Writing Your Thesis Statement Now, that you’ve done your research, it’s time to organize your ideas. Start by writing a thesis statement. Then arrange your ideas in an outline.

What is a thesis statement?

•

Your thesis statement tells what your report is all about.

A good thesis statement starts with an interesting topic and then focuses on an important detail about the topic.

• Interesting topic

+

important detail

= thesis statement

Interesting topic: Daniel Boone’s exploration + Important Detail: helped early Americans go west.

= Thesis statement: Daniel Boone’s exploration helped early Americans go west.

More examples of Thesis Statements: • 1. The English Quaker William Penn (

an interesting topic)

founded the Pennsylvania colony to provide religious and political freedom (

an important detail)

.

More examples of Thesis Statements: • 2. Anne Bradstreet was a poet in the 1600s

(an interesting topic)

who wrote poems about family, women, faith, and politics in Massachusetts

(an important detail)

.

Create Your Thesis Statement • Review your notes and write a thesis statement about the most important accomplishment of the person you will write about.