from subject to thesis

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Essential Question:

  • How can learning how to do research impact all areas of our lives?

Objectives:

  • Working form a subject, students will explore topics to get to a researchable thesis statement.
  • Students will brainstorm subtopics in support of the thesis statement.
  • Students will create a basic outline that lists the thesis, subtopics, and possible sources of information for each subtopic.

Language Objectives:

  • Students will state the thesis statement in a compound, complex, or compound-complex sentence.
Standards:
 
Commom Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA W.7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

ISTE Standards:
3a. Students plan and employ effective research strategies.
3d. Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
​4a. Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
Model School Library Standards:
1. 1. a Identify topics, broaden or narrow a topic, and develop ideas to direct the focus of an inquiry.

Vocabulary:

Subject
Topic
Subtopic
Narrow/Broad Topic
Thesis statement
Researchable

The Lesson:

  • Welcome
  • Library Expectations
  • Hook:
    • Quickwrite: When thinking of research, what is the difference between subject and topic? And topic and thesis?
    • With a table partner, students will share their answer.
    • Students will volunteer responses.
    • As a whole group, the class will create definitions for subject, topic, and thesis statement. These will be the definitions we will refer to throughout the lesson.
  • Through:
  • NOTE: Students must have been assigned a subject to research. Students will explore topics associated with the subject and craft a thesis during class.
  • Direct Instruction: From Subject to Thesis (Google Slides)
  • Application:
    • Using the inverted triangle method, students will use the subject assigned to:
      • explore a variety of topics;
      • select the most promising (=researchable) topic;
      • design a working thesis;
      • list at least three subtopics;
      • create a first outline of their essay (this outline will change as students explore the topic and gather information).
  • Next Steps:
    • Students will determine when and where they will conduct their research.
Materials:

Technology:
© Paula Fonseca, 2018