Graphic Organizer and Thesis Statement Lesson
Now that you're nearly experts on what a thesis statement should include and how to write one, you'll be putting this experience together with some organizational skills. Together, your well-written thesis statements and A+ organization will make your essay unstoppable; Think academic, school-version of the Avengers.
Just like the Avengers are unbeatable when they work together, your essay will earn an A+ if all of the elements we've been practicing can work together!
For this activity, you will be working on both thesis statement writing and organizational skills. You will be writing a thesis statement at the end of this lesson, which will be peer reviewed and graded by me after you have turned it in. This is a summative assessment, as I will be grading both your peer review and your final thesis statement. This assignment is an overall reflection of what you have been learning, so put your knowledge to good use!
For this activity, you will be working on both thesis statement writing and organizational skills. You will be writing a thesis statement at the end of this lesson, which will be peer reviewed and graded by me after you have turned it in. This is a summative assessment, as I will be grading both your peer review and your final thesis statement. This assignment is an overall reflection of what you have been learning, so put your knowledge to good use!
Directions
Read through each section below to get a good understanding of what this assignment is, how it will help you, and why we are completing it.
Before you begin, click on the "interactive graphic organizer" link under the "Accessing Prior Knowledge" section of this page. Choose one that you like and download it. Use this organizer to brainstorm different methods of organization.
Next, think about a list of sensory adjectives, adverbs, and any other words that will really spice up your essay and make it interesting. Use the websites listed under the "Vocabulary" section to help you compile your list.
After you have made your list, think about the following essay prompt:
The American Constitution guarantees American citizens the “Unailable Rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In a well-organized essay, explain why you think the founding fathers decided that these three were so important.
Try to use the words you have compiled, as well as an organizational method you wrote down during your brainstorming session while trying to answer this prompt.
Think about the following: What is the best way to organize both the thesis statement and the essay? How does the thesis statement's structure figure in to how the essay should be written?
Use a graphic organizer to plan out your thesis and your essay. Make sure that your thesis statement is clearly stated at the top of your organizer, with at least three subheadings, branches, or any other kind of sub-sections that have a topic sentence that supports the thesis. Under the topic sentence, make more subsections that list some notes or reasons that support the topic sentence and the thesis. You will be graded for quality and content on the thesis statement and topic sentences. You will only be graded for completeness on the notes (that being said, write actual notes - no off-topic nonsense). If you are stuck, there is an example graphic organizer at the bottom of the page that can help you out.
After you have finished, print out your graphic organizer and switch with a partner. Go down to the section on this page that says "Peer Grading" and follow the instructions.
Before you begin, click on the "interactive graphic organizer" link under the "Accessing Prior Knowledge" section of this page. Choose one that you like and download it. Use this organizer to brainstorm different methods of organization.
Next, think about a list of sensory adjectives, adverbs, and any other words that will really spice up your essay and make it interesting. Use the websites listed under the "Vocabulary" section to help you compile your list.
After you have made your list, think about the following essay prompt:
The American Constitution guarantees American citizens the “Unailable Rights” of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In a well-organized essay, explain why you think the founding fathers decided that these three were so important.
Try to use the words you have compiled, as well as an organizational method you wrote down during your brainstorming session while trying to answer this prompt.
Think about the following: What is the best way to organize both the thesis statement and the essay? How does the thesis statement's structure figure in to how the essay should be written?
Use a graphic organizer to plan out your thesis and your essay. Make sure that your thesis statement is clearly stated at the top of your organizer, with at least three subheadings, branches, or any other kind of sub-sections that have a topic sentence that supports the thesis. Under the topic sentence, make more subsections that list some notes or reasons that support the topic sentence and the thesis. You will be graded for quality and content on the thesis statement and topic sentences. You will only be graded for completeness on the notes (that being said, write actual notes - no off-topic nonsense). If you are stuck, there is an example graphic organizer at the bottom of the page that can help you out.
After you have finished, print out your graphic organizer and switch with a partner. Go down to the section on this page that says "Peer Grading" and follow the instructions.
Goals and objectives
Students will explore how to create a thesis statement that addresses an essay prompt and how to structure an organized essay around a thesis statement.
California content standards
Writing:
1.1 Create compositions that establish a controlling impression, have a coherent thesis, and end with a clear and well-supported conclusion.
1.2 Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions, parallel structures, and similar writing techniques.
1.1 Create compositions that establish a controlling impression, have a coherent thesis, and end with a clear and well-supported conclusion.
1.2 Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions, parallel structures, and similar writing techniques.
accessing prior knowledge - Brainstorming
Think about sequences learned in other classes. Maybe the escalation of conflict leading up to World War I, or the process of cell division. When discussing these topics or events, think about how the textbook or teacher describes them. Does the teacher start by saying “Today we will talk about how World War I began,” and then skip to the middle of the story? Have students write down notes on how textbooks, teacher lectures, even movies and books organize events.
Technology connection: Allow students to choose any online graphic organizer that they believe will help them the most in representing how these different forms of media are organized.
Interactive Graphic Organizers
Technology connection: Allow students to choose any online graphic organizer that they believe will help them the most in representing how these different forms of media are organized.
Interactive Graphic Organizers
vocabulary
Students should create a list of sensory adjectives, strong verbs, and connecting phrases that they can have to use in an essay. Students can use a thesaurus, or look online for words to add to their list.
Technology connection: Allow students to look at the following websites to help them find good alternative words for their essays.
Daily Writing Tips
Larae: Synonyms
Technology connection: Allow students to look at the following websites to help them find good alternative words for their essays.
Daily Writing Tips
Larae: Synonyms
content delivery - Instructions
Students will respond to an essay prompt that asks a multifaceted question. They will write a thesis statement that addresses each aspect of the question. After writing a thesis statement, students will create a graphic organizer with their thesis statement at the top, and a subheading for each body paragraph topic sentence. Under each topic sentence section will be another section for students to write down ideas and notes of things they might want to talk about in their essay.
Technology Connection: Students can use online graphic organizers, their list of words to use in an essay, and the following website to gain some background information on the constitution:
US History: Declaration of Independence
Technology Connection: Students can use online graphic organizers, their list of words to use in an essay, and the following website to gain some background information on the constitution:
US History: Declaration of Independence
Critical thinking - Peer grading
Students will work with a partner and peer review each other's work. Students will focus more on organization than on content (but content is still important!)
Students will assess each other on the following:
1. Does the thesis address all aspects of the prompt?
2. Does each body paragraph topic sentence specifically mention an aspect of the prompt?
3. Do the supporting ideas for each paragraph back up the idea stated in the body paragraph topic sentence?
4. Are all of the body paragraph topic sentences different, but still coherent in that they all support the thesis?
Technology connection: students will look at each other’s online graphic organizers and use the online rubric to peer grade each other’s organizational work.
Students will assess each other on the following:
1. Does the thesis address all aspects of the prompt?
2. Does each body paragraph topic sentence specifically mention an aspect of the prompt?
3. Do the supporting ideas for each paragraph back up the idea stated in the body paragraph topic sentence?
4. Are all of the body paragraph topic sentences different, but still coherent in that they all support the thesis?
Technology connection: students will look at each other’s online graphic organizers and use the online rubric to peer grade each other’s organizational work.