Thesis Statement Framework
Halfway through the unit, I introduced a thesis statement framework and, on a semi regular basis, had students practice writing thesis statements. The framework reads as follows,
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This framework, though inherently limiting because of its rigidity, seemed important to me as a way to provide my students with a very specific formula to slot their opinions into. For their third and fourth blog posts as well as their debates, the students were asked not only to include the three elements designated in the thesis framework, but also to try and write equally formal thesis sentences.