Note: Everything is of course gameable with AI, but often multi-step assignments like this completed with AI show those tell-tale AI quirks more easily.
Objectives
Students will:
- Move from a brainstorm of people and experiences into a working thesis.
- Refine their thesis across several rounds to see how clarity, flow, and word choice make an argument stronger.
Lesson Materials
A thesis is the “roadmap” of your paper—it gives your stance (or curiosity) and hints at why you see things that way. For Essay 1, your thesis should grow out of your lived experiences and influences.
This assignment walks you through four rounds to show how a thesis develops:
Round 1 – List
Write down all the people and experiences that might go into your essay. Also note your current perspective on the issue: pro, con, undecided, in the middle, or just curious. Don’t worry if it feels messy.
Round 2 – Explain
Write out your perspective as a complete statement. Explain your yes/no/maybe stance in a full sentence. Don’t connect anything yet—just state what you think or feel.
Round 3 – Connect
Take your perspective from Round 2 and connect it to your experiences from Round 1 using a joining word like because, but, or although. Link your stance to specific people or moments from your list.
Round 4 – Refine
Rewrite your Round 3 thesis for clarity, flow, and word choice. Fix grammar, cut extra words, make vague language specific, smooth out the rhythm, and replace weak words with sharper ones.
Model Example (Messy start → polished finish)
Round 1 (List):
- Sister’s student loan debt
- Dad saying “a degree isn’t worth it anymore”
- News about rising tuition
- My perspective: College should be more affordable
Round 2 (Explain):
I think college should be more affordable.
Round 3 (Connect):
I think college should be more affordable because my sister has debt and my dad says college isn’t worth it and the news it keeps saying tuition more going up which makes me think that people is struggling.
Round 4 (Refine):
Because I’ve watched my sister buckle under student debt, listened to my dad doubt the value of degrees, and followed endless news about soaring tuition, I believe college must be far more affordable.
➡ What changed: Fixed grammar (subject/verb agreement), cut repetition (“and… and… and”), balanced the clauses for better flow, replaced weak verbs with stronger ones (“buckle,” “doubt,” “soaring”), made the stance clearer and tighter.
To Receive Credit for this Assignment
Submit all four rounds, clearly labeled:
- Round 1: List of people/experiences and your perspective
- Round 2: Your perspective as a complete statement
- Round 3: Connected thesis using a joining word
- Round 4: Refined thesis (clarity, flow, word choice)
Show Your Work Grading
Your grade is based on showing your process through all four rounds, not on having a “perfect” thesis. Strong work looks like:
- A clear list in Round 1
- A complete perspective statement in Round 2
- A connected thesis in Round 3
- Real improvements in Round 4 (clearer, smoother, sharper)
AI Guidelines
Students may not use AI for this assignment. This includes tools like Co-Pilot, ChatGPT, Grammarly, and any other AI writing or rewriting tools. You will need to do this kind of work in a proctored setting without AI.