Grade 7–8 Worksheet: Writing Clear Thesis Statements

Grade Level: Grade 7–8 (Lower Secondary)

Difficulty Level: Medium to Difficult (Differentiated Practice)

Skill Focus: Writing clear, focused, and arguable thesis statements for informational and argumentative writing.

Standards Alignment

CCSS (USA)

• W.7.1 / W.8.1 – Write arguments with clear claims.

• W.7.2 / W.8.2 – Write informative texts with a clear controlling idea.

CEFR: (B1–B1+) Can write short texts expressing a clear opinion with supporting reasons.

ACARA (Australia): ACELY1722 / ACELY1732 – Plan, draft, and edit texts with a clear purpose and audience.

Cambridge: Lower Secondary English – Develop main ideas clearly and support them with relevant detail.

This worksheet focuses on helping students develop the ability to write clear, focused, and arguable thesis statements. Learners begin by identifying strong and weak thesis statements to understand the key features of an effective central claim. They then revise vague or general statements to improve clarity, specificity, and purpose. Finally, students produce original thesis statements in response to common argumentative topics, applying their understanding at increasing levels of difficulty. The activities are scaffolded and differentiated to support skill progression from recognition to independent writing, aligning with lower secondary writing standards across CCSS, CEFR, ACARA, and Cambridge frameworks.