Name:________________________________________ Period:_____ Date:__________________Unit:__________

Thesis Statement Practice/Brainstorming help

Directions: A thesis statement is the MOST IMPORTANT sentence in your entire essay!!!! You cannot expect to do well on an essay or get your point
across to your reader without one! Follow the steps to help improve your thesis writing abilities or brainstorm for the next formal journal response

1. Journal topic:________________________
A. Looking at the Journal topic prompts, create a Big Idea question (question that is arguable/defensible, asking why or
requires you to support your answer):
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
B. What is your simple answer to above question (This will become your topic sentence/the beginning of your thesis.
There really only needs to be 1 part to this answer)!
________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Brainstorming support for your answer:
List at least 2-3 specific examples for each category below. Remember, this is brainstorming, answers do not have to be
perfect and you will not use all of these examples but you want more than one for each category so that you can choose
the best one to write aboutnot just the only one you could think of! When it comes to pre-writing, you should spend the
most time brainstorming! More thought at this stage = better papers and support for your opinion. Spend a little more
time here and the rest will be easier!...
Examples from this unit (paragraph #1)

Other examples from history (paragraph #2)

Examples from the present day/your own life (#3)

Ex. A:

Ex. B:

Ex. C:

D. Now, highlight the 3 best supports for you answer (1 from EACH COLUMN) in the above box.
E. Now, write your thesis statement!(NOT your entire intro paragraph) by answering the journal question (B) and
introduce (summarize them; dont worry about explaining them...that is for the body paragraphs) the 3 main points
that you highlighted for C & D. Keep more support in chronology (see above box & columns 1-3):
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
F. When you are done, go back and number the 3 main points of support that you used in your thesis to make sure you
are addressing 3 distinctly different points.
***For additional practice: do the same on the reverse with other journal topics. Refer to this side for directions

***MUST HAVE TEACHER APPROVAL OF 1ST PRACTICE BEFORE CONTINUING ON SIDE!!!

2. Journal topic:________________________
A. Create question from the journal prompts:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
B. answer your question
________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Brainstorming support:
Examples from this unit

Other examples from history

Examples from the present day or your own life

Ex. A:

Ex. B:

D. Highlight the 3 best supports

E. Now, write your thesis sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
F. Go back and number the 3 main points of support that you used in your thesis.
3. Journal topic:________________________
A. Create question from the journal prompts:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
B. answer your question
________________________________________________________________________________________
C. Brainstorming support:
Examples from this unit

Other examples from history

Examples from the present day or your own life

Ex. A:

Ex. B:

D. Highlight the 3 best supports

E. Now, write your thesis sentence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
F. Go back and number the 3 main points of support that you used in your thesis.