All Boys, All Blogged: November 5, 2012

Focus: How do we write strong, complex thesis statements about the hero's journey?

1. Warm-up: Hero throw-down: Amir vs.  _____________

• Which traits are the most significant to these two heroes?  Why?
• If we put these two heroes in a boxing ring, which one wins each battle and why?  How do they stack up?
• In the overall contest for more compelling hero, which one wins?

2. Checking your charts

3. Reading through the overview and trying out several different thesis structures.

4. I need a few brave volunteers to put their thesis statements under the microscope...

Is it clear?  (easy to understand and beautifully written)

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Is it specific?  (mentions both heroes and both traits from the hero's journey, as well as text titles)

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Is it debatable?  (makes an argument...perhaps about what the most important traits are, or which one is a    more compelling hero and why, or why all heroes must undergo these two steps, etc.)

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Is it provable?  (there is evidence from both texts to support the argument)

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5. What is a topic sentence, and how do I write a good one?

HW: Start a new Google doc and type the strongest version of your thesis that you can create; type your two topic sentences underneath (one for each body paragraph).