Literary Essays
Understand what a thesis statement is
Learn to write clear, focused thesis statements about literature
Practice crafting thesis statements for familiar stories
“A man has joy in an apt answer. How good is a timely word!”
— Proverbs 15:23 (WEB)Just like a clear answer brings joy, a strong thesis statement clearly communicates your main idea
Gather students and explain that today we'll learn how to write clear thesis statements, just like good communicators share clear messages.
A thesis statement is like a roadmap for your essay. It tells readers exactly what you will discuss and what you think about a book or story.
Students will practice writing thesis statements about familiar books or stories they love
Simpler: Use a fill-in-the-blank thesis template
Challenge: Write multiple thesis statements about the same book
Recap what we learned about thesis statements
Dear God, help us to communicate clearly and thoughtfully, just like you communicate with us through your Word.
Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn how to find evidence to support our thesis statements
“A man has joy in an apt answer. How good is a timely word!”
— Proverbs 15:23 (WEB)🎯 Activity: Create hand motions to act out 'apt answer' and 'timely word'
Thesis statements help children learn to form and express clear thoughts about literature
Children might have difficulty being specific and focused
Clear, specific statements about a book's main idea