Group+2

GP Skills Inc**
 * Group 2

Group Participants Pauline Chua
 * Janice Lok**

How to write a thesis statement
 * Original Lesson Title**

Teacher explains components of a thesis statement with samples. || Students attempt to write a thesis statement for the given essay question in pairs. || Teacher invites peer critique. Teacher comments on peer critique and corrects the thesis statements on the board. || Students are then encouraged to refine the thesis statement. || E-learning lesson on **__thesis writing__** using web 2.0 tools (Builds up on previous lesson on brainstorming) || [|**http://www.slideshare.net/ctomlins/strong-thesis-statements**] || [|**http://www.tommarch.com/electraguide/thesis.php**] Caveat: Students to refine and improve thesis created by thesis-builder || [] Alternatively this step can be a pen and paper exercise so as to speed up the lesson. ||  What is a thesis statement? Watch the following video to find out.
 * Original Lesson Description / Plan**
 * Time || Activity ||
 * 15 || Teacher explains what a thesis statement is and its importance.
 * 10 || Teacher gives essay question with outline of points.
 * 20 || Teacher selects 5 pairs to go to the board and write their thesis statements.
 * 5 || Teacher shows model answer and ask for student analysis of model answer.
 * No || Activity (Self-directed learning on wikispaces)
 * 1 || To view a powerpoint slideshow with voice-over on how to write a thesis statement
 * 2 || Practice formulating your own thesis using Thesis-Builder
 * 3 || Students to be paired up to write thesis statements for 2 essay questions on wikispaces

media type="youtube" key="slpWSLz9tj4" height="315" width="500"

To recap:


 * Your TS presents your stand and also some form of scope concerning your essay.
 * The TS is usually found at the end of the introductory paragraph.
 * You will need to analyse the essay question and brainstorm points before you can take a stand and finally formulate your thesis statement.

Now try building a thesis statement at [|Thesis Builder]! (Click Back on your browser after you are done to return here!)

Had fun? Now work on the following task with your partner.  Task:   l  Work with your partner to craft a thesis statement on the 2 following questions on  wikispaces .   **Instructions: ** <span style="color: #f23131; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-family: Arial; msofareastfontfamily: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;"> <span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">One of you should compose a basic thesis statement on question 1 first. <span style="color: #3a1fff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**(Use blue font)**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">The other person should refine and improve on the original thesis statement. <span style="color: #f72222; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**(Use red font)**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Now swop your roles for question 2.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Remember to click on the 'save' button!


 * __<span style="font-style: normal; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">1) Is marriage an outdated notion in today's world? __**<span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">

=
<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #2424ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**Type your thesis statement here!** <span style="font-size: 130%; color: #2424ff; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;"> ======
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #fbfbc0;">** Name ** || **<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #fbfbc0;">Thesis Statement ** ||


 * __<span style="font-style: normal; font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">2)“Youth is wasted on the young” (George Bernard Shaw). Do you agree? __**<span style="font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">

<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #2424ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">**Type your thesis statement here!** <span style="font-size: 130%; color: #2424ff; font-style: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; msofareastfontfamily: 宋体; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; msofareastlanguage: ZH-CN;">


 * **<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #fdfb8c;">Name ** ||  || **<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #fdfb8c;">Thesis Statement ** ||

**__<span style="font-size: 130%; color: #e61414; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Reflections on the above lesson for the GP teacher (Updated 21st July 2009) __**

 * 1) =<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"> =

<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Have fun! > > For teachers: > <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);">**__U tube videos linked to blogs:__** > Thesis statement Rap - possible intor about what a thesis statement is. > [] > Thesis statement review video - gd for self study > [] > > **Very helpful** > [|**http://delicious.com/search?p=thesis+statement&u=&chk=&context=&fr=del_icio_us&lc=0**] **(delicious search on favourite websites associated with thesis statement writing)** > [|**http://www.tommarch.com/electraguide/thesis.php**] **(excellent thesis statement builder - found from delicious search)** > [|**http://www.tommarch.com/electraguide/**] **(other useful tools for brainstorming for essay-writing)** > [|**http://www.slideshare.net/ctomlins/strong-thesis-statements**] **(ppt slides on strong thesis statements - found from slideshare)** > [] (ppt slides on good thesis statements) > <span style="color: rgb(255,0,0);"> > **Listservs.com:** > [|**http://listservs.net/How-Do-You-Write-a-Thesis-Statement.html?afdt=I0mVzoB3tKIKEwiA7fOJsa6ZAhUCMhoKHXJh2fcQAhgBIAMwoaanDlChpqcOUKWUrQ5Qx6f2DlDLuosPUKXq_xNQypH2rgE**]
 * 1) <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Teachers may find it more useful to use their own powerpoint slides or materials to first teach thesis-statement writing. The slides found from slideshare tend to be geared towards a more general style of writing rather than for GP essays, where thesis statements have to be carefully crafted to address the key requirements of any question.
 * 2) <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">Thesis-builder is extremely helpful in helping beginning GP students to craft evaluative thesis-statements. However the final product is in mangled English and still requires students to rewrite it grammatically. Nevertheless, Thesis-builder is highly recommended. My JC1 students found it extremely useful.
 * 3) <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #7a35fd; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">For the third part of the lesson, students can instead be grouped instead of paired to work on a thesis statement for one specific question given to all groups. The final products can be put up on wikispaces/google.docs for other groups to add comments or revise. Alternatively, the groups' different thesis statements can be written on mahjong paper or simply on the whiteboard for the class & teacher to critique in a class discussion. Much faster and does not require booking a computer lab too!