When you start discussing thesis statements in your middle school class, do your students look at you as though you are speaking a foreign language? They understand that the thesis is like a road map, but that's about it.
The solution? Give students a particular pattern to follow. This is what I mean:
1. Read the prompt
2. Flip the prompt
When I say "flip the prompt," I mean to use the same words from the prompt and turn them into a new statement.
Using the same prompt from above, this is an example of flipping the prompt:
It is important to eat balanced meals because of _______, _________, and __________.
I call this a thesis skeleton. It's a skeleton because it has some bare bones (blanks) that we will fill in after we read the texts.
3. Read & Mark the Text + Fill in the blanks
It is important to eat balanced meals because they enhance cognitive ability, boost immunity, and increase energy levels.
And there you have it! An easy way to teach effective thesis statements! Click here to check out this post for the rest of the introduction paragraph.
Want some FREE flip the prompt practice? Click here!
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