How to Write a Thesis Statement for High School Papers
Knowing how to write a thesis statement for high school papers is very important because it enables you to complete academic paper writing assignments with ease and successfully. If you write an academic paper without a strong thesis, your thoughts and ideas will not be organized properly and your paper will not be persuasive enough to earn you a better grade. A thesis statement refers to a theme of the paper that is expressed in single or two sentences- follow the link for more information. Everything in the paper should refer back to and stem from your thesis statement. Thus, a thesis statement is the anchor of your high school paper.
Know how to write a thesis statement for high school papers that serves its purpose effectively
A good thesis statement for a high school paper should be a narrow, concise statement of the main argument or claim of your paper.
It should accomplish the following:
- Tell readers how the significance of your subject matter will be interpreted in the paper.
- Act as the road map that tells readers what the entire paper will discuss.
- Direct all answers to the research question or prompt question.
A thesis statement is basically the interpretation of the topic or subject under discussion in the paper. It offers you and the readers a way of understanding the topic. An effective thesis statement should make an arguable or disputable claim. It should not just state facts. Usually, an effective thesis statement is one sentence that comes close to the end of the introductory paragraph. It presents the main argument in the paper while promising readers what to expect in the rest of the paper.
A five steps guide on how to write a thesis statement for high school papers
- Know the purpose
There are three important elements of a successful thesis statement. It should present the topic of your paper, offer your opinion about the topic and summarize the points that will be covered in the body of the paper. Using a thesis statement, you can easily organize the paper because every paragraph that you include in the body paragraphs should be related to the points that the thesis statement presents. For instance, if your thesis statement says that learning online is effective than attending traditional classes due to its flexibility which enables students to learn when they want and its affordability, the body paragraphs should be focused on such reasons. Additionally, it should signal readers what will be covered in the other sections of the paper.
- Present your opinion towards the subject or topic of the paper
After reading your thesis statement, readers should know your opinion towards the topic. Your opinion should be explained clearly. It should also be debatable. This implies that others can potentially dispute your opinion. If your thesis statement cannot be opposed or challenged by another person, then it is simply a summary of the issue or a statement of facts and not a presentation of a clear viewpoint. For instance, if you say that many people are attending online classes, you simply state a fact and not a thesis statement or opinion. However, if you say that attending online classes is worse or better than attending traditional classes, you present a debatable viewpoint.
- Support your opinion
You should have evidence that supports your viewpoint in the thesis statement. Including evidence makes your thesis statement and the paper credible to the readers. It also tells your readers that you know what the topic is all about and that you have done adequate research to gather evidence for supporting your opinion. Your main points should be summarized by the evidence that your thesis statement presents. This enables your readers to know what will be covered in the entire paper.
- Come up with several drafts
You should practice severally so that you can write successful and effective thesis statements. It is important that you come up with several versions of your thesis statement so that you can determine the one that captures your opinion while summarizing evidence better in a single or even two sentences. By writing several thesis statements, you can easily organize your opinion and evidence before you present it to your readers.
- Revise
After writing a thesis statement, revise it to ensure that it effectively serves its purpose as highlighted in this section. Note that your topic can change during the writing process. It is therefore important that you always go back to your thesis as you write your paper to ensure that it reflects what your paper discusses in the body- follow the link for more information.
Additional hints on how to write a thesis statement for high school papers
- Determine the kind a paper that you are required to write
The type of a high school paper that your teacher asks you to write will influence your thesis statement. You can be asked to write an analytical paper, expository paper or argumentative paper. An analytical paper presents a breakdown of an idea or an issue into simple parts. It evaluates an idea or issue while presenting this evaluation and breakdown to the readers. An expository paper simply explains or exposes something to readers. An argumentative paper presents a claim that is justified using specific evidence. The presented claim can be a policy proposal, an opinion, a cause-effect statement, an interpretation or an evaluation. An argumentative paper mainly aims at convincing readers that the presented claim is valid and true on the basis of the provided evidence.
- Make your thesis statement specific
A good thesis statement is specific. It covers only what is discussed in the body of the paper. Specific evidence should be used to support it. Therefore, ensure that your thesis statement presents a defined viewpoint- follow the link for more information.
- Conduct some research before you write a thesis statement for your high school paper
Before you come up with a thesis statement for your high school paper, conduct some research to gather relevant information that you can use in developing your argument logically. Conduct thorough research on your topic so that you can come up with a thesis statement that you can support with logical evidence. Your claim will start taking shape while conducting research.
- Do not generalize
You should not write a generalized thesis statement or claim. Do not use words like “everyone”, “all” or “no one”. Instead use words like some or many. Universal words regarding humanity will make your thesis statement weak and easy for critics to attack.
Thesis statement examples
Using thesis statement examples as your guide for writing is one of the best ways of mastering how to write a thesis statement for high school papers.
Here are thesis statements that you can always refer to while practicing thesis statement writing:
Analytical thesis sample:
Analyzing the process of college admission shows that the major challenge that counselors face is accepting learners who score highly or those whose extracurricular backgrounds are good.
Expository thesis statement example
The characteristics of the typical life of a college student include attending classes, studying and peers’ socialization.
Argumentative thesis example
Graduates from high school should take one year off during which they should pursue projects in community service before joining college so that they can increase global awareness and maturity.
How to revise a thesis statement
The process of writing a good high school paper is recursive. This means that you should revise your paper continually as you write it. Similarly, you should revise your thesis statement to ensure that it is reflecting what the paper says. As you write your paper, you may realize that your argument is taking a different direction instead of what you expected. As such, you may have to revise your thesis statement to suit your argument or paper.
Ask the following questions to establish whether you have a strong, final thesis statement:
- Does my thesis statement answer the prompt question?
- Can a reasonable person oppose or challenge my thesis statement?
- Is my thesis statement specific enough?
- Does my thesis answer the “why” or “how” question?
- Is the thesis statement supported by the paper without wandering?
- After reading my thesis statement, will readers see its significance?
Working with a thesis statement while writing high school papers
Knowing how to write a thesis statement for high school papers alone is not enough. You should know how to use a thesis statement in ensuring that your thoughts and arguments are organized throughout the paper. Similarly, your thesis statement should enable readers to follow your argument. Therefore, keep referring to your thesis statement as you write the paper. While revising or editing your paper, make sure that the entire paper is anchored on your thesis statement and that it is fully supported by the body of your paper.
Get help with thesis statements for high school papers
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Sources
http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/213811.doc
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Thesis-Statement-%28High-School-Students%29