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Sophia Learning

Sophia: Choosing and Narrowing a Topic to Write About (For Research Papers)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial focuses on choosing a topic for research and then narrowing it down to a workable thesis statement. It starts with information about choosing a topic and the 3 steps involved and then provides 3 steps to narrowing the...
PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Revision Technique: Thesis and Support

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This slideshow lesson focuses on assessing and revising the thesis, topic sentences, and supporting details in a paper. It uses the analogy of the body: the thesis and topic sentences are the bones and the supporting details are the...
Activity
Other

Research Assistant: For Students: Purpose Statement

For Students 4th - 9th
This site gives advice on how to write an effective purpose (thesis) statement. The summary is given as answers to four questions: what? why? when? how?.
Website
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Revising Thesis and Topic Sentences

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial focuses on revising the thesis and topic sentences using two videos and two slideshows. The first video discusses a 3-step revising process for making sure the thesis fits the paper; the second video focuses on what...
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: Write a Persuasive Text With a Clear Thesis

For Students 7th - 9th
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] A learning module that teaches students how to focus on a thesis in an expository text in four lessons: Introduction, Opening Statement: Your Thesis, Maintaining Your Thesis...
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Critical Reading: Identifying Thesis Statements

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This instructional activity focuses on identifying thesis statements including explicit and implicit thesis statements, "How to Identify the Thesis Statement" (video), topic sentences, paragraph parts graphic, and a self-check activity.
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Academic Argument: Practice: Argumentative Thesis Statements

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This practice exercise focuses on recognizing and evaluating argumentative thesis statements.
PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Writing Effective Topic Sentences

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This tutorial focuses on topic sentences using two slideshows. The first defines topic sentences, discusses purpose and placement, and provides a sample thesis statement followed by accompanying topic sentences samples. The second...
Article
Leaf Group

E How: How to Write a Financial Analysis Paper

For Students 11th - 12th
This article by Gerald Hanks focuses on what is involved in a financial analysis report which is used to determine if a company can deliver a solid return on investment.
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Writing Process: Organizing

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson focuses on the organization of your paper including how to write a thesis statement, the elements of an effective paragraph, patterns of organization, transitions, and conclusions. It also provides a video of the Toulmin...
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Writing Process: Prewriting

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson focuses on prewriting including the purpose and characteristics of prewriting, prewriting strategies, the rhetorical context, and developing a working thesis statement. It also includes a slide show about author, audience,...
Article
Leaf Group

E How: How to Write a Research Paper in Accounting

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
This article by Vaughnlea Leonard focuses on writing a research paper for an accounting class. The main differences from other research papers is choosing an appropriate topic and selecting sources written by accounting experts.
Article
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Academic Argument: Introduction to Argumentative Thesis Statements

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This introduction focuses on evaluating argumentative thesis statements. Click on the Next link at the bottom right for more information.
Lesson Plan
Lumen Learning

Lumen: Writing Skills: Formulaic vs. Organic Structure

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson focuses on the difference between formulaic writing such as the five-paragraph essay and an organic structure that puts forward an arguable statement.
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Argument Papers

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A series of six screencast lessons explaining the process of argumentative writing. The first [4 min. 22 sec.] focuses on overall structure and purpose. The second [6 mins, 18 secs] explains how to state a claim. The third [6 min. 3...
Article
Other

Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Writing Center: How to Write Summaries

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides tips on what to contemplate when preparing to meet with a writing tutor. The focus of these tips relate to self-analysis of writing content.
Activity
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Argumentative Papers: Organization

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson focuses on the organization of argumentative papers and developing an outline for them. It begins with topic, stance, and thesis statement; next one lists each claim in order of appearance in a paper and two different...
Handout
University of Sydney (Australia)

University of Sydney: Planning the Overall Structure

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This resource discusses the steps in planning the structure of a student's argumentative essay. Page 4 of this article focuses on Thesis statement.
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: I Just Got Assigned a Paper, Now What?

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This lesson focuses on what to do after being assigned a paper; it provides the basic steps to writing a paper: brainstorm topics, organize your thoughts (Venn diagrams, tree diagram examples), conduct preliminary research, create a...
PPT
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Cause and Effect Papers: Thesis

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This slideshow lesson focuses on how to write an effective cause and effect thesis; it reviews cause and effect writing, lists signal words for cause and effect papers, explains what is required in the thesis, and provides three examples...
Unit Plan
Beacon Learning Center

Beacon Learning Center: Trailblazing Conclusions

For Students 3rd - 7th Standards
This tutorial focuses on conclusions for expository writing. It discusses the purpose of conclusions, what should be included, and ways to conclude.
Website
Other

International Debate Education Association: Debates: Politics

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A selection of debate topics focused on political themes. Each topic includes a clear statement of the argument, a list of points for and against, suggested support for each (point and counterpoint), and a bibliography that supports the...
Website
Other

International Debate Education Association: Debates: Education

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A selection of debate topics focused on education issues. Each topic includes a clear statement of the argument, a list of points for and against, suggested support for each (point and counterpoint), and a bibliography that supports the...
Website
Other

International Debate Education Association: Debates: International Issues

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A selection of debate topics focused on international issues. Each topic includes a clear statement of the argument, a list of points for and against, suggested support for each (point and counterpoint), and a bibliography that supports...