Thesis Statement Writing Workshop

​If you are thinking about trying to get your students thinking and writing critically this is a great place to start. This 50 minute workshop gets kids thinking, creating and collaborating. Kids travel from station to station to learn about thesis statements and they have fun while they're at it. At the conclusion of the workshop, students know how to write a thesis statement using evidence. We recommend it as a first step before tackling Document Based Question essays with your students.

The good news is that below you will find the different components you will need to set up your own thesis workshop. We've got everything from student handouts to video clips to exit slips. In the spirit of what BubbleUp Classroom is all about, we hope that you will free free to add, change and adjust these materials to fit the needs of your own students. If you come up with something fabulous please share it with us! We love to hear about new, bubbly ideas.

Also, if you aren't feeling particularly techie -- skip Pick the Best and Write It. These stations require you to set up google forms so that you can collect the student data. Or better yet, find a techie colleague and get to it! 

Introduce Thesis Writing

Introduce the Stations Activity

​​Station Details
Block Party
One word per brick, students physically build thesis statements. Stems can be provided for additional support. Thesis CSI
Using evidence statements on a topic, students put together a thesis statement. Stems can be provided for additional support. Pick the Best
Students pick the best thesis statement of each setting, piecing together a QR code puzzle to check their work. You will need to create your own QR codes to break apart -- ours takes students to a Google response form.
Map It
Students deconstruct, or map, thesis statements into the graphic organizer. Rewrite It
Given poorly written statements, students rewrite them into strong, concise thesis statements.​​
  • We do Rewrite It in a low tech way: students pull a poorly written thesis statement out of a box and rewrite it.
  • You could also do this electronically via Google Form: Sample Rewrite Form (you'll have to create your own)
    Create your own Google Form to use this in your classroom. 
  • Rewrite It -- examples (MS Word | PDF)
Exit Pass
Using what they have learned, students write a strong thesis statement on any topic of their choice.