Teaching Middle School Students How To Write Strong Thesis Statements

Teaching Middle School Students How To Write Thesis Statements Is Only An Equation Away.

For many middle school students, writing strong thesis statements can seem like an impossible task. Making the jump from elementary school writing expectations to middle school can be difficult enough. And mastering the multiple paragraph essay and the elusive thesis statement can seem like a daunting task for many students.

While our goal as teachers is to get students to a place where they can create thoughtful thesis statements using a variety of sentence structures, for students who struggle with essay writing, it might be helpful to provide them with training wheels until they gain more confidence. That’s why I like to teach my students how to use thesis statement formulas.

Thesis statement formulas give students clear structure and strategies to help them create strong thesis statements that will guide them as they write their essays. Depending on the type of essay the students are writing, the formula will vary.

Thesis Statements For Argument Essays

If students are writing an argument essay, the formula that I use is pretty straightforward. Their thesis statement should include their opinion or stance on the given topic plus two or three reasons why they hold that opinion. Here’s how it works. Let’s say my students are writing an essay on whether or not schools should eliminate summer vacation. They could use this formula to create a thesis statement.

Opinion + Reason 1 + Reason 2 + Reason 3 (Optional) = Thesis Statement.

Opinion: Schools should not ban summer vacation.

Reason 1: Summer vacation allows students to relax after a strenuous school year.

Reason 2: Summer vacations allow students to spend more time with their families.

Reason 3: Summer vacation gives teachers time to plan for the upcoming school year.

Thesis Statement: Summer vacations should not be banned because they allow students time to relax and be with their family while also allowing teachers time to prepare for the upcoming school year.

This formula is easy for students to follow, and it also makes it easy for the teachers to provide feedback. Once a teacher has taught this formula, it is easy for them to redirect their students by saying, “This is great. You have an opinion and one reason. Add another reason and your thesis statement will be fine.”

Thesis Statements For Analysis Essays

The formula that I use for an analysis essay is a little different. Whereas an argument essay asks students to defend a stance on a topic, an analysis essay asks students to defend their stance on an author’s work or technique. Analysis essays typically ask students to make a claim about an element of a text such as the theme, or the author’s use of setting, or character development. They then have to defend that stance with evidence from the text. 

I tweak the argument formula so that it works for the specific needs of an analysis essay. Instead of an opinion and three reasons why, the students make a claim and show two or three ways how. Let me break it down. Let’s say I asked the students to write an essay identifying and analyzing the mood the author created in the story Rumpelstiltskin. The analysis essay formula would help to provide students with some structure.

Claim + How 1 + How 2 + How 3 (Optional) = Thesis Statement

Claim: The author created a gloomy mood in Rumpelstiltskin.

How 1: By setting the story in a dark forrest

How 2: By making all of the characters flawed

How 3: By using words with negative connotations.

Thesis: The author of Rumplestiltskin creates a gloomy mood by choosing a dark setting, building the story around flawed characters, and using words with negative connotations.

I’ll share another example of the analysis essay thesis statement formula in action. Suppose I asked my students to explain what makes Cinderella a sympathetic character. The students could use the formula to create a suitable thesis statement. 

Claim + How 1 + How 2 + How 3 (Optional) = Thesis Statement

Claim: The storyteller uses several strategies to make Cinderella a sympathetic character.

How 1: By showing that she loves animals

How 2: By making her obedient to her stepmother

How 3: By showing her poor living conditions

Thesis: Cinderella’s poor living conditions, her obedience to her stepmother, and her love of animals all make her a sympathetic character.

Analysis essays tend to be a bit more difficult to grasp than argument essays, so I usually make sure that students are comfortable working with argument essays before introducing analysis essays. Once students have mastered the formulas, they can easily create thesis statements for either type of essay.

Conclusion

Teaching middle school students how to write strong thesis statements doesn’t have to be difficult. Thesis statement formulas help provide students with the structure they need as they learn new concepts. Once students have mastered the formulas, they are free to abandon them or modify them to create thesis statements that work with their own unique writing style. But for beginners and struggling writers, thesis statement formulas allow students to confidently write strong thesis statements.

Check out my Thesis Statement Writing Guide for a pre-made resource with notes and worksheets to help your students write thesis statements.

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