Thesis Statement Worksheet-

Step One

Chose a topic to research for your final essay. Take a few moments to brainstorm about this topic by considering three to five points of view about that topic. Do not limit yourself to your own opinions; rather, try to identify opinions that others might hold as well. For example:

Topic: Censorship

Points of View:

1. Some textbooks should be banned from use/study in public schools due to their controversial content.
2. There should be regulations on the words and images permitted to be displayed on student clothing during school hours.
3. Employees and students should be held accountable for how they present themselves online, particularly on social media sites.
4. The First Amendment rightfully bans certain types of speech, such as obscenity, defamation, threats, and those that incite violence or lawless action.

Step Two

Using your brainstorming from step one, choose your strongest points of view and list two to three main points for each. For example:

There should be regulations on the words and images permitted to be displayed on student clothing during school hours.

• First Main Point: There should be limits on gang-related clothing that may show affiliation to such a group.
• Second Main Point: Clothing that depicts obscene language, lewd acts, or illegal activities should be banned from school properly.

Step Three

Identify one of the points of view from Step Two as the one you will move forward with for your Week 5 essay. Rather than choosing the topic you feel most passionate about, select the one that appears to present the most clear main points to support it.

Create a thesis statement by using your selected topic, point of view, and main points in the following formula:

Name your specific and narrowed research topic. This is A.
Name your opinion or position on the research topic. This is B.
Identify at least three main points that would support this opinion or position. This is C.

The way this looks, when it's all said and done, is: A+B+C= Thesis Statement. For example:

A = Censorship and school clothing
B = Regulation of the images and words permitted on it
C = Regulations would rightfully prohibit clothing that demonstrates gang affiliations, depicts obscene or illegal items, or serve to be a distraction during learning time.

Once corrected for readability and grammar, it might read as:

The words and images permitted on student clothing should be regulated, as it rightfully prohibits items that demonstrate gang affiliation, are obscene or illegal in nature, and can serve to be a distraction during school hours.

Step Four

Using the work you compiled from Steps One through Three, complete the table below.

Create a thesis statement by adding A + B + C from the completed table.