TIME TO CHOOSE!

Choose a character from the picture presented

on the screen.

Choose which character you think is the best,

and come up with 3-5 reasons explaining why

they are the best.

THESIS STATEMENT PRACTICE

Prep for Essay Writing

ELEMENT OF A THESIS

1 – a topic

2 – a question

Thesis – addresses a topic by

answering a question

Comic book

super heroes

Which comic

book character is

the best?

FOR EXAMPLE…

Topic Question

COMPLETION

Batman is the best comic book

character due to his moral

characteristics, appearance and

conflicted relationship with the

public.

WHY A STRONG THESIS HELPS

Batman is the best comic book character due to his moral

characteristics, appearance and conflicted relationship with

the public.

Paragraph 2 – moral characteristics – restate thesis

Paragraph 3 – appearance – restate thesis

Paragraph 4 – conflicted relationship with the public–

restate thesis

Conclusion – restate thesis

TOP 5 RULES FOR A THESIS STATEMENT

1. Answer a question in an unobvious way

2. Give general reasons without being TOO specific

3. Introduce the arguments for future paragraphs

4. Make the reader interested by the argument

5. Try to teach the reader something.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

Was the essay The Culture of Overwork effective or

ineffective? Why?

What needs to change for this to be a more

effective essay?

What would you have done differently?

ORGANIZATION IS KEY!

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

THIS WAY

OR…

Point 1

Point 2

Thesis

Point 3

BODY PARAGRAPHS

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

Introductory Sentence/Topic

SentencePieces of

Evidence/Quotations

General explanation of Significance

Restate the thesis

THE STORY OF AN HOUR

Orginally written in 1894

Kate Chopin (1850-1904) was originally from

southern United States

Was a huge advocate for women’s rights and

gender equality

LET’S READ!

Read The Story of an Hour on your own

When you are finished, underline or highlight any

of the sentences that you think are important to the

theme of the story.

Determine 1 theme with some evidence (3 pieces)

WHAT ARE SOME THEMES?

LET’S ORGANIZE

Use the graphic organizer on the back of the page

to organize your own essay for The Story of An Hour

You will need to• Find a motif -> Create a theme• Find 3 pieces of evidence that support your theme

(quotations)• Create a thesis• Complete the body paragraphs and conclusion

FINDING EVIDENCE

Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart

trouble, great care was taken to break to her as

gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.

It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken

sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half

concealing. He husband’s friend Richards…

Knowing that Mrs.

Mallard was afflicted

with a heart trouble,

great care was taken to

break to her as gently as

possible the news of her

husband’s death.

Chopin portrays Mrs.

Mallard as a broken-

down character even

before the death of her

husband, as hinted in

the opening lines, “Mrs.

Mallard was afflicted

with a heart trouble…”

(Chopin, 1).

HOW TO USE THE QUOTATION

Original Essay

USING QUOTATIONS

Chopin portrays Mrs. Mallard as a broken-down

character even before the death of her husband, as

hinted in the opening lines, “Mrs. Mallard was

afflicted with a heart trouble…” (Chopin, 1).

What else can we write instead of “Chopin

portrays”?

ADDING EXPLANATION…portrays…

According to…

The following quotation indicates…

WHAT ABOUT…?

We can see Mrs. Mallard as a broken-

down character even before the death

of her husband, in the opening lines,

“Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a

heart trouble…” (Chopin, 1).

THE STORY OF AN HOUR

What is the most

significant theme in Kate

Chopin’s short story, The

Story of An Hour?

LET’S ORGANIZE

Use the graphic organizer on the back of the page

to organize your own essay for The Story of An Hour

You will need to• Find a motif -> Create a theme• Find 3 pieces of evidence that support your theme

(quotations)• Create a thesis• Complete the body paragraphs and conclusion