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Lesson 11

We will engage in a peer review of our supporting paragraphs and draft our thesis statements.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I revisit, refine, and revise my understanding, knowledge, and work based on feedback and review by myself and others?

  • Can I draft a strong thesis statement for my literary essay?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Simon and Schuster, 2003
  • Unit Reader
    • Excerpt from “Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism,” Elaine Showalter, Methuen Publishing, 1985

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will engage in a peer review of our content, deconstructing our support paragraphs to help us strengthen and revise them.

Trade drafts with a partner. Deconstruct each of the support paragraphs, determining the function of each sentence. Then jot down some notes for your partner regarding how well their controlling idea and support work and what could be improved on. Be ready to share your ideas with your partner.

Take turns reviewing and discussing the results of the deconstruction activity and your feedback notes. To ensure you understand the feedback, be sure to ask your partner clarifying questions.

Activity 2: Read

We will reflect on our peer feedback and make revisions to improve the clarity of our ideas.

Examine your peer’s comments. Make any necessary changes to your draft.

Reread your supporting paragraphs. Use the following question to guide your reading:

  1. Are my written ideas clear and focused?

Make any necessary revisions.

Activity 3: Discuss – Write

We will examine three model thesis statements and use one of the models to draft our own thesis statement.

Examine the three model thesis statements on the Hamlet Mentor Thesis Statement Handout and discuss the following questions with a partner:

  1. Which example represents a typical structure for a thesis statement? What makes this thesis statement effective? How could the thesis statement be revised to be more effective?

  2. Which example represents a thesis statement in which the author agrees with another critic’s interpretation of Hamlet? What makes this thesis statement effective? How could the thesis statement be revised to be more effective?

  3. Which example represents a thesis statement in which the author disagrees with other critics’ interpretation of Hamlet? What makes this thesis statement effective? How could the thesis statement be revised to be more effective?

Use the appropriate model for the type of claim you are making to draft a strong thesis statement for your essay.

Consult the Organization Reference Guide for additional information on thesis statements. Consult the Claims Reference Guide for a list of powerful verbs to include in your thesis statement.

Activity 4: Read

For homework, we will revise our support paragraphs to ensure alignment with our thesis statement.

Revise your support paragraphs to ensure alignment with your thesis statement. You will draft your introduction and conclusion in the next lesson.