Ashley Pasiciel

Thesis Statements
Grade/Subject: Language Arts 7 Lesson Duration: 55 Minutes
Unit: Expository Essay Writing Date: Lesson 6 & 7
KSA’s: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES
General Learning Outcomes:
General Outcome 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
manage ideas and information.
General Outcome 4: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to
enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
3.1.2 - Use note-taking, outlining, or representing to summarize important ideas.
3.1.3 - Discuss the types and sources of information appropriate for topic, audience,
form, purpose and point of view.
3.2.3 - Distinguish between fact and opinion, and follow the development of argument
and opinion.
3.3.4 - Reflect on ideas and information to form own opinions and evidence to support
them.
4.1.3 - Revise introductions, conclusions and the order of ideas and information to
add and clarify meaning.
4.2.3 - Distinguish between formal and informal conventions of written language and
use each correctly.
4.3.3 - Identify and use explicit techniques to arouse and maintain interest and to
convince the audience.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Understand what a thesis statements purpose in by identifying them in
introduction paragraphs and identifying good and poor thesis statements.
2. Practice writing thesis statements as a class.
3. Practice writing thesis statements individually.
ASSESSMENT
Observations: Key Questions:
 Students will identify the thesis  What is a thesis statement? (L.O #1
statement in introduction & 3).
paragraphs. (L.O #1 & 3)  Where is the thesis statement
 Prompt students to identify good located? (L.O #1).
and poor thesis statements. (L.O  How to construct a good thesis
#1 & 3) statement? (L.O # 1, 2 & 3)
 Prompt students to create thesis  What makes a good thesis
statements as a class. (L.O #1) statement and a bad thesis
 Assist students when creating statement? (L.O # 1, 2 & 3)
their original thesis statements.
(L.O 2 & 3)
 Check students answers when
answering thesis questions. (L.O
#2 & 3)
 Ashley Pasiciel

Written/Performance Assessments:
Students will complete 2 formative assessments. 1) worksheet – practice creating
their own thesis statements. 2) Flashcard activity – record their answers.
LEARNING RESOUCES CONSULTED
The Alberta Program of Studies.
YouTube Videos.
Good Old Hockey Game – Stompin’ Tom
What Is a Friend?
Extracurricular Activities – Sample Essay
MATERIALS & EQUIPTMENT
 Slideshow Presentation
 100 copies – notes
 30 copies – Good Old Hockey Game lyrics & What Is A Friend?
 Scissors
 Glue
 Notebooks
 Thesis Statement Flashcards – cut out and put in envelopes.
PROCEDURE
Introduction:
Hook/Attention Grabber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NgKz3ZInzA
Students will watch the introduction to the Minions movie – within the first 2 minutes if
the movie the narrator states a thesis statement – “Minions. Minions have been on
this planet far longer than we have. They go by many names…Dave, Carl Paul, Mike
and that one is Norbert. They are all different, but they all share the same thing, to
serve the most despicable master they could find. Making their master happy is the
tribes very reason for existence, as well as their other passions.”

Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Based on what we have learned so far and the
introduction to the Minions Movie – if we were writing an expository essay about
minions, what would the intro paragraph look like. We will discuss this – I’ll reveal a
sample on the board.

Expectations for Learning & Behaviour: Eyes on me when I’m speaking.

Advance Organizer/Agenda: Have video pulled. Worksheets photocopied.

Transition to Body: Let’s get started.

Body:
Key Questions: What is a thesis statement? Where is the thesis statement located?
How to construct a good thesis statement? What makes a good thesis statement and
a bad thesis statement?

Learning Activity #1: Smartboard Presentation. (L.O #1 & 2).

 Introduce to students what a thesis statement is and the main goal of a thesis
statement. –give students a definition to write down.
 Ashley Pasiciel

 Look at some introduction paragraphs. Read the paragraph out loud and have
students identify the thesis statement. We will come back to the Minions
example.
 Look at what makes a good thesis and a poor thesis. Show various examples.
 Practice writing thesis statements together – we will write a thesis statement
based on the “Good Old Hockey Game”, “What Is A Friend” and
“Extracurricular Activities” which we looked at earlier. Discuss a step by step
process of how to create a thesis statement. Students will record these
examples down.
Assessments/Differentiation: using various forms to reach different learners.
Formatively assessing what students know about introduction paragraphs and thesis
statements.

Key Questions: How to construct a good thesis statement? What makes a good
thesis statement and a bad thesis statement?

Learning Activity #2: Practice Writing Thesis Statements (L.O #3).

 Worksheet – students will be given a topic and will have to write a thesis
statement that matches the topic. (4 questions).
 Students can use their phones/iPad if they need ideas/reasons to include in
their thesis statement.

Assessment/Differentiation: worksheet will be taken in as a formative assessment.

Key Questions: What is a thesis statement? Where is the thesis statement located?
How to construct a good thesis statement? What makes a good thesis statement and
a bad thesis statement?

Learning Activity #3: Flashcard Activity (L.O #1& 3).

 Each student will be provided with a set of 10 flashcards about thesis
statements. They will record their answers on an answer sheet. (individually)
 Prizes will be rewarded for the students once they complete the task.
 Students will pair up with each other to share their examples.

Assessment/Differentiation: formative assessment to see what students have learned

about thesis statements. This activity helps bring the lesson together.

Sponge Activity: Vocabulary

Closure:
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Praise for good work. Adjust point system.

Transition to Next Lesson: Next class we will look at body paragraphs.