative assessments are embedded in this lesson:

● writing thesis statements and topic sentences

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

You may want to guide students through the completion of the lesson as a whole group activity. Writing effective literary

analysis statements and topic sentences is a skill that will require frequent practice before students achieve proficiency. The thesis statements in this lesson are somewhat formulaic but will provide less experienced writers with the foundational skills needed to develop their own style and voice as they develop confidence as young writers.

It is important for students to understand that a thesis statement tells the reader of the essay what to expect in terms of both content and organization. For less experienced writers, focusing on literary devices provides a very basic organizational plan. A more sophisticated writing style is to organize the essay thematically. Activity Four presents students with a possible thesis statement for an essay on “Those Winter Sundays.” There are more than two correct responses for this activity. Allow students to select the two best topic sentences for an essay they might write. If a student selects #1, he or she needs to select #4 as the other topic sentence. This pair of topic sentences provides students with a more sophisticated organizational plan for writing the essay. Students would use both sound devices and imagery as textual evidence in each paragraph. If a student selects #5, he or she needs to select #7 as the corresponding topic sentence. This is also an acceptable way to organize the essay. Discuss with students the reasons #2, #3, and #6 are not the best choices for topic sentences.

A template is provided as an extension for the lesson. You might ask students to complete the template using the thesis statements provided in this lesson. Using a writing template is one strategy to help less experienced writers gain proficiency.

ANSWERS Answers are subjective and will vary.


English

NATIONALMATH + SCIENCEINITIATIVE

Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentencesfor Literary Analysis

What Is a Thesis Statement?

Writing Literary Analysis Thesis StatementsAn analytical writing prompt asks you to prove an abstract idea by referring to concrete evidence.

Here is a sample prompt for which you might write a thesis statement:

Note: You must answer the questions of the prompt; however, DO NOT just reword the prompt.What are the questions of this prompt? 1. What kind of character is Scrooge? (the abstract) 2. What literary elements reveal that characterization? (the concrete) 3. What is your claim about Scrooge’s character?

A thesis statement is a sentence that

● expresses the writer’s position or interpretation of a particular subject.● makes a claim that others might dispute.● is included in the opening paragraph.● answers the question of the writing prompt. ● tells the reader what to expect from the paper.

In order to write a literary thesis statement you must have 1) a subject—usually the abstract portion of the writing prompt, such as characterization, tone, theme,

mood, etc. 2) the concrete element—the literary device(s) that provide evidence to support your claim3) your claim about that subject An effective thesis statement makes a claim about what the writer of the essay believes to be true about the subject. Because the claim is an opinion, the writer must offer evidence to support and explain why the opinion is valid. The thesis statement lets the reader of the essay know from the very beginning what the writer intends to prove in his or her essay.

Read the passage carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how the author uses imagery, figurative language, and detail to characterize Scrooge.


English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis

Here is a thesis statement that is typical of many beginning writers: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the author uses many different types of figurative language to characterize Scrooge.

1) What is the subject (the abstract element)? characterization of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol 2) What literary elements (the concrete) reveal that characterization? figurative language 3) What is the writer’s claim about Scrooge’s character? This key element of a thesis is missing; there is no opinion given. This thesis simply restates the writing prompt.

Here is a thesis statement of a more advanced student writer that answers the questions of the prompt: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Scrooge is portrayed as the archetypal greedy, cold-hearted character through Dickens’ use of figurative language, such as similes and metaphors.

1) What is the subject (the abstract element)? characterization of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol 2) What literary elements (the concrete) reveal that characterization? figurative language 3) What is the writer’s claim about Scrooge’s character? This writer answers the abstract part of the prompt by stating that Scrooge is greedy and cold-hearted.

Activity One: Evaluation of Thesis Statements Read the following sample thesis statements, and then identify the subject and the writer’s opinion in the thesis statement. Write one sentence that specifically explains what makes each an effective thesis statement.

Drama prompt:

In The Diary of Anne Frank, Goodrich and Hackett use dialogue and stage directions to reveal a young heroine who is an ordinary teenager with extraordinary maturity.

1) What is the subject (the abstract element)? 2) What literary elements (concrete) reveal that abstract element? 3) What is the writer’s claim about the subject?

This thesis statement is effective because

Read the following drama carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how the playwright’s use of dialogue and stage directions reveal the complex character of the protagonist.



Prose prompt:

In the excerpt from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus’ strong diction and religious references reveal his belief that his defense of Tom Robinson is both moral and mandatory.

1) What is the subject (the abstract element)? 2) What literary elements (concrete) reveal that abstract element? 3) What is the writer’s claim about the subject?

This thesis statement is effective because

Activity Two: How to Evaluate Literary Analysis Thesis StatementsIn the prompts and thesis statements below, cross out the words in the thesis that are taken directly from the prompt. Examine what is left. Does it answer the abstract question of the prompt (which is always going to be a “what” question)? Some of the answers have been provided for you.

1. Prompt: Read the passage carefully. In a well-written essay, explain how the author uses imagery, figurative language, and detail to characterize Scrooge.

What is the abstract question? WHAT kind of character is Scrooge ? Thesis: In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, the author uses many different types of figurative language to characterize Scrooge.

What is the answer to the question? “Many different types” does not tell what kind of character Scrooge is, so this prompt does not answer the abstract question.

2. Prompt: Write an essay in which you analyze how Poe uses diction and details to create a particular mood in “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

What is the abstract question? WHAT ?Thesis: In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Edgar Allan Poe uses suspenseful diction and details to create a feeling of terror.

What is the answer to the question?

3. Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the poet uses language to create tone. What is the abstract question? WHAT ?

Thesis: In the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll, the poet uses scary-sounding nonsense words to create an ominous yet humorous tone.


Read carefully the excerpt below in which the speaker tries to explain his actions to his children. Then, in a well-developed essay, explain how the speaker’s language clearly reveals his attitude toward defending Tom Robinson.


English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic Sentences for Literary Analysis

4. Prompt: Write an essay in which you explain how the author uses figurative language to reveal her view of man’s relationship with nature.

What is the abstract question? WHAT ?Thesis: In Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery personifies trees, lakes, and other elements of nature to suggest the friendship that can develop between people and the natural world.


Activity Three: Writing a Literary Analysis Thesis Statement Read the following poem by Robert Hayden. Then fill in the blanks to complete the literary analysis thesis statements that follow it. Make sure each statement includes an opinion.

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up earlyand put on his clothes in the blueblack cold,then with cracked hands that achedfrom labor in the weekday weather madebanked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold, splintering, breaking.When the rooms were warm, he’d call,and slowly I would rise and dress,fearing the chronic angers of that house,

Speaking indifferently to him, who had driven out the coldand polished my good shoes as well. What did I know, what did I knowof love’s austere1 and lonely offices2?1austere:strict, harsh2offices: something done on behalf of another

1. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses and (literary device)

to convey a tone of . (literary device)

2. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses sound devices such as (literary device)

and to emphasize the sacrificial love of the father toward the son. (literary device)



Topic SentencesWhat is a topic sentence, and how does it relate to a thesis statement?

Activity Four: Selecting Topic SentencesHere is a possible thesis statement for a literary analysis essay over “Those Winter Sundays,” followed by some possible topic sentences for this essay. Read each of the sentences carefully. Then place a check mark beside the two that best relate to the thesis statement.

1. Throughout most of the poem, the speaker reveals the sacrifices his father made for him duringhis childhood.

2. The poem is divided into three stanzas.

3. Hayden’s use of participles reflects the harsh realities of his childhood situation.

4. In the final lines of the poem, the speaker reveals the regret he feels for not showing love and appreciation to his father.

5. The sound devices in the poem contrast the father’s harshness with the father’s sacrificial love.

6. The speaker asks, “What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?”

7. The images of a typical Sunday morning in the speaker’s home reveal the sacrificial actions of the father.

Activity Five: Writing Topic SentencesFollowing is a possible thesis statement for an essay over “Those Winter Sundays.” Read the sentence carefully. Then write two possible topic sentences for this essay.

1)

2)

A topic sentence explains or introduces one of the major points that support the writer’s thesis statement. Each body paragraph in an essay must contain a topic sentence that connects all of the information and analysis in that paragraph to one unified idea, and each topic sentence must be related directly to the thesis statement. The main ideas expressed in each topic sentence represent the major divisions of the essay. Writing those topic sentences before beginning to write the essay will help developing writers organize their essays and keep those essays focused on their thesis statements.

In the poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses imagery and sound devices to portray his father as an unsung hero and to acknowledge his own lack of gratitude.

In his poem “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden uses contrasts in images and syntax to underscore his contrasting emotions toward his father.



Extending the LessonThe following is a fill-in-the-blank template that will help you write a thesis statement to respond to any analytical writing prompt:

In , uses (title of work) (author’s name)

to (the concrete—diction, imagery, detail, figurative language, etc.) (Marker Verb—reveal, explore, portray, convey, suggest)

(the abstract—tone, theme, purpose—the writer’s opinion about the subject that must be proven)

Documents

NATIONAL MATH + SCIENCE INITIATIVE Writing Effective ...battlesela.wikispaces.com/file/view/Thesis+Statements+and+Topic... · English—Writing Effective Thesis Statements and Topic