Academic Subject: English
Topic: Thesis Sentences
Length: 30 minutes
Level: College (for adult students)
Objective
- To understand the definition of a thesis sentence
- To recognize thesis sentences within a piece of writing
- To create effective thesis sentences for academic writing
Introduction (5 minutes)
- Ask students if they know what a thesis sentence is
- Define thesis sentence as the main idea or argument of an essay or other piece of writing
- Explain that a strong thesis sentence is important because it guides the rest of the writing and helps the reader understand the purpose of the piece
Example Analysis (10 minutes)
- Provide an example of a piece of writing (could be a news article or essay) and ask students to identify the thesis sentence
- Discuss the effectiveness of the thesis sentence in guiding the rest of the writing and conveying the main idea
- Ask students to suggest alternative thesis sentences for the same piece of writing and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each
Practice Activity (10 minutes)
- Provide a writing prompt and ask students to write a thesis sentence for their response
- Encourage them to share their thesis sentences with the class and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each
- Provide feedback on each thesis sentence and suggest ways to make them stronger
Conclusion (5 minutes)
- Recap the definition of a thesis sentence and its importance in academic writing
- Encourage students to continue practicing creating strong thesis sentences on their own
- Ask if there are any remaining questions or concerns and address them before ending the lesson.