Curated OER
Thesis Statement + Projected Plan = Introduction
Set up your writers for writing strong introductions with a formula for putting together supported thesis statements. This reference page breaks the process down and provides an example of how to compose a thesis statement, develop a...
Curated OER
The Heart of Your Paper: 11 Methods for Writing a Topic Sentence (or a Thesis Statement)
Help your young writers produce high-quality topic and thesis statements that go beyond basic wording and really illustrate complex ideas and critical thinking skills. From however and compound sentence statements to using...
Waterford Union High School
Writing the Persuasive Essay
An excellent, in-depth resource would be an asset to your unit on writing an argument essay. It provides an explanation to each part of the essay as well as examples of transition words to strengthen your kids' writing. Additionally, the...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
The Writer’s Toolbox: What You Need to Master the Craft
Strengthen your high schoolers' writing with a series of steps for writing successfully. With sections on organizing an essay, choosing a topic, crafting a thesis statement, and revising a draft, the lesson encourages your class to...
Anchorage School District
“Dressing Up” an Introduction
Are your pupils ready to move beyond a thesis statement by adding additional detail to their introductory paragraphs? Provide this handout to give your class some ideas for spiffing up their work. The page includes a sample paragraph...
San José State University
Organizational Patterns for the Comparison/Contrast Essay
Organization is key in essay writing. The two organizational charts included in this resource model the block approach and the point-by-point approach to organizing a compare and contrast style essay. After examining the...
Curated OER
Persuasive Essay
Next time you assign your young historians to write a persuasive essay, use this document as a starting point and support them with a rubric, tips for writing a successful persuasive piece, and a general essay outline.
San José State University
Essay Outline Template
Inspire essay organization with this handout and exercise about outlining. Writers read through a brief outline model and then practice writing their own outline by completing a second model. Scholars not only complete the outline, they...
Bermudian Springs School District
John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath — Independent Reading
Lies, deceit, betrayal, criminality: these topics are just a few of the reasons that John Steinbeck's classic novel The Grapes of Wrath has captivated people since its 1939 publication. Scholars begin the lesson by reading...
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School: Writing a Thesis Statement
An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a thesis statement. Also includes information about statement of purpose and examples.
Harvard University
Harvard University: Strategies for Essay Writing
This website provides a series of links to detailed information about each segment of how to write an academic essay from how to read the assignment to the final edits. Use the links to the right. W.9-10.1a claims/intro/org, W.9-10.2a...
Indiana University
Indiana University: How to Write a Thesis Statement
This page defines the thesis statement and tells how to develop one when the topic is assigned and when the topic is not assigned. Also gives guidelines for determining whether the thesis statement is strong or weak.
Indiana University
Indiana University: Wts: How to Write a Thesis Statement
Learn what a thesis statement is, how to generate a thesis statement for an assigned topic, and how to generate a thesis statement if a topic has not been assigned.
University of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Madison: Writing Center: Developing a Thesis Statement
This is a well-organized page that allows you to zero in on a particular aspect of stating your hypothesis and writing your thesis statement.
Capital Community College Foundation
Guide to Grammar and Writing: The Thesis Statement
An explanation of a thesis statement and how it is used in an essay.
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania: The Thesis Statement
This site has an examination of five different thesis statements with examples of how to write each of the statements.
Other
Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Writing Center: Determining a Thesis
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Writing Center article provides information about the "thesis" of a paper. Examples of clear thesis statements are also provided.
University of Sydney (Australia)
The Write Site: Constructing a Working Thesis
Students will find a thorough definition of a thesis. Non-examples of thesis statements are also provided.
Boise State University
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
This online writing assistance offers help in the writing process, grammar and mechanics, usage, and four different types of essays, as well as help on deciding what and how to document.
University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina: Writing Transitions
This University of North Carolina writing tutorial gives examples and how to use transitions and stresses the importance of organization. W.9-10.1c cohesion/clarity/reason, W.9-10.2c cohesion/clarity/trans, W.11-12.1c...
Other
Canadaone.com: Sailing the Seven Cs of Effective Writing
Interesting article from Canadaone.com that outlines the author's seven C's of effective writing. Each of the concepts (all beginning with the letter "C") includes an explanation that demonstrates why the concept is important to the...
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Using Thesis Statements
The first part of this page lists five characteristics of a thesis statement and gives examples of a poor and an effective statement for each characteristic. The second part of the handout dispels common myths about the thesis statement.
University of Wisconsin
Univ. Of Wisconsin Madison: Writing Center: Thesis and Purpose Statements
Explains the thesis statement and distinguishes it from the purpose statement. Gives an example of a paragraph containing both. Be sure try the link at the bottom of the page, "Developing a Thesis Statement." This page goes into further...