How do you write a thesis statement for a research

paper?

In this lesson you will learn how to write a research thesis statement by restating your big research question in a

complete sentence.

Let’s ReviewPreparing to write

Research a topic

Generate a big research question

Write your thesis statement

1 2 3 4Outline your essay

How do people invent new things?

A Common Mistake

NO thesis statement =

Core Lesson

Review your big research question.1

2 Restate the question as a complete sentence.

3 Ask yourself, “Am I teaching others something new?”

Core Lesson

Review your big research question.1How do people invent new things?

Core Lesson

2 Restate the question as a complete sentence.

How do people invent new things?

Which information will show back up in

my answer?There are many ways to invent new things.

Core Lesson

3 Ask yourself, “Am I teaching others something new?”

There are many ways to invent new things.

Am I teaching others something

new?

Do only a few people already

know this information?Yes! Yes!

Core Lesson

Review your big research question.1

2 Restate the question as a complete sentence.

3 Ask yourself, “Am I teaching others something new?”

In this lesson you have learned how to write a research thesis statement by restating your big research question in a

complete sentence.

Guided Practice

Turn the big research question below into a thesis statement.

Why do people invent new things?

Which information will show back up in

my answer?

Guided Practice

Review the thesis statement you just generated and decide if it is a high-quality thesis by asking yourself the questions below.

Am I teaching others something

new?

Do only a few people already

know this information?

Extension Activities

Extension Activities

In partner pairs, compare your thesis statements. • How are your thesis statements similar?• How are they different?• What changes can you make to your

thesis statement and still make sure it’s your own?

Extension Activities

Extension Activities

Is the thesis statement below a high-quality thesis statement? Why or why not?

The Wright brothers worked together to create the first airplane.

Let’s ReviewQuick Quiz

Review your own big research question and turn it into a thesis statement.

Lesson Slides RubricUse this rubric to ensure your

lesson plan is great!

Writing Lesson Rubric  Criteria for Success Things to avoid

Storyline or Arc of the Lesson

There is a clear arc to the lesson.  One slide leads naturally to the next so that there is a flow and a building of meaning

All the components of the lesson are there but they seem disconnected, as if the author wrote each without thinking about how they fit into the whole. 

Hook Slide

The teacher poses a simple question that illicits the response, “yeah, I do wonder how that works…”  

The question is short A relevant example is included when it is short and 

further pulls the learner in  The question mirrors what the student will do in 

the guided practice

The question seems formulaic, inauthentic, or overly “school-ish” (message: you have to learn this because you’re in school rather than, this is genuinely interesting)

The hook is overly-complicated and potentially confusing The question does not parallel the guided practice 

questions

Objective Slide

The objective follows the form (you will learn X by doing Y)

Is concise and follows the form provided in the examples

Does not follow the form Is overly vague in describing either the X or the Y Is too long Is written for teachers but not students

Let’s Review

Reminds the student of how this lesson fits within the writing process

Is as concise as possible

Is either too detailed or not detailed enough in connecting the lesson to other lessons

Leaves out important touch points Makes the lesson overly dependent on the other lessons 

(student will be confused or feel like they’ve made a mistake, if they watch this lesson alone)

Is too elaborate

Common Mistake Points out a “common mistakes” that students 

make and quickly explains why that is a mistake The mistake is overly simplistic or complicated.  Does 

not feel authentic

Steps

Clearly connects with the objective Includes 2-3 steps that a writer can take to achieve 

the objective Is student focused (the steps accurately imagine 

what a student who has never done this before will need to do)

Is logical and specific (you can visualize the act of doing the step.  There is no magic leap that happens between steps)

The connection with the objective is unclear Includes 4+ steps (and therefore should be split into two 

or more lessons) Involves a  magic leap that assumes a student can make 

a leap between steps that is natural to an adult

Modeling

Is in “think aloud” format.  The teacher is opening up his/her thought process to the student and modeling the struggle; showing how he/she drafts and revises ideas in his/her mind

Engages the learner by asking questions along the way to build suspense

Examples are authentic  - they show empathy for the learner and his/her interests, concerns, problems without speaking down the learner

Fails to explain his/her thinking along the way.  The teacher effortlessly runs through the steps as if it’s all obvious and easy

Does not ask any questions along the way to pull the learner in

Uses examples which are unlikely to connect with the learner’s life

 

Steps and Objective Review

Reviews the steps and objective in a “see what I just did” way

Serves as a “let’s pull this all together” moment that helps organize the lesson in the learner’s mind

Creates abrupt feeling between the modeling and the reviewing (subtext: “we’re done modeling, let’s quickly bring this lesson to a close.”)

Guided Practice Challenges the learner to carry out the same steps Is at the same difficulty level modeled in the lesson 

Seem unrelated to the hook question Is at a different difficulty level than that modeled in the 

lesson

Extension Activity Suggestions

Includes suggestions for at least 2 extensions Includes a suggestion for a struggling student who 

needs more opportunities for practice as well as a student ready to be challenged more

Suggestions should clearly build from the approach in the core lesson

Does not include differentiation Does not thoughtfully connect or flow from the lesson Does not clearly build from the approach in the core 

lesson

Aesthetics

The slides use the correct colors (blue, green, red) in the correct sequence 

The slides use the correct fonts The slides use handwriting and the handwriting 

appears as written in the right places The slides only use the headers/titles provided  The slides use the provided visuals or include 

visuals created by the author or LearnZillion The slides use animation, highlighting, and circling 

to scaffold the learning, keeping the eye focused on what the teacher is introducing/explaining

The slides clean and uncluttered.  The visuals and text do not exceed the maximum amount (see tutorial for example of maximum)

The slides use other colors or vary the order of the colors

The slides add new headers/titles that aren’t part of the template

The slides use clip art The slides are cluttered Animation is distracting and feels more like sizzle than 

part of the steak

Graphic and Image TemplatesCopy and Paste items from these slides to

make your presentation look great!

You can copy and paste these items into any slide

Green text box that appears letter by letterGreen text box that fades inBlue text box that appears letter by letter

Blue text box that fades inRed text box that appears letter by letterRed text box that fades in

You can copy and paste these items into any slide—make sure you copy both the bubble and

the text!Do I feel strongly about it?Do I have a

lot to say?

Do I feel strongly about

it?

Do I have a lot to say? Do I have a lot to

say?

You can copy and paste these items into any slide. You can resize them as

needed! Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep my text left-justified rather than centered!

Use black text when you write in me please! Also, keep the text left-justified rather than centered!

All arrows can be recolored by changing the “shape fill.” You can also resize them or rotate

them!

[Write first step here…]1

2 [Write second step here…]

3 [Write third step here…]

You can use these when discussing main ideas or steps in a process…

You can resize any of these boxes and use them to highlight text or ideas.

Let’s Review

A Common Mistake

Guided Practice

Quick Quiz

Extension Activities

Core Lesson