How To Write Thesis

How To Write a
Thesis Paper
Like a Pro.
DAY 1
Today’s Agenda
Define what is a thesis and a thesis statement.

Learn strategies to annotate effectively.
Learn how to excavate and identify the themes of the
text.
Learning Targets
I can define what a thesis is.

I can formulate a thesis statement
on my own.
I can do a close reading of the text to
annotate it effectively.
What is a Thesis?
A thesis is a paper that the student writes to argue
for a particular claim they make in their thesis
statement. In their thesis essay one provides
arguments supported by evidence from the
novel/secondary material that proves their
position.
What is a thesis statement ?
Your thesis statement tells your reader

what your thesis paper is about in one or two
lines.
It should present the topic of your paper and also make a
comment about your position in relation to the topic.
Your thesis statement should tell your reader what the paper is
about and also help guide your writing and keep your argument
focused.
Key facts to
remember:
A thesis should not be obvious.
A thesis should not be a broad

generalization
ARE THESE THESIS
STATEMENTS?
Napoleon is evil in Animal Farm

Why or why not?
In his novel, Animal Farm, Orwell criticises
Stalin’s authoritarian regime through the figure
of Napoleon.
Why or why not?

How to come up with a thesis
statement.
STEP-1
ANNOTATE
Mark the following in your novels:
Unfamiliar words/ passages that need

explanation.
Keywords/ details/ evidence you want to

remember.
(Details to keep a close eye on while annotating)
Important character traits
Events or actions that tell you more about a

character
Description of surroundings which tell you about

the setting of the story and its tone.
Strategies to Annotate
Use colorful pens!
To circle unfamiliar words
To underline important details

.
To write down any notes, observations in the
margins.
Make a star to mark a super important idea
Make a question mark to underline words or

passages that confuse you.
Write ex to mark examples that you want to use
EX from the text. These could be
actions/descriptions/character traits that can
help you fortify your argument.
You can also use Sticky Notes!
Use them to mark:
A new fact or word you learnt
Words or phrases you want to use in your
essay.
Any observations/ connections you want to
write down.
Any additional information about the
author/context of the novel which can help
you interpret the text better.
STEP 2
As you are reading the novel, start identifying the
THEMES
A theme is a central, unifying idea. It’s
the bigger issue that emerges as the
characters pursue their goals.
One text can have more than one theme.
Themes explore deeper questions about

identity and social morality.
Exit Ticket
Work in crews to identify four main

themes from animal farm.
DAY 2
Learning Targets
I can formulate guiding questions to deepen my

understanding of the text
I can frame factual as well as interpretative
questions.
Agenda for today
Understanding guiding questions-factual and

interpretative
Annotating the given text for practice and using it as

the base to form both kinds of questions.
Entry Ticket
Read the Paragraph given below carefully and
annotate it.
Born into a marginalized community in colonial India, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
(1891-1956) emerged as a towering figure in the fight against caste-based
discrimination and inequality. As an advocate for social justice and equality,
Ambedkar dedicated his life to challenging the caste system and uplifting the
oppressed Dalit community. A brilliant scholar, he earned multiple degrees,
including a doctorate from Columbia University, and played an integral role in
drafting the Indian Constitution as the chairman of the Drafting Committee.
Ambedkar's political legacy continues to inspire movements for equality and
empowerment, cementing his status as the principal architect of modern India's
social and legal reforms.
STEP 3
Guiding Questions
What are Guiding Research Questions?
A set of questions written by you that you want

to answer about the research topic you have
selected.
They are open-ended (no “right answer”) but focus

on a specific topic.
They are meaningful (or can be meaningful) to you

personally.
Why should you create Guiding Research
Questions?
They will keep you from getting lost or off-track when

looking for information.
You will try to find the answers to these questions

when you do your research.
How do I create Guiding Research Questions?
You will be making two lists of questions. One for

“factual” questions and one for “interpretative”
questions.
The answers to factual questions will give you the
basic background information you need to understand
your topic.
The answers to interpretive questions show your
creative thinking in your project and can become the
basis for your thesis statement.
Exit Ticket
Based on your reading of the paragraph, come up with factual
and interpretative questions that will be important for your
understanding of Ambedkar’s background and his politics.
Asking Factual Questions:
Who was Ambedkar?
Where and when was he born?
When was he elected as the chair of the constituent

assembly?
What were the attitudes and laws about caste during

his lifetime?
Asking interpretative questions
These kinds of questions are the result of your

own original thinking.
They can be based on the preliminary research

you have done on your chosen topic. Select one
or two to answer in your presentation. They
can be the basis of forming a thesis statement.
Examples of Interpretative questions
1. How did Dr. Ambedkar's personal experiences as a

member of a marginalized community shape his
approach to politics and social activism?
2. How does Dr. Ambedkar's advocacy for social justice
and equality in colonial India compare with the civil
rights movements in other parts of the world during the
same period
DAY 3
Learning Targets
I can define what are primary sources and what are

secondary sources
I can identify which type of source is to be used and
when.
I can formulate a thesis outline.
Our Agenda for Today!
Watch a video to understand which sources are

permissible in academic analysis.
Understand what are primary and secondary
sources
Create a list of our own primary and secondary
sources in crews.
Entry Ticket
Evaluating websites
Or
How to make sure that the research you do is legit
and not plagiarised/false.
https://youtu.be/Wpjr35uNnWE
What are primary and secondary sources?
Primary source: In literature, primary sources are the main

novel/short story/poem you are reading and working on. In our
case it is The Animal Farm.
Secondary sources
You will have to come up with two different types of

secondary sources.
Comparative textual study: Resources that relate to the primary text and
help us understand it better. Such as other novels published with similar
themes, newspapers/cartoons commenting on chosen themes etc.
Resources to understand the context: These are usually historical,

encyclopaedic articles that helps the researcher better under who the
author was and what times he was writing in.
For our thesis party, we will first come up with one
secondary text for comparative study.
For example, a good character to compare Animal Farm’s Napoleon would

be Madara Uchiha from Naruto.
Or, you can compare the theme of rebellion and violence in Animal Farm
with Charles Dickens’s Tale of Two Cities.
Activity: Lets Go!
Work in pairs, let’s come up with:
Choose a book/movie to compare Animal Farm to
Two resources for each of the above mentioned texts to

understand their historical and cultural context.
Now that we know the process, let us attack this process
with all our strength!!!!
Thesis Outline
An outline is a “blueprint” or “plan” for your paper. It

helps you to organize your thoughts and arguments. A
good outline can make conducting research and then
writing the paper very efficient. To create an outline:
Exit Ticket
Write a rough thesis statement using the following:
Annotations
Companion secondary text for comparison
Guiding Questions (both factual and interpretative)

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How To Write a

Define what is a thesis and a thesis statement.

I can define what a thesis is.

Your thesis statement tells your reader

A thesis should not be obvious.

A thesis should not be a broad

Napoleon is evil in Animal Farm

Why or why not?

Unfamiliar words/ passages that need

Keywords/ details/ evidence you want to

Important character traits

Events or actions that tell you more about a

Description of surroundings which tell you about

To underline important details

Make a question mark to underline words or

One text can have more than one theme.

Themes explore deeper questions about

Work in crews to identify four main

I can formulate guiding questions to deepen my

Understanding guiding questions-factual and

Annotating the given text for practice and using it as

A set of questions written by you that you want

They are open-ended (no “right answer”) but focus

They are meaningful (or can be meaningful) to you

They will keep you from getting lost or off-track when

You will try to find the answers to these questions

You will be making two lists of questions. One for

Who was Ambedkar?

Where and when was he born?

When was he elected as the chair of the constituent

What were the attitudes and laws about caste during

These kinds of questions are the result of your

They can be based on the preliminary research

1. How did Dr. Ambedkar's personal experiences as a

I can define what are primary sources and what are

Watch a video to understand which sources are

Primary source: In literature, primary sources are the main

You will have to come up with two different types of

Resources to understand the context: These are usually historical,

For example, a good character to compare Animal Farm’s Napoleon would

Choose a book/movie to compare Animal Farm to

Two resources for each of the above mentioned texts to

An outline is a “blueprint” or “plan” for your paper. It

Write a rough thesis statement using the following:

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