Thesis Statement and Gathering Resources Worksheet

Persuasive Essay: Thesis Statement and Gathering Resources Worksheet
Part 1: Thesis Statement
Assignment Directions:
Review “Thesis Statements” in the “Drafting the College Essay” section of “The Writing Process” media piece.
Here is an example of a persuasive thesis statement from our essay.
Grass fed beef is a much healthier option than corn fed beef because it has higher nutritional value, can provide the body with much needed Omega 3 fatty acids, and has the health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid.
Stance: Grass fed beef is a much healthier option than corn fed beef.
Subtopic 1: it has higher nutritional value.
Subtopic 2: it can provide the body with much needed Omega 3 fatty acids.
Subtopic 3: and has the health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid.
Create a thesis statement for your persuasive essay. Your thesis statement should be one sentence that includes three subtopics.
Write your thesis statement in the box below:
Topic: Marijuana Legalization
Stance: Marijuana should be legalized in the country
Subtopic 1: it has significant health benefits
Subtopic 2: it is associated with lower crime rates
Subtopic 3: it is beneficial to the economy
Once you have identified all parts of your thesis, work to create the one sentence thesis statement below.
Thesis Statement: Marijuana should be legalized in the country because it has significant health benefits, can reduce crime rates, and is beneficial to the economy.

Thesis Statement Self-Evaluation:
Consider the following questions when developing the thesis statement for your essay. The answer to each of the four questions below should be yes if you have drafted a quality thesis statement.
1 Is your topic stated in the thesis?
2 Does your thesis include your position/stance?
3 Is the thesis statement specific?
4 Does the thesis include three subtopics?
Part 2: Gathering Resources
Assignment Directions:
Review “Research and Sources” in the media piece “The Writing Process.”
Use the GCU Library to find three Peer Reviewed sources to use in your persuasive essay. Each source must be current (published within the last 10 years). Fill out the requested information in the table below about your sources.

Thesis subtopic

Title and Author(s)

Write a 50-w...