Master a well-organized thesis statement with a short activity for a persuasive writing unit. Young writers read five different introductory paragraphs about various topics, find the main ideas addressed in each thesis statement, and jot down what they believe the first, second, and third body paragraphs of the essays will be about.

Concepts

persuasive arguments, introductory paragraphs, argumentative writing, thesis statements, topic sentences, writing organization

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Include in a language arts packet or writing center activity
• Have your class complete the activity as a warm-up before they begin their persuasive writing unit
• Prompt learners to choose one paragraph to adapt into their own persuasive essay

Classroom Considerations

• All the thesis statements follow the same format

Pros

• An intelligent and straightforward way to reinforce necessary writing skills
• Applicable to both writing and reading units
• Demonstrates the importance of organization in persuasive writing

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.4.1.a W.5.1.a W.6.1.a W.7.1.a W.8.1.a